Gas station responds to flag removal controversy

BOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) -- A gas station is responding to outrage after managers told a group they needed to remove American flags they had installed along part of the gas station grounds.

The alleged incident happened a couple weeks ago at the Flying J in Boyd County.

The group of veterans and patriots say they put the flags up to welcome a rolling Vietnam War memorial that would be passing by, and were quickly told they could not have the flags there.

"I love the veterans," said Adam Conn. "I'm a United States Marine Corps veteran myself. I support them 110 percent. If it was not for them, we would not have the freedoms in our country we got."

Conn, along with others, are now staging protests at the gas station until they receive what they call proper response from that gas station.

"We are asking for the Flying J to install a flag pole to fly an American flag and a P.O.W flag and submit a public apology to the veterans," Conn said.

WSAZ reached out to Pilot Flying J's corporate office for a statement. It responded: "Pilot Flying J proudly welcomes the American flag at all our locations. After looking into the concern at our store #660, located at 15236 State Route 180, Catlettsburg, KY, we found that the concerns were not with the flags themselves but with the safety of where they were placed as we need to make sure they don't block the lines of sight of drivers pulling into our locations.

The safety of our team members and guests is our number one priority."