Firefighters donate new flagpole to 99-year-old California veteran for Veterans Day

When a woman admiring a flagpole in Dominic Luna’s yard mentioned that her father, a veteran, would enjoy having one in his own yard, the California firefighter got to work.

On Wednesday, Luna and fellow Riverside Fire Department firefighters erected a donated flagpole in the front yard of Air Force veteran Col. Vincent Scarano, 99, a Facebook post reported.

The gift came as a surprise to Scarano, KCBS reported.

“I look at our flag and I see those who served,” Scarano, who served 31 years in the military, told KNBC. “I see a country that has reached out to serve. It means practically my soul, my life, this thing I’ve lived for.”

Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson also spoke at the flagpole unveiling to honor Scarano and other veterans, according to the Facebook post.

“This Veteran’s Day, and every day, it fills our hearts with a great deal of honor to recognize the valiant actions of Colonel Scarano and all other brave men and women who have served our country,” firefighters wrote on Facebook.

The new flagpole includes a spotlight so the American flag can be flown 24 hours a day.

“We look over and Col. Scarano’s saluting the flag and crying,” Luna told KNBC. “In that somber moment, it really hit hard. I have a new appreciation for the flag that I didn’t have before.”

This story was originally published November 11, 2021 at 9:38 AM with the headline "Firefighters donate new flagpole to 99-year-old California veteran for Veterans Day."