Veteran Saves Muddied American Flag from Asheville Ruins: ‘I Saw It as a Sign’
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, local resident Destiny Garcia made an uplifting discovery in Asheville, North Carolina while sifting through flood debris. She found a red, white, and blue flag, which she felt compelled to rescue, stating that flags should not touch the ground—especially as a member of the military. She viewed the flag as a symbol of hope amid the destruction, especially with reports of looting and resource scarcity affecting the community.
Garcia’s dedication to preserving the flag, despite the chaos around her, illustrates a spirit of resilience. She plans to clean it and display it at home, considering it more than just fabric, but a representation of enduring hope for recovery in the region. Her story highlights the collective strength and perseverance of Americans facing the aftermath of natural disasters.
An encouraging discovery was made amid the wreckage of Asheville, North Carolina, during cleanup of Hurricane Helene’s destruction.
The find was made by local resident Destiny Garcia, who was searching flood debris on Sunday. While looking through the wreckage, she spotted a red, white and blue bit of cloth caked in mud.
She knew it couldn’t be left on the ground.
“I just picked it up,” Garcia said.
Video from AccuWeather showed Garcia navigating the downed trees and debris that are now covering much of the region. She said leaving the flag on the ground wasn’t an option.
“I’m military, so, you know, flags aren’t supposed to touch the ground,” Garcia said.
“I mean, there’s everything everywhere. People are looting and stuff, and I just figured just to pick this up.”
Multiple arrests have already been made for alleged looting across the areas devastated by the hurricane. Authorities are posting guards around existing caches of water, food and fuel.
The local scarcity of resources is causing serious problems for rescuers and victims alike.
Looters are not the only people capitalizing on the American disaster. At least one gas station has been accused of illegally charging $10 per gallon of gasoline, alleged price gouging that violates state law and an emergency order.
For Garcia, and many other Americans, the flag itself is worth so much more than the piece of fabric it’s made from.
“I’m going to go home and wash it and probably hang it up on my porch or something,” she said.
Garcia felt the discovery of the flag amid the rubble was a sign for the future of the region.
“I guess I saw this as a sign of like, we’re going to get through this,” she said. “It might take a few months to recover, but, you know, there’s hope.
“At the end of the day, you just got to have faith and just wait it out.”
Watch the full video of Garcia and the flag she found below.
“I saw this as a sign of, like, we’re going to get through this.” A North Carolina resident found an American flag amidst flooding debris in Asheville, North Carolina. pic.twitter.com/VZYPLrBTay
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) October 1, 2024
As Americans return to the devastated region, Garcia’s story is only one of countless others detailing the triumphs, tragedies and endurance of our country.
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