Howard Banks, a legally blind World War II veteran, was shoved to the ground on July 10 while attempting to prevent a vandal from destroying a flag outside his home in Kaufman, Texas.
According to CBS-DFW, the 92-year-old veteran went outside to investigate after he heard someone trying to pull down his American Flag from its pole. Banks says that the group of vandals knocked him down shortly after he stepped down from his porch. As the perpetrators fled the scene on foot, neighbors rushed to the fallen veteran to offer their assistance.
Although Banks was not seriously injured, he suffered an assortment of scrapes and bruises along with a twisted knee.
"I've still got soreness here," he said to CBS-DFW, pointing to his forearm, "but I'm durable. I can take it."
Banks says that the cowardly assault won't stop him from protecting his flag, because he has had similar run-ins with vandals in the past.
About a year earlier, somebody shredded two of the Texas veteran's flags-- one was the American flag and the other was a Marine Corps flag.
While the vandals fled before they could pull down Banks' American flag, the perpetrators did manage to toss his "God Bless All Police" sign across the yard.
A spokesperson for the Kaufman Police Department told Daily Mail that they are doing everything in their power to catch the individuals that committed the "cowardly assault", adding that Banks is regarded as a hero to the city's police force.
Vigorous vet vows to whoop thieves with his crutch
Banks, however, hints that if he ever manages to track down the suspects, he just might take the law into his own hands.
"If there's any way to catch them and was able to do so, I'd like to whoop them good with my crutch," confessed the wily veteran.
Banks enlisted in the armed forces at the age of 18 and saw action in the famous battle of Iwo Jima in Japan.
He says that he goes out onto his porch every day to salute the flag.
Flag thefts on the rise
While there are no official statistics relating to the theft and destruction of the American flag, such actions seem to be on the rise since the election of Donald Trump.
Flag theft has become such a common occurrence during the Trump era that some lawmakers are proposing harsh penalties for offenders.
In January, lawmakers in Arizona voted to make it a Class 6 felony to steal an American flag displayed by a private citizen or business. Under the new law, such thefts are punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $150,000. The bill was proposed after Charles Foley, a Tucson police officer, had to replace 90 flags that had been stolen in Pima County.
