A Texas community is barring a Marine Corps veteran and his wife from flying the American flag outside their home, saying the display violates Home Owners Association (HOA) rules.
Former Marine Corporal Michael Pereira said the HOA is also keeping him from flying a Marine Corps flag outside his Rosenberg home two months after moving into the neighborhood.
‘If they’re going to take them down, it’s going to be a fight to take them down, and no one fights harder than a veteran combat Marine,’ Pereira told KPRC on Wednesday.
Former Marine Corporal Michael Pereira (pictured) said the HOA asked him to take down the flags earlier this week
Pereira, who was in the Marines from 2002-2009, serving three tours in Iraq, said that he and his wife are outraged by the HOA’s decision, adding that its an affront to every service member of the armed forces.
The flags ‘show respect for all the people I went to war with and the ones that didn’t come back,’ Pereira said. ‘I got to take them down every night and put them up every morning.’
Pereira, who was in the Marines from 2002-2009, serving three tours in Iraq, said that he and his wife (pictured left) are outraged by the HOA’s decision
Pereira told KPRC that he never experienced a problem with the association until this week, positing that a neighbor in his Kingdom Heights community must have alerted them to the issue.
‘I’m guessing somebody didn’t like it or someone reported it or something because I got a call from the property manager who works for the Home Owners Association asking me to take them down,’ Pereira said.
After being told by the HOA employee to remove the flags, Pereira’s wife posted the situation on Facebook on their neighborhood page Tuesday night.
Within hours, the post garnered hundreds of comments, virtually all in support of the couple.
Ashley Johannsen, the couple’s neighbor across the street, told KPRC that the HOA is being frivolous in its demands.
‘It doesn’t bother me. I think it’s kind of silly to have someone take down their flags — especially if he fought for the country,’ said Johannsen.
Pereira said that he’s already filed an exemption with the HOA and is waiting to hear back.
‘If they don’t get those rules changed, I’m going to start a petition to get the rules changed,’ Pereira said.
Pereira, who moved into the neighborhood two months ago, said that he never experienced a problem with the association until this week