LOS ALAMITOS : Scouts’ Spirits Dip to Half-Staff in Theft

Members of Boy Scout Troop 671 are upset about the recent theft of a car. But what concerns them more than the vehicle, which was later found stripped in the Wilmington section of Los Angeles, is the loss of a U.S. flag and their troop flag, which had been in the car’s back seat.

“The flags have a lot of sentimental value for all the boys who have been in the troop,” Scoutmaster Nick Testa said.

Of particular value is the red-and-white troop flag used in parades and special ceremonies, which includes special ribbons signifying awards that the troop has won in its 22 years. “It is irreplaceable,” he said. “Once it’s gone, that’s it.”

The scouts’ woes began Jan. 4 when the car, which belongs to the parents of one of the troop’s 43 members, was stolen from the driveway of their Garden Grove home. Two days later the car was found, minus the flags.

“They could have taken them out and just thrown them anywhere,” Testa said.

People with information on the flags’ whereabouts, he said, are asked to call him at (714) 894-4941.