FeedsNew flag rises after complaint
Clarification appended
Should an American flag sit in place of absent Canton Township Trustee Todd Caccamo?
Family and friends of Caccamo, who has not been at a board meeting since May when his reserve unit was called to active service, certainly think so.
At the Aug. 22 meeting of the board of trustees, Caccamo’s wife, Kay, as well as his parents, said the township was being disrespectful in ignoring a request to display the flag while he is gone.
Supervisor Tom Yack said it wouldn’t be done because it would appear to politicize Caccamo’s involvement in the Iraq War. He made the refusal knowing it didn’t frame him in a kind light.
“I do believe I probably looked pretty bad,” he said. “If you look at the tape, it looked like I’m a cold, big fish. Not compassionate, caring or any of that stuff.”
The board discussed the matter at the end of the meeting and decided to show support for all servicemen and servicewomen and fly a “Support our Troops” flag on the pole outside the administration building. That flagpole is already dedicated to Trevor Blumberg, a soldier from Canton who died in Iraq in 2003.
Kay Caccamo said the gesture was too little, too late. She said the American Legion and citizens who gave the flag to Caccamo asked it to be placed at his spot on the dais in his absence.
“It’s basically a slap in the citizens’ face,” said Caccamo. “I don’t think it’s Tom’s decision what goes in that chair.”
She said the request wasn’t politically motivated, either.
“Todd has nothing to do with this. Todd’s not even involved in this. Todd’s got other things on his mind than this flag,” she said. “It’s not Todd saying ‘put this in my chair while I’m gone.’”
Caccamo, who served with the Marines during the first Gulf War and reenlisted late last year, is currently training in California before his unit ships out to Iraq.
After the meeting, Yack sent a letter to Kay Caccamo informing her of the decision to display the “Support Our Troops” flag in front of the township offices.
He said he wished the family would have approached him privately first.
“I don’t know that we would have accomplished anything, but certainly I would have been in a better position to talk through the situation rather than talk spontaneously,” he said. “We were put on the defensive immediately.”
Clarification: Our print edition incorrectly described the “Support Our Troops” flag in front of the township administrative offices as yellow. The flag is white with a picture of a yellow ribbon.
