ABC-7 Listens: Tattered American flags at international bridge replaced

A video posted by retired Sgt. Major John Baldwin caught the attention of ABC-7.

In the video, Baldwin is crossing back into the United States from Ciudad Juarez on the Paso Del Norte bridge.

Baldwin stops near the top of the bridge to call out the fact that the American flag that hangs at the top of the bridge is tattered.

“That’s the flag over there that I’ve complained to the station as I’ve passed through about four times in the past couple of months,” Baldwin said.

Baldwin tells ABC-7 he was planning to sit down on the bridge near the flags, and protest their condition on Thursday morning, until they were fixed.

ABC-7 reached out to the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), the group that is in charge of maintaining and replacing the flags on the Paso Del Norte Bridge.

Lori Kuczmanski, the public affairs officer for the IBWC, said she called the field office with a request to replace the flags at around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. The flags were replaced by 5 p.m.

“We’re very happy to replace the flag. I was able to contact our field office and they went out there very quickly and replaced the flag,” Kuczmanski said. “We just want to represent a very nice appearance at the port of entry for our country.”

Darrell Mond, the founder and president of the El Paso Veterans & Riders Association, said he’s angered when he sees flags that aren’t taken care of.

“It’s something I was willing to die for. People don’t understand, people in the military, the veterans, we signed a blank check for up to, and including, our lives,” Mond said. “That flag is a symbol of our country.”

The IBWC encourages the public to speak out if they see a flag at the port of entry that is tattered. You can call: (915) 832-4106