A U.S. Army veteran in Ohio and the homeowners association in the neighborhood in which he lives are at odds over flying an American flag on a pole installed in the veteran’s yard. Fred Quigley, 77, a retired Army chaplain, is being threatened with legal action by the homeowners association.

The association says the issue is not the flag, but the flag pole, and that Quigley knew the rules when he moved into the neighborhood.

Quigley has vowed to continue the fight. “If they can dictate to me that I cannot fly an American flag in America, then, to me, the country is lost,” Quigley told an Ohio newspaper.

American flags will be a common sight these next couple of days. The 13 stripes represent the original colonies that defied the greatest military of its time to earn the freedom that turned this land into a free America. Red stripes stand for valor and hardiness; the white for purity. The stars represent individual states banding together. The blue background represents vigilance.

To patriotic Americans, the flag represents freedom. It represents an idea that has advanced the human condition more than any other nation on Earth. It represents those who have fallen trying to secure freedom and liberty for everyone. It represents opportunities in a land where every one has an equal chance to succeed or fail on his or her own terms.

We hope Quigley succeeds in his fight. Flying the American flag should be viewed as a privilege. It was earned for all of us by the actions of such women and men as Fred Quigley.

God Bless America.