Members of the Barrington United Veterans Council made it official on Tuesday morning, filing a request that the flagpole be removed from the veterans memorial outside Barrington Town Hall.

A letter signed by eight members of the Barrington UVC (Charles Brule, Luigi Carusi, Paul Dulchinos, William Groves, Kenneth Lass, Joseph Pine, Jr., Frank Santoro, and Bart Stanzione) states that they believe the flagpole at the veterans memorial is being used to “improperly display other flags, banners and devices under the American Flag.”

The letter further states: “It is our opinion as veterans of military service that this use of an American Flag display, in accordance with the town’s new flag ordinance, is in direct violation of United States of America Flag Code (36 U.S.C. 176) as brings disrespect to the US Flag as ‘the flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.’”

Barrington Town Manager Jim Cunha said he had no comment on the matter, except to confirm that the request had been received and is under review.

For months, members of the Barrington United Veterans Council have sparred with town officials over the town manager and town council’s decisions to fly different flags on the flagpole at the veterans memorial near Barrington Town Hall.

In June 2020, members of the Barrington UVC wrote a letter to the editor, stating their opposition to the council’s decision to fly the Pride flag on the town-owned flagpole. “It is the position of the United Veterans Council that the rainbow flag represents a political movement and it is our belief that the town’s American flag displays should remain apolitical,” they wrote.

During the June council meeting, former councilor Steven Boyajian said the decision to fly the Pride flag during the month of June echoed the message of the cause. He also said not every cause would warrant a flag being flown outside Barrington Town Hall. (At that time, the council also opted to not create a flag policy for the town.)

In August 2020, the town manager raised the Black Lives Matter flag on the flagpole outside the town hall. He said he did so in anticipation of a rally that was to be held on the town hall lawn.

A few weeks later, members of the town council voted to keep flying the Black Lives Matter flag and then rejected a request to fly a “Back the Blue” first-responders flag.

In addition, the council ignored a plea from the Barrington United Veterans Council to fly only the American flag, state flag, and POW/MIA flag on the town hall flagpole.

In November, the Barrington UVC moved its annual Veterans Day ceremony away from the veterans memorial because the Black Lives Matter flag was still flying on the town hall flag pole.

Residents have also displayed lawn signs stating “Respect The Flag: Keep Politics Off The Pole” and veterans held a rally on the town hall lawn showing their support for the US flag.

In addition, members of the Barrington United Veterans Council have numerous times requested that a flag displaying the message “Respect The Flag: Keep Politics Off The Pole” be flown on the town hall flagpole, only to be rejected.

Recently, veterans requested a flag with the same message but designed in a different way be flown.

Meanwhile, on Feb. 1, members of the council voted on a resolution to allow the Black Lives Matter flag to continue flying on the town hall flag pole until March 3, when it will be taken down, about six months after it was first raised by the town manager.