Flag Returned to 9/11 Victim’s Family

Melissa Ielpi-Brengel hung an American flag that flew above ground zero outside her home on New York’s Long Island to honor her brother, a firefighter who died in the Sept. 11 attacks. On July 1, she noticed her flag was missing and that it was the only one missing from her block. Her brother’s Squad 288 from Queens, New York, brought her another flag that had hung at ground zero, but on Independence Day, she awoke to a pleasant surprise. The original flag was returned outside her house, wrapped in a bag with a note: “I am so sorry. I had no idea.” It is unclear who stole the flag in the first place, but they helped temporarily restore everyone’s faith in humanity.