Man to send over flags from USA after ‘Mi Amigo’ memorial damaged in Endcliffe Park chaos
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Geoff Hatcher, whose parents moved away from Sheffield weeks before he was born and now lives in Philadelphia, United States said he was so angry to see that the memorial had been desecrated.
The staunch Sheffield Wednesday fan said he has been in contact with Tony Foulds, the Sheffield man who has looked after the memorial to 10 US airmen who lost their lives in a plane crash.
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Hide AdGeoff said: "As an English guy living over here, I know how important it is to have Anglo American relations, and I also know how sacred the American flag is to the people over here.
"It's actually illegal for the flag to even touch the ground in this country," he said.
He said he is looking to provide anything that was damaged to be replaced and also to send some over Air Force flags to be displayed at the memorial.
On Tuesday last week, thousands descended on the park on the hottest day of the year so far.
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Hide AdThe vandals had reportedly ripped the memorial's two biggest flags off their poles so they couldn't be reused and then dumped them on the floor.
Tony was left devastated when he found out the damage that had been done to it.
Speaking to The Star today, Tony, who just turned 85 last Friday, said he was happy when he received was contacted by Geoff, informing him of the news.
"That is marvelous. It's great to know that people out there are willing to help. It'd be nice to have the original Air Force flags at the memorial too," he said.
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Hide AdTony was in the park the day the American warplane came down killing all 10 crew members and has been looking after the memorial since it was enshrined in 1969.
In 2019, a flypast of British and US warplanes was organised by BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker to mark Tony’s devotion to the memorial and the men it remembers.