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Most yellow ribbons that lined State Route 32 to bring Matt Maupin home have been taken down, and there are quite a few people upset about it.
Volunteers tied ribbons everywhere on the highway leading into Clermont County for the Maupin visitation and memorial service.
State transportation officials say they told the Yellow Ribbon Support Center a month ago that the ribbons would come down from the right-of-way in early June.
Matt Maupin's father Keith surveyed the barren fence line Friday and said he understood the ribbons were weathered and had to come down.
But, he said he was upset that two American flags that belonged to him were gone as well.
"To me, it made me feel at home when we came down 32 and you could see those bows," said Maupin. "Because we haven't seen that anywhere we've been where they got bows up for everything,"
"And it always made me feel good – and then we come by and see those flags flying back there – and that really made me feel good because I knew they were mine," said Maupin. "And they took 'em and we want them back."
Ohio Department of Transportation spokesperson Liz Lyons says, however, that ODOT workers didn't remove the flags – and says she doesn't know who did.
Lyons also says the workers will not take down any more yellow ribbons.
