Officials at Alaska’s renowned Denali National Park are facing scrutiny after allegedly directing construction crews in the park not to fly the American flag. Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska penned a letter to the National Park Service Director Charles Sams, requesting an explanation for the actions of officials at Denali National Park, pointing out that the order was given on the eve of Memorial Day weekend.
The news of this alleged incident appears to have originated in a report by the Alaska Watchman, a local conservative publication citing an anonymous construction worker at the park. Fox News Digital has been unable to independently verify the details of the report.
In his letter, Sullivan explained that one of the construction vehicles involved in the project had a 3 x 5-foot American flag affixed to it, but for “reasons that remain unclear,” someone at the National Park Service (NPS) directed the construction crew to remove the American flag.
Senator Sullivan expressed outrage at this decision, particularly since it occurred during the lead-up to Memorial Day weekend – a time when Americans come together to honor those who gave their lives in service to the nation while wearing the country’s flag. He argued that the American flag should be celebrated, not censored by federal government employees during this solemn national holiday.
Sullivan noted that he could find no regulations prohibiting the flying of American flags on public land and questioned why such a regulation would exist when the purpose of national parks is for the enjoyment of American citizens. He concluded his letter by demanding an investigation into the incident and steps taken to ensure that similar incidents do not happen again in America’s national parks.
The controversy has also sparked a protest from Alaska residents, who have organized a “patriotic convoy with flags” from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Denali National Park on Sunday. The Facebook-organized protest had 23 confirmed participants and over 100 interested as of Sunday morning.
The National Park Service and Denali National Park did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
