An American flag that had draped the casket of son Andy III years ago in an Army memorial service had been stolen off the front of their house in Chancellor Park, leaving the Franklins to wonder who would take such a thing at this time in our country's history.

Today, their faith in human nature has been restored, at least partly, by the kindness of strangers who helped track down the flag and get it back to them.

"There are a lot of good people out there," said Franklin, noting that he was flooded with calls of sympathy and offers of help after news of the flag's theft spread. "A few of them went the extra mile and helped us get Andy's flag back."

The Franklins called in the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Department after the funeral flag was stolen last Friday night.

In short order, two young men were charged in connection with the theft. Indications were that the flag had been discarded in or near a dumpster behind Shooters restaurant in Fredericksburg.

Searches there failed to turn up the flag.

"I was busy working on a full-page ad about finding the flag Thursday when a woman called and offered to help," said Franklin. "She said she was willing to do anything to help, including going out to the dump to search through the trash."

That woman was Sharon Musselman of Stafford County, who had read Tuesday's column and was moved to tears by the thought of a father losing the only thing he had left of his son, the flag from his casket.

"That just really tugged at my heart," Musselman said. "I wanted to help."

Sharon Musselman's next call was to her husband, Lee, a lieutenant with the Fredericksburg Police Department. He suggested that before searching at a landfill she might talk to some of the people who work at Shooters and the businesses around it.