NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – People driving down Main Street in North Little Rock will see a blue and yellow flag waving high in the sky. A former marine hung it this week to show solidarity with Ukraine.

Colin Gorman is the managing partner at EGP Wealth Management in North Little Rock. Previously, he served in 2003 as a marine in Iraq. 

“I actually served with the Ukrainians while I was over there,” Gorman said. “We patrolled the streets together for a while. They came and relieved my unit.”

This week, Gorman hung a Ukrainian flag on a flagpole outside his business. The pole had donned an American flag continuously since 1981, Gorman said.

“Liberty is at stake,” Gorman said. “Liberty is at stake over in Eastern Europe.”

Across the state, flags have been at a premium since the Russian Federation began its invasion in Ukraine. Many listed on Amazon will take weeks before arrival. At Flag & Banner in Little Rock, calls for Ukrainian flags have come in all week.

“Monday morning, first call, Ukraine,” said Kerry McCoy, the owner of Flag & Banner. “People wanting Ukraine flags. It’s been going that way ever since.”

Knowing that problem, Gorman and his wife decided to purchase the materials and have it sewn by hand. While checking out at a local craft store, he said a strange thing happened.

“The lady who was checking us out was from Ukraine and still has family there,” Gorman said. “She was looking the color pattern [and wondered] ‘What are you guys doing?'”

Gorman said he does not know when he’ll take the flag down, but he’ll always remember the country he grew to respect when over the last two decades.

“I’ve thought about how long I’m going to let it fly,” Gorman said. “It’s going to fly for now. I don’t know what moment that’ll be when I take it back.”