A retired Navy veteran in Florida has been ordered by a homeowners association (HOA) to remove his American Flag mailbox from the curb in front of his home.

Retired U.S. Navy Officer John Ackert was informed via a letter from the Southwood Residential Community Association in Tallahassee that he must remove the American flag graphics from his mailbox or face fines, Fox News reported.

“This is a very, very petty thing. All I’m trying to do is display my feeling of patriotism toward America. I spent 30 years in uniform,” Ackert told the Tallahassee Democrat.

The association insisted that the flag graphics on the mailbox violated the HOA rules meant to protect the “aesthetic appeal and property values” of the neighborhood.

Ackert was stunned by the letter because he has had the flag graphic on his mailbox for years and has never been told to remove it. He said he put the American flag graphic on the mailbox four years ago, replacing it frequently when it faded from sunlight.

“If somebody had complained about it four years ago, it wouldn’t be such an issue,” the veteran said.

One of Ackert’s neighbors said the whole thing was absurd.

“They do things like this all the time,” Mike Stephenson said. “I think it’s ridiculous. What’s wrong with being patriotic in the country you live in?”

This is not the first time the HOA has told Ackert to remove displays. In past years, he was ordered to remove a Navy sticker from his window. He was also told to take down stickers celebrating the Special Olympics and a sticker urging people to support local police.

The association has given the Navy veteran 15 days to comply with the order to remove the flag graphic from his mailbox.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.