A Vietnam War veteran drew attention this week after pulling down a Confederate flag from a flagpole in New Jersey, saying he could not stand to see it fly.

Stewart Resmer, who served in the Marine Corps from 1969 to 1970, reportedly replaced the Confederate symbol with the American flag in Wayne, N.J.

"The battle flag of the Confederacy is not going to fly around here, if I can do anything about it," Resmer told USA Today. "I won't stand for it."

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Confederate flags and imagery often stir up deep tensions, with opponents claiming they symbolize the history of slavery, white supremacy and racism while supporters insist they represent Southern pride.

Multiple cities and universities have removed Confederate flags and monuments in recent years.

"Running up mountains, and planting American flags, is part of a Marine's DNA," Resmer said.

Another resident of the New Jersey town, Donna Brooks, told USA Today she was "more annoyed than anything" when the Confederate flag appeared on the flagpole near her house. She denied it was related to the race of her husband, who is black.

"I don't think it's particularly geared toward me, or my husband," Brooks said. "I've lived in Wayne for 25 years, and I've never had any problems."

A conflict over Confederate monuments in Charlottesville, Va., last year sparked the deadly white supremacist Unite the Right rally, where a car was driven into a group of counterprotesters, killing one and injuring many others.

The organizers of the Charlottesville protest are scheduled to host another rally on its August anniversary in Washington, D.C., this year. The "white civil rights rally" will be held in Lafayette Park.