UPDATE:  Two of the victims recovered their flags late Tuesday, and Lisa Bixler hopes to get her flag back Wednesday. It appears someone stole more than a dozen flags as a prank.

RACINE - There's a lot of patriotism in the neighborhood on the 3300 block of Wright Street. There are three military families living side by side. But now, someone has stolen the U.S. flags from the front lawns of all three homes. One of the flags belongs to a mother who lost her son in Iraq.

Private Evan Bixler was killed by enemy fire in Iraq on Christmas Eve in 2006. A few months ago, his mother Lisa raised a U.S. flag on her front lawn to remember him. When someone stole the flag last week, it opened up old wounds.

"Stuff like this brings a lot of it back. They say these people are fighting for our freedoms. It doesn't include freedom to hurt other people by stealing things," said Lisa Bixler.

It's not the theft that bothers Lisa. It's what the flag represents.

"I look at it as Evan waving. Waving hello and goodbye. It stands for something, and you should not disrespect it," she said.

Lisa soon learned she wasn't alone. Three flags were stolen on the same block in one day, all from the homes of military families. The victims are wondering whether it was just a random prank or if they are being targeted.

"Each one of us have the blue star flag hanging in the window, so whether it was a target or not, I have no idea," said Cathi Webster, whose flag was also stolen.

It didn't take long for neighbors to fly brand new flags.

"The best thing we did is just put another flag up to show that our patriotism is still there. You can hurt us, but you can't knock us down," said Webster.

Two of the three flags had already been replaced by Tuesday. Strangers have even been showing up at the homes, offering their own flags to the families.

Police do not have any suspects. The families are asking anyone with knowledge of the crime to provide information to Racine police.