Four Chicago firemen were stunned when, just 2 days before the 13th anniversary of 9/11, they were suspended from duty for refusing to remove decals of the American flag and a Marine Corps emblem from their lockers.

Fire Chief Craig Bronaugh Jr. said on Wednesday that he issued the blanket rule to remove all stickers, decals, and photos from lockers and firefighter gear in order to have a uniform appearance in the facility and among employees.

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However, this was a change from an earlier statement he made stating that the rule was put in place in order address concerns of racism over a picture of a monkey smoking a cigarette on one of the lockers.

Firefighters thought it was absurd that the photo would raise suspicions of racism since it had been up for almost a decade as a joke. Reportedly, the former owner of the locker, who is now a lieutenant at the station, was said to be a chain-smoker. 

They claim that the reason for the rule was triggered by tension over an American flag that the firemen bought with their own money in order to replace the old and tattered one that was previously hanging at the station.

The new flag was taken down with no explanation, which prompted the men to place U.S. flag stickers on their lockers instead.  Shortly afterwards, the whole station received a memo from the Chief telling them to remove all decals - including the American flag and military and navy emblems - from their lockers and helmets. 

Four of the station's firemen were sent home Tuesday after refusing to remove the patriotic decals from their gear.

For firefighter Dave Flowers Jr., the decision to not remove the stickers from his locker was a personal one.  

Flowers' father was also a firefighter and was the first African American to serve at the station. Allegedly, the locker was the same one his father used and the decal of the U.S. Marine Corps insignia was actually placed there by his veteran father 26 years ago for service in the Vietnam War.

The suspension was quickly reversed, but the firefighters' union plans to go forward with filing complaints with the Illinois Labor Relations Board over freedom of speech violations.

Flowers said they are distressed at the turn of events, particularly being so close to the 9/11 anniversary, because many colleagues were forced to remove decals from their helmets commemorating fallen brothers from the attack 13 years ago. 

TagsAmerican flag, 9/11 anniversary, Chicago firefighters, 9/11, firefighters, Freedom of Speech, flag decals, marine decals, vietnam war, firefighters' union, Chicago, stickers, decals