Over the last week, memorials to veterans have been defaced or damaged in several states around the country.
A Vietnam War memorial in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles was “extensively defaced” by graffiti sometime during the last week. ABC News describes the memorial: “The homespun memorial painted on a block-long wall on Pacific Avenue lists the names of American service members missing in action or otherwise unaccounted for in Southeast Asia.”
George Francisco, vice president of the Venice Chamber of Commerce, said: “It’s a desecration. I mean it’s very simple. There’s no sort of other way around it.”
“I’ve known the sacrifices these people made in an incredibly unpopular war. So to continue the mistreatment of Vietnam veterans is somewhat shocking, somewhat shocking and quite sad,” Francisco said.
The painting reads: “You are not forgotten.”
Another veterans memorial was damaged in Henderson, Kentucky, on Saturday when a driver plowed into Memorial Day crosses that honor 5,000 veterans dating back to the Revolutionary War. According to Henderson Police Department spokesperson Jennifer Richmond, the community is trying to repair and replace the display. Anthony Burrus, 27, crashed into the display. Authorities do not know if it was a deliberate attack.
Yet another memorial was attacked in Virginia. The Petersburg National Battlefield appears to have been looted, the Park Services reports. “Numerous excavations were found at the Civil War battlefield last week, Jeffrey Olson, and agency spokesman, said in a news release Friday. Petersburg National Battlefield is a 2,700-acre park marks where more than 1,000 Union and Confederate soldiers died fighting during the Siege of Petersburg 151 years ago.”
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