Residents in Cedar Falls, Ohio, woke on Memorial Day to find that vandals had targeted and destroyed a monument honoring veterans at the Cedar Falls’ Freedom Rock.
“I think there’s a lot of veterans especially happening on Memorial weekend who are extremely disheartened by the fact that somebody would not even contemplate what this means to those people,” said Cedar Falls resident Mary Carlson, according to WHOtv.com.
Black spray paint now covers the memorial’s messages meant to honor those who laid down their lives in service of America.
Despite the absence of surveillance footage and eye-witness accounts, police believe that the vandalism took place at night.
“It just really worries me, because not only do they not care about all the work that was put in, but someone’s not watching them,” Carlson said.
The Freedom Rock Facebook page posted a message in response to the vandalism. The message addresses the veterans and their families:
To our Veterans: Do not let the actions of a few douse the appreciation that the majority of Americans feel toward you and your service. Thank you for serving our country.
Paintings can be repaired… That is a risk I take when publicly displaying art. It’s not the first time, nor will it be the last. The key is to keep creating and honoring… And I will, as long as I live.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson.