American flags at three different Boston military memorials were defiled during an overnight vandalism, leaving local veterans and officials outraged over the “hate and disgusting” act.
Military veterans and city officials were horrified to find the poor conditions of the Stars and Stripes at Medal of Honor Park, the Admiral Farragut Statue and the Korean War Memorial in South Boston on Wednesday morning.
The flags were found pulled out from where they were displayed, damaged and either piled up on the ground or tossed on the streets, according to Boston.com.
All three memorials are within a 1.5-mile radius of eachother spanning from Castle Island to East Broadway in South Boston.
The vandalism occurred sometime between 6 p.m. Tuesday and 6 a.m. Wednesday but officials haven’t released additional information, the outlet reported, citing a police report.
“The people of Boston unequivocally denounce the hate and disgusting vandalism of American flags overnight at the Admiral Farragut Statue and the Korean War Memorial in South Boston,” Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn, State Senator Nick Collins and State Rep. David Biele said in a joint statement.
Residents reported the vandalism to the Massachusetts State Police and the Boston Police Department, who are investigating the incident and working to identify any suspects, Flynn said.
“It is unacceptable to cause vandalism to an American flag and/or any veterans memorial. In times of struggle and unity, the American flag captures the strength and legacy of the United States, our service members, veterans, Gold Star Families and our military families,” the statement read. “These memorials are not just monuments, they are places of remembrance that acknowledge the supreme sacrifice made by these heroic veterans. We stand with out veterans and military families and respect the American flag today and every day.”
The Boston officials called for an increase in “security infrastructure” that includes camera coverage to “protect public assets honoring veterans.”
The added security footage would help law enforcement in identifying the perpetrators of the defacing of the memorials.
Leaders at the Thomas J. Fitzgerald Veterans of Foreign Wars Post, two blocks from Medal of Honor park, condemned the vandalism across “Southie,” the nickname for the South Boston neighborhood.
“I feel that I can speak for the active duty and veterans that this disrespect of our flag is a slap in the face. Why would someone do this? Do they not know what our flag stands for,” the post wrote on Facebook. “The ultimate sacrifice paid by some for our freedom or the pain the families carry who have lost their love ones. this act is unacceptable; we need to hold whoever did this accountable and we will.”
Flynn, a US Navy veteran who served during Operation Enduring Freedom after 9/11, shared a photo of himself standing with local veterans and city officials at one of the memorials after the vandalism.
“Any act of destroying a monument commemorating fallen American military personnel or the American flag is unacceptable. This morning, angry South Boston veterans and elected officials united to condemn this disrespectful behavior toward veterans, our community, and the American flag,” Flynn wrote on X.
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