War Memorial Pillar Destroyed in Florida, Officials Investigating

Officials say replacing the Veteran’s Memorial Park monument will cost over $2,000, which they do not find possible to have been accidental.
4/14/2016
Updated:
4/14/2016

Sometime during the early hours of April 10, vandals struck a war memorial pillar in Gainesville, Fla.—toppling it and smashing some of it to pieces.

The pillar, known as the “Walk Through Time,” stood to commemorate the veterans who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Korean War veteran Eddie Thomas told Fox 35: “It’s sickening. Nobody should want to do something like that, why destroy something for somebody that gave their lives?”

Officials say replacing the Veteran’s Memorial Park monument will cost over $2,000. They don’t believe the destruction was accidental.

Korean War veteran Terry Fitzpatrick spoke out about the attackers, saying he felt “instant anger.”

“You’re cowards,” he said. “You definitely do not understand the history of this country.” 

Officials do not believe the act was caught on camera, but are still investigating.