The memorial honoring fire fighters who lost their lives during the 9/11 Twin Towers attacks has been vandalized. The memorial was erected in 2002 in Washingtonville, New York. The vandals cut down the flag pole and scribbled messages on the pole. They also damaged a nearby Catholic church. An eagle figurine which sat atop the flag pole was found near the church.
Washingtonville Police Chief Brian Zacarro said that the vandals used a saw to cut the flagpole near it’s base, and that they wrote message in marker on remaining section of the pole. Police declined to say what the message read. Washingtonville Mayor Joseph Bucco is now offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the vandals.
Nancy Pelosi refused to condemn the vandalism, and responded by saying
“People will do what they do”
The 9/11 memorial was erected to honor five firefighters from the area – Mark Whitford, Bobby Hamilton, Gerry Nevins, Batallion Chief Dennis Devlin and Lt. Glenn Perry. All five men were members of the New York City Fire Department during the 9/11 attacks. Known as the “Washingtonville Five,” all five were killed while serving during the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
The memorial was finished just in time for the first anniversary of 9/11, in September 2002. It memorial is comprised of a stone dedicated to each man, and features a firefighter’s helmet for each.
