Adams County Parks Director Byron Fanning probably didn’t expect to see the county’s veterans’ memorial receive the treatment it did just one day after local residents honored those who served on Veterans Day.
Repeated Disrespect
Yet, for the 10th time in two years, Fanning was greeted with obscene messages, graffiti, and other damage at the Adams County Veterans Memorial in Brighton, Colorado. Local police and park officials said the park was vandalized sometime on Nov. 12.
Fanning told CBS News Colorado that costs to repair the damage could exceed $3,000. For some reason, the park has become a frequent target for vandals.
“(The memorial) is actually a replica of the USS Colorado battleship from World War II,” Fanning said.
The USS Colorado was a 32,600-ton battleship built in Camden, New Jersey, and commissioned in 1923. Before World War II, the ship served with the Navy’s Battle Fleet, conducting training and exercise drills. The battleship even helped in the search for famed pilot Amelia Earhart in 1937. During the war, the Colorado served in the South Pacific, guarding against Japanese attacks. The mighty ship survived two Kamikaze suicide bombers in 1944 and was decommissioned in 1947.
Honoring All Who Served
The memorial, which extends into Mann-Nyholt Lake, sits in Riverdale Regional Park and is an “architectural masterpiece,” according to the Adams County website. It was designed to honor all who served, especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
The replica is a detailed depiction of the USS Colorado and features marble monuments, paying homage to every branch of the military, plaques featuring quotes from presidents, and a wall telling stories of Adams County veterans. A concrete map greets visitors at the entryway, displaying all veterans’ memorials throughout the county.
The memorial provides a space for visitors to learn about local veterans and military history.
“This is such a great place for people to come and reflect and really get deep into thought,” Fanning said.
On Veterans Day, visitors dropped off flowers at the memorial, taking some time to remember those who served. But a day of tributes followed with a day of dismay and more cleanup and repairs for Fanning and his crew.
“It’s really frustrating,” he said. “It hurts my heart when it happens.”
Fanning said the vandalism disrespects the community and its veterans.
Adams County officials shared photos of the graffiti on social media, but due to its obscene messages, they chose to blur the images.
Vandals splashed paint all over the replica, covering the ship’s cannons and a memorial bench. Fanning said the paint oozed down through small spaces in the bench, staining the platform below.
“We’ve had to take the bench completely apart and rebuild it,” he said.
The memorial wasn’t the only park fixture that was damaged.
Memorial a ‘Sacred Space’
“In addition to that, they did some damage to our restrooms,” he said. “They broke the backflow valve on the toilet, and unfortunately, we have a system that runs water into a vault in these restrooms, so we had to pump out the vault, which is really expensive.”
County officials said the memorial is a main attraction in Brighton, bringing in about 60,000 visitors per year. According to Fanning, it’s become a “sacred space” for people to pause and reflect.
The parks director had a stern message for the vandals.
“What you’re doing is dishonoring veterans who served, gave their lives, gave their time, and defended this country,” Fanning said. “It is absolutely the wrong message to be damaging something that honors them.”
After taking a few days to clean off the graffiti, county officials will shift to fixing other damages.
“It’s probably between $2,500 and $3,000,” Fanning said, assessing the costs.
Fanning said Adams County residents can do their part by being vigilant and reporting suspicious activity around the park.
“Whoever’s doing this, please stop,” he said. “And help us take care of it.”
The rash of vandalism has prompted extra patrols at night from local law enforcement, and county leaders plan to install security cameras around the park.
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