A senseless act of vandalism to an Afghanistan Memorial has incensed the people of Cobourg.
Today’s Northumberland was first notified on Sunday morning around 7 am that someone had spray painted “death to imperialism” on the side of a Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV III) the town had purchased as a memorial in recognition of the 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces personnel who served and the 162 Canadians who died in the cause of peace to the people of Afghanistan.
The damage is only to one side of the memorial indicating the suspect may have wanted to deliver a message as it is on the most visible side.
Damage is believed to have been done sometime during the evening of Saturday, January 2 and Sunday January 3.
Bonnie (Jaynes) Spry walking her dog along D’Arcy Street when she noticed the police at the memorial.
Spry shrieked from across the road when she saw the damage on the side of the LAVIII.
“My son was in Afghanistan. Look what they did.”
Her son serves in the Canadian Armed Forces and Spry said, “anybody that can do that has no respect for what’s going on in this world.”
Cobourg Police Chief Paul VandeGraaf was incensed at the lack of disrespect.
“Having your personal opinion is fair. It is in the Canadian Charter of Rights, but when you deface someone else’s property, that becomes a criminal issue. Someone decided to deface a memorial to war veterans – a complete disregard for the thousands of Canadian Armed Forces personnel who served and the 162 Canadians who died for peace and freedom to the people of Afghanistan,”
“Defacing a memorial dishonours those who sacrificed their lives, their families and the women and men who served that continue to struggle with those invisible wounds that come with their sacrifice. It’s a disgrace, and I ask anyone that has information to come forward.”
A set of footprints is clearly visible at the side of the LAV where the suspect shuffled along as they were spray painting.
The Cobourg Police Service Forensic Identification Services took numerous photos of footprints at the scene.
Cobourg a police are actively looking for any assistance in apprehending the suspect involved.
The Town of Cobourg Parks and Recreation staff were called and have since worked to remove the graffiti.
The Cobourg Police Service is asking anyone with information to come forward. Anyone in the area of 700 D’Arcy Street between Saturday, January 2 and Sunday, January 3, who saw anything suspicious or may have dash camera footage, please call police at 905-372-6821 to call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS or leave an anonymous tip online at www.stopcrimehere.ca.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
