Condemnation and outrage over the vandalism done to the Cobourg Afghanistan Memorial
On Sunday, January 4, 2020 Today’s Northumberland was notified of vandalism done to the Cobourg Afghanistan Memorial on D’Arcy Street in Cobourg.
Sometime during the night a person spray painted “Death to Imperialism” on the west side of the LAV III memorial.
The memorial was unveiled on November 8, 2019 in honour of the 40,000 men and women who served in the Canadian Armed Forces and the 162 who died in the cause of bringing peace to Afghanistan.
Cobourg Police examined the scene and documented the footwear.
Police Chief Paul VandeGraaf called it a “disgrace” vowing that no stone would be left unturned to catch the person/s responsible. This is a priority for our entire team. We need the community’s help in solving this.
VandeGraaf stated they are checking surveillance cameras throughout the area and are following up on any leads that are brought to the attention of police.
“The skill of our team and support from the community means it is just a matter of time before we bring this person to justice. I would suggest those responsible do the honourable thing and turn themselves in to police.”
On Monday, police continue to search for the individual while politicians and veterans voice their outrage.
Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, Lawrence MacAulay called the act of vandalism disgusting.
“To desecrate a memorial to those who risked and gave their lives with our flag on their shoulder is disgusting. It’s an insult both to those who’ve served and to the memories and families of the folks we lost, and I hope anyone with information to share gets in touch with the Cobourg police.”
MP Philip Lawrence added his distain for the criminal act saying he was “deeply disappointed that someone in our community felt that it was approproitate to vandalize a monument to our courageous soldiers. We have a sacrosanct responsibility to honour our veterans 365 days a year.”
MPP David Piccini said it was not only a criminal act, but one of ignorance.
“The Light Armoured Vehicle III (LAV) monument commemorates Canada’s mission in Afghanistan. It stands as a reminder of the seminal role Canada played and serves to pay respect to our fallen. These brave men and women deserve to be honoured, not vandalized by ignorance.”
Cobourg Mayor John Henderson who was instrumental in the creation of the memorial said it is “heart-wrenching and unacceptable.”
“The LAV III serves as a symbol and a testament to the men and women who have served and continue to serve our Canadian Armed Forces both at home and abroad. It stands for our earned freedom and rights as a democratic country. Individuals are entitled to express their viewpoints as a constitutional right but this must be done in a manner that brings cause for reflection rather than harm and disgrace to our community.”
Retired Sergeant with the Canadian Armed Forces who served in Afghanistan and Cobourg native Todd Cane perhaps said it best.
“These memorials and monuments are placed to Recognize the service and sacrifice of all those who served, more often than not the monuments are actual equipment that was used. Try not to be offended by the monument itself, whatever it may be (WW2 tank , aircraft on a stick or a LAV for example). Whatever it may be, it is there for the purpose stated above, not to glorify war.
In my wallet I carry a card with the names of 17 individuals with whom I served at some point in my career, all of them lost their lives in Afghanistan and I can assure you that none of them where there to further imperialism. They were there to protect their comrades and the good people of Afghanistan during a hellish conflict. Finally, if you want to make a statement of opinion on the reason for our being there, or something even deeper – paint it on a board or a sheet and place it somewhere in the ground, you’ll still get your desired effect of saying your mind and shocking people but at least the monument is not completely vandalized. Grow the F up”
Breaking News – Senseless Act of Vandalism to Afghanistan Memorial in Cobourg
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
