UNITED STATES−A flagpole was found cut down on Wednesday, July 8 at the 9/11 Memorial honoring first responders from the New York City Fire Department who lost their lives during the September 11, 2001 terrorists attacks. The memorial is located in Washingtonville, New York, in Orange County.
Washingtonville residents awoke to the desecrated flag pole. Police Chief Brian Zaccaro told the local publication that the culprits must have used a tool to cut through the flagpole’s metallic frame. The flagpole was found next to a toppled sign at St. Mary’s Parish Center 0.5 miles away.
The top of the monument honoring the fallen firefighters, reads: “God Bless America. Dedicated to the honor and memory of America’s heroic rescue workers and innocent civilians who were the victims of the attack on the World Trade Center.”
The flagpole was to the left of these words on a second monument. “Gone but not forgotten,” reads beneath it, and five bronze firefighter hats with the name of each of the five the monuments were erected in memory of: Lt. Glenn Perry, Battalion Chief, Dennis Devlin, Mike Whitford, Bobby Hamilton, and Gerry Nevins.
According to reports, there was a message left at the base of the monument, but those details were not disclosed to the public.
New York State Assemblyman, Colin Schmitt, whose district includes Washingtonville made the following statement regarding the damage done by vandals.
Washingtonville Mayor, Joseph Bucco posted a message on the Village of Washingtonville Facebook page stating that the St. Mary’s Parish Center was also destroyed. This is also the location of St. Mary’s Little Lamb’s Preschool.
