Gettysburg Monuments Vandalized

[MStuart]

My cut and paste abilities are lacking, but the story is located at www.post-gazette.com under "Latest Local News"

Proof positive that morons still exist amongst us.

Mark

[Kimmel]

That's terrible. I don't see how people could do something like that.

[MStuart]

The "why's" could probably fill volumes. Nothing else to do...Getting back at "the man"...father didn't play catch with them as kids...there's a million excuses. Wouldn't it be a hoot if a couple of them were caught in the act by some serious reenactors (while the police are far away on some other matter)? Of course, that wouldn't be right, would it?

Mark

[7thMDYankee]

Thanks for sharing that news, and the link. It is tragic that there are people doing these sorts of things. If these items were taken to sell to collectors, well, I have to scratch my head and wonder how much they truly enjoy history... I say three cheers to the school who replaced the sword from the one monument! Also, I wasn't aware that there were that many acts of vandalism at Gettysburg. Does anyone know how our other battlefields fare?

[bill watson]

Am I reading it correctly? Only Union monuments are being vandalized?

[Provost]

I've not tried to link to another page yet.

It should be at this URL:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06047/656355.stm

[zouavecampaigner]

Mark,
some of the rangers think it may be ppl who are mad at them for the tree removal on Oak Ridge/Oak Hill. The only problem with that is the fact that the head is missing from the Smith's Battery Artilleryman, which smells of Gburg College. I don't care how they do it, I just want these cretins brought to justice. I cried when I saw the 114th PA zouave on the ground on his side. Makes me want blood...

Regards,
Shaun

[Jamie Rife]

My guess is that is was probably two or three drunken college guys who thought they were doing cool "stuff." I've known a few of these types during my own collegiate years, and it never ceases to amaze me how stupid they can be and not even know it.

[cblodg]

I really do not understand these people. There is just no respect any more for anything sacred. I too and horrified by the audacity that these a**holes have to desicrate monuments such as these.

I can't even stomach the ones that go into cemetaries and tip stones over. I went into the cemetery where my grandmother is burried and cuaght a kid trying to kick over her stone. Luckily the idiot had a vanity plate on his p-o-s car and was arrested later that same day.

I don't know what the solution is, but clearly there is not enough patrol going through the park. Granted it is the largest Civil War park. However if the park service partnered with the college, maybe for sme credit or something, and had the kids patroll the park at night as well as the rangers and volunteers, this kind of vandalism might stop,

[wagen dawg]

Are there going to be funds sets up for the restoration of the monuments and capture of the of the people that did this? I would like to see the reward fund reach such a high level that someone has to talk.

In November of 2000 I caught two Gettysburg College students trying to deface the O'Rourke /140th NY Monument. I was prevented from inflicting harm to them. I turned their plate number into both the NPS and the police. Nothing was done. I was warned that the NPS takes a very dim view of vigalante justice, but was later informed by a ranking employee (whose name and location I can't divulge) that the capture (in any condition) of thse people is important.

I still remember the plate and car, but they have probably graduated.

Tim