Man Arrested For Vandalizing Veterans’ Memorial Day Displays


A man in Henderson, Kentucky was arrested for vandalism on Monday because he knocked over 160 crosses and destroyed 20 others at a Memorial Day display, according to USA Today.

Anthony Burrus was arrested in the park with this display just before 6 a.m. EST Monday morning, the USA Today report said. The 27-year-old drove his car through the display. They had over 5,000 crosses in the city’s Central Park; each of them had the name of a veteran who has passed away.

The vehicle, a 1979 Ford Thunderbird, was found at a nearby McDonald’s restaurant. It had pieces of the crosses and ground stakes underneath it.

Burrus was found at his sister’s apartment nearby, said a WLTX report He is facing charges of vandalism and leaving the scene of an accident. He is being held at a nearby detention center. The police were able to find him so quickly due to multiple tips and Facebook posts.

The police said the damage appeared deliberate because he had to jump a curb to get to the display.

Members of the fire department and local veterans’ organizations got together to help repair the display. According to WLTX, Jim Hanley of the local American Legion said:

“For somebody to do this to a veteran who gave his life, I don’t understand. I don’t have any words. I’m speechless.”

In Los Angeles, some graffiti popped up at a local war memorial:

This memorial shows all of the names of the American soldiers who either lost their lives or are missing from Vietnam.

In Virginia, the Petersburg National Battlefield was looted. It was a Civil War Battlefield where over 1,000 Union and Confederate soldiers lost their lives. The park is over 2,600 acres.

Last week, a memorial in Anniston, Alabama was vandalized, according to WVTM 13. However, the Memorial Day dedication went on as planned. Local war veteran Ken Rollins said, according to WIAT, that:

“Today is the day we set aside to honor those who didn’t make it to veteran status, veterans like me … This is personal to me because I’ve went to Dover, Delaware and escorted bodies that had that flag cover their coffin and I’ve presented a folded flag to parents and wives of people who have lost their lives.”

I know no one likes war, but vandalizing memorials for veterans is just plain rude. If you want to protest the war go to the Capitol or a courthouse.

Featured Image: Screenshot By Buzz60 via YouTube.

Hi, I'm from Huntsville, AL. I'm a Liberal living in the Bible Belt, which can be quite challenging at times. I'm passionate about many issues including mental health, women's rights, gay rights, and many others. Check out my blog weneedtotalkaboutmentalhealth.com