Livermore veterans' memorial vandalized

LIVERMORE, Calif. (KTVU) - Livermore’s ‘Remember Our Heroes’ veterans’ memorial has apparently been trashed and police suspect vandalism.

Hundreds of names of Livermore Military Veterans are etched in individual bricks in front of the Veterans Memorial Building, but some names have been knocked off the wall. Veterans are angry and hurt.

"It's sometimes hard to keep from tearing up," said veteran Virgil Stanger.
         
Stanger, a Vietnam Veteran, first saw the damage last week.
        
"You just swell up with anger. You spend so much time building this for the community, the veterans and the families who have veterans in them," he said.
        
In a strange twist he says the fallen bricks were stacked against the wall, while debris was strewn about.

But who removed the bricks, how, and why are still mysteries police haven't yet solved.

One of the 19 broken and fallen bricks bears the name of army Sgt. Michael Foreman. And the brick honoring his brother Jim is currently a Navy Seal.

"It's something that is disrespectful. Not needed. I hope something like this will bring people together," said Michael Foreman.

"For the people who did it I can't imagine why you would do something like this."
 
Barbara Hill came to the memorial to see if the brick belonging to her late husband, a Korean War veteran, is intact. It is.

"I feel really sad. I know a lot of people who are," said Hill.

The memorial was built about three years ago by the Livermore post of the Veterans of Foreign War.

The VFW says the damage is at least a thousand dollars, and that the bricks will be replaced. But it’s not the money that's at issue.

"We branded this wall to honor our heroes. To a lot of us that is what it is, people who served to protect our country," said Bob Rochin of VFW Post 7265

The VFW expects it will take about six weeks to repair the damage.  They’re also looking into getting security cameras.