Police are investigating the vandalism of the Veterans Memorial in downtown Morgan Hill that occurred the night of June 1, according to authorities.
An unknown suspect pulled the American flag down from the pole located at the memorial and set it ablaze, Morgan Hill Police Sgt. Scott Purvis said. The vandalism likely took place the night of June 1 or early in the morning June 2.
The Veterans Memorial is located at First Street on Monterey Road. It features a flagpole as well as a stone monument displaying a plaque with the names of local veterans who have died in combat. An additional plaque is attached to the flagpole.
Morgan Hill resident and Vietnam veteran Eddie Bowers, the creator of the Veterans Memorial, said he noticed the damage on Sunday and returned to clean up the site the following day.
Bowers said the suspect burned the American flag as well as the POW flag, both of which were flying at the top of the flagpole before the vandalism occurred. The memorial did not sustain other significant damage, and both flags were quickly replaced.
“It’s not stopping the flag from going up and down,” Bowers said.
Bowers said he was upset when he initially saw the damage, but he quickly “moved forward.”
“You can be pissed off as much as you want but I moved forward and replaced the flags.”
The Veterans Memorial is the site every year of ceremonies—organized by Bowers—in honor of veterans on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
Bowers said the June 1 incident is the first time the memorial has been vandalized since it was installed in the early 1990s.
