News
Statue vandalized at the Memorial Building
Scott Wagar
06/04/2013
On the eve of Memorial Day Weekend one of the two statues that stand outside of the Bottineau Memorial Hall was vandalized just weeks after being purchased by the local veterans.
In the early hours of May 20 as Bottineau veterans came to the Memorial Hall for their daily morning coffee it was discovered that one of the two statues which presents a soldier holding a rifle was damaged by an individual(s) who knocked off the barrel of the gun the soldier was holding.
The two statues, along with a piece made up of a rifle, helmet and boots, were purchased by the veterans for a Veterans Memorial at Oak Creek Cemetery, which would signify the two soldiers positioned in a lookout stance guarding over the veterans in the cemetery who have passed away.
The three pieces were being temporarily displayed by the front entrance of the Memorial Building on Fifth Street until the foundation can be constructed at the cemetery.
The veterans only had the three pieces for three weeks before they were vandalized. Each statue of the soldier cost $2,575, and the veterans purchased the items through a memorial that was setup in Bottineau County.
“Each veteran town in Bottineau County was allocated $2,500 for the veterans to establish a memorial. After the initial $2,500 the remainder of the cost had to be covered by the veterans,” said Al Wondrasek, a member of Bottineau’s VFW Post 8688. “The Bottineau Flag Program and the Bottineau VFW Post 8686 raised and provided $7,403 to complete the Oak Creek Memorial.”
Wondrasek added that the statue that was vandalized can be fixed.
“We have the rifle piece and tests have shown that the piece matches up with the rifle that the piece was broken off from,” Wondrasek said.
This matter has been turned over to the Bottineau County Sheriff Department, which is currently investigating the crime. Bottineau’s VFW Post 8688 also is offering a cash award for anyone who can lead them to the individual(s) who committed the crime.
The veterans are displeased by the crime, but are holding their heads high through this difficult situation.
“Personally, it hurts, but veterans defend this great country because of our love for the country and our defense allows this country to live free and speak free even when we do not believe in the people who share a different opinion, but that is their right,” Wondrasek said. “However, the total support of the Bottineau People and Bottineau County to our veterans is superior. Because of their support, the veterans are able to commit to programs, establish cemetery memorials and the new Bottineau County Veterans Memorial Building and Park.”