Headstones at a cemetery in southeast Michigan that were in the original burial site of a Revolutionary War soldier and his family have been destroyed by vandals as the rest of the country celebrated Memorial Day, reports Fox News.
Ron Klingel, groundskeeper at the cemetery, says it’s a “terrible shame.” The Vreeland Cemetery in Flat Rock, just south of Detroit, was founded by Flat Rock founder Michael Vreeland after the Revolutionary War and is one of the oldest cemeteries in the area. He was initially buried at Vreeland and was moved later to Oakwood Cemetery, but other family members who served in wars are still buried there.
The Flat Rock Historical Society says the cemetery was meticulously repaired and restored in 2014, with the city’s financial help.
The headstones are now in pieces, with several pieces found lying on the ground.
Lesley Harkai of the Historical Society decided to post a message on Facebook regarding the incident, which the Flat Rock community has called “heinous.”
The Flat Rock police have responded to the vandalism by posting the message: “We are happy to say we have positively identified a juvenile suspect responsible for the headstone and marker damage at the Vreeland Cemetery. Charges are being sought on this individual. We are still investigating this heinous crime and will keep you posted on the outcome.”
Tips had come in regarding a teenage boy angry over a girl who had used the cemetery as an outlet for his rage. “Apparently he had been bragging about it and the local police picked it up from there,” Harkai said of the suspect. Some of the tips had come to her personally, as people messaged her regarding the information they had.
Harkai and the rest of the Historical Society are now left to the task of once again putting back together the pieces of history. She has a message for the delinquent responsible, “I think he should have something to do with repairing the damage that is done.”
The vandalism has sparked outrage across the nation, as donations have come in from as far as Alabama. The headstones are to be shipped off for repair, but will soon be back in their rightful place.
