Vandals Strike Again

[tomh]

Folks,

Vandals struck at the Gettysburg Battlefield again last night, seriously damaging three monuments:

11thMA - located on Emmitsburg Road - top of monument pulled off and arm and saber (elements of the Ma state seal) stolen. This one is one of my favorite monuments and this is the second case of vandalism that I know of to the arm and saber.

114thPA - Sherfy House Yard - Zouave bronze statue torn down from top of monument, fell on decorative fence, damaging fence.

Smith's Battery - Houck's Ridge/Devil's Den - gunner statue torn from the top of the monument (again).

more details and photos at http://www.civilwarinteractive.com/PR0216GBVandals.htm

Once again, we are now in the new park hours program which closes the park earlier each night (offseason) at 6 PM. So far the program has been a roaring success with an increase in both relic poaching and vandalism due to the lack of people on the park. When this happened last night there was a grand total of two Park Watch volunteers keeping an eye on the entire field. Another prime example of your tax dollars at work.

TomH
(upset beyond description)

 

[william42]

Tom, the photos are upsetting. I don't blame you for being disgusted. Do the cops have any "usual suspects" that they round up? Are the city cops even allowed to investigate in the park? Is there anybody investigating? - city, county, state, or federal? Sounds as if this has happened before. It's really a shame. You'd think somebody would hear something just looking at the damage done. Doesn't sound like anybody's moving on this, and if they are they're taking their time.

Terry

 

[tomh]

vandalism

Terry,

The sad fact is that there are currently no clues and it will probably go down as yet another unsolved vandalism. The two monuments in the photos are both on an area of the field that, even though it is bisected by one of the busiest roads in the county, is too removed from any residences for anything to have been heard or even noticed. The Sherfy House was formerly given as a residence to a senior ranger, but with the new VC construction project in the works, its has now become an overnight stay for high roller donators to the VC project (they get to spend the night on the battlefield in a period house). Since it was not being used last night there was noone to hear anything. Smith's battery is at the top of the Den and is about as remote a location as you can find on the field.

It is the primary responsibility of the rangers to investigate the incident, and they can get help from the local police, but given the evidence, it will probably be fruitless (unless someone is stupid enought to have the arm and saber on display). There are the usual theories and allegations about who may or may not be involved, but to even discuss the possibility opens up a possibility of legal action. There is a long enduring rumor that one of the fraternities at G'Burg college may in fact be involved in many of these incidents (they frequently happen around rush week) but it would take cooperation from the college to investigate the allegations properly. That will not happen because they are generally too busy presenting controversial art displays and tearing up parts of the field to install new soccer fields and bleacher seating to be concerned with something as politically uncorrect and inconsequential as damage to monuments regaling man's violent nature and propensity toward war and murder.

Sorry about the rant, but the 11th MA monument was one of my favorites, elegant simplicity and a remarkable symbol of the suffering of the kids that were here (from both sides). The arm and saber gesturing into the sky was more than an element from the state seal, it was a statement, and to me it represented the courage and strength of all the combatants. From what I have been told, because of the financial situation in MA and the lack of available funding, it will be a long time, if ever, before that fist and saber is thrust defiantly upward.

http://www.virtualgettysburg.com/exhibit/monuments/pages/sr135.html

TomH

 

[rallyround]

I looked at the pictures in the first link and gasped. It is angering to see such disrespect. I am planning a trip to Gettysburg with my father this summer, and sights like that would not make for a happy trip...I hope this incident can be solved.

 

[william42]

Tom, it's too bad that others at Gettysburg college and in the town itself don't share the same passion as yourself. Without the battlefield and the monuments (intact), the town would not be such a major tourist attraction. I'm surprised that local institutions and businesses don't take more of an interest in its protection. It's also a shame that the NPS can't find it in the budget to put more people on the field during prime vandalism hours. If they don't have it in their budget...(I think they could find the money if they wanted to), then perhaps they would allow a volunteer citizen patrol, or something of that sort, where the citizens would be used solely for surveillance and communication to local law enforcement, should they spot vandalism or desecration.

Anyway, thank you for posting the 11th MA monument. It looks beautiful when it's in one piece. It's too bad this happened. Keep your chin up.

Terry

 

[nbforrest]

I just don't get it. What would posess someone to vandalize a monument? Even if they are totally ignorant of the war, why on earth would someone think an action like that is OK? Some people I just don't understand...

Respectfully

 

[Fifth Iowa]

Stopping Vandals

...perhaps they would allow a volunteer citizen patrol, or something of that sort, where the citizens would be used solely for surveillance and communication to local law enforcement, should they spot vandalism or desecration.

This is precisely what came to my mind as I read this terrible news.

 

[tomh]

Park Watch

Terry, Chaplain Stroud,

There is a volunteer Park Watch system, but last night there were only two members out on patrol. With such a large battlefield, more than 1100 monuments and markers to cover and places as secluded as the Den and Culp's hill, it would take a much larger patrol to be able to monitor all the various opportunities for vandalism. The park watch volunteers are issued radios and do perform a valuable service, but in off season (especially when it is as cold as last night was) they are few in number.

nbforrest,

The bottom line is that many people are totally untouched by the events and history. To them, damaging a monument here is no different than grafitti on a subway car.

TomH

 

[ole]

Motion-sensing lights and junk-yard dogs come to mind, but I suppose there are no plug-ins at such remote locations, and no way to confine man-eating dogs.
Ole

 

[hoosier]

I just don't get it. What would posess someone to vandalize a monument? Even if they are totally ignorant of the war, why on earth would someone think an action like that is OK? Some people I just don't understand...

Respectfully

Have pity on the cretins that did this.

No intelligent thought has ever entered their heads and none ever will.

 

[tomh]

Vandalsim update

The latest news from the Gettysburg Times

http://www.gettysburgtimes.com/headlines/news/021706/front1.htm

TomH
(still seething)

 

[william42]

So, I'm guessing the 50 grand repair bill will come from us taxpayers? Is that correct Tom?

Terry

 

[tomh]

repair bill

Terry,

Unless they find the perpetrators, yes, it will come out of the NPS budget.

BTW: It is closer to 100K to repair all three monuments.

TomH

 

[william42]

Wow... I'd really really like them to find those guys. They had to have left fingerprints all over the place. I don't think it's a crime where these morons actually thought it through so far as to decide they needed gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. I seriously doubt whether they have the IQ necessary to master the complexities of the shower curtain.
If the cops could just match up some prints maybe. I don't know.

Terry

 

[hoosier]

The statue of the Zouave has been repaired and restored to its proper position atop the 114th PA monument.

It's going to be quite a while longer before the other two monuments can be repaired.

 

[tomh]

Zouave

hoosier,

I drove by it today, they did a really nice job.

TomH

 

[SpiritofPickett]

Vandalism over?

The last message was in March so hopefully restoration is well underway and no further problems. Sadly, not a unique US problem, in France some French youths, unhappy with English people buying holiday homes there, trashed a WW1 cemetary.

We all know which words describe them. Let's hope they crawl back to the bottom of the pond and remain there in shame.

 

[tomh]

Vandalism

SpiritofPickett,

As hoosier pointed out, the 114th PA was repaired and is back in place. Of the three monuments affected, that was the least damage. It had been toppled and fell on a wrought iron fence, causing minor damage to the monument itself (the fence fared much worse).

Smith's Battery and the 11th MA are another story. The gunner from Smith's battery was toppled, dragged some 60 feet and the head cut off (somebody apparently was influenced by the Simpsons). Restoration is underway but will take some time.

Regarding the 11th MA, the arm was smashed when it fell to the ground and destroyed beyond repair, and the saber was stolen and has not yet been recovered. Since the Commonwealth (my former home state and the place of my birth) is in rather dire financial straights, there has been little discussion about restoration/replacement. When the saber was broken off the same monument about ten years ago it took about three years to finance the replacement/repair, so I don't expect a quick resolution to this latest issue.

TomH

 

[texascavcadet]

I cant understand why people would do this! Dont they understand that this is hollowed ground??????

Im glad that they are repairing them.

 

[JerseyBart]

Parenting

Now I'm far from the greatest teacher ever and I'm not a parent yet, but my parents watched me like a hawk as a child. So yes, I watch my students like a hawk as a teacher. I plan to do the same as a parent. If my students (past, present and future) and/or children don't like it, I don't really care. I didn't like it much either as a child, but I realized a number of years ago that I was and still am much better off for it.

Some parents give their kids waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much freedom/leeway/2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th etc warnings and chances when they are younger and acting like fools. Look what it leads to, not just in the Gettysburg Military Park, but all around your and my towns. You've witnessed it and boiled because of it. No discipline, no respect, no care or concern. People mocked my generation (X, I'm 28) for not caring, but we look at what parents of this generations kids get away with, compared to what we never got away with and say, not when I'm a parent. I would have earned myself the wooden spoon or the buckle end of the belt for the stuff that parents either laugh off or stay "stop" to 15 times.

Climbing down off of my soapbox now.

Bart