Litchfield repairs vandalized war memorial

LITCHFIELD - A $6,000 bronze military field cross erected five years ago by the Litchfield American Legion in Litchfield’s Memorial Park is being repaired after it was vandalized earlier this week.
The rifle and helmet portion of the memorial were broken off and were initially missing but were found later in the grass by a City of Litchfield employee who takes care of the park grounds, said Everett Reilly, Litchfield Legion commander.
Neil Brodin, whose company, Brodin Studios Inc. made the memorial, said the memorial is back in his shop and will be rewelded back in place. The memorial was unveiled during a ceremony in Memorial Park near Lake Ripley on June 17, 2010.
The Legion erected the memorial to honor those who died in wars in the Middle East, Afghanistan and Iraq, Reilly said.
Reilly hopes the person or persons responsible for the damage are disciplined, perhalps with community service.
Reilly was relieved the parts were recovered and is glad it could be repaired. But he and other Legion members were offended by the incident.
“This wasn’t just a memorial because a bunch of guys joined the Army. This was a memorial for people who were killed in action, and naturally we didn’t like it,’’ Reilly said. “We felt it was disrespectful to our comrades, to our friends and to the people who defended the country.’’