SOUTH BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Neighbors are outraged after a memorial to South Boston's World War Two veterans was vandalized.
The memorial on Castle Island, which pays tribute to the more than 200 South Boston residents who fought and died in the Second World War, was doused with what officials say is oil.
But as the sun came up over Dorchester Bay, residents came with their own cleaning supplies and brushes to try to scrub off the unknown material, which has seeped into the granite.
The damage is hard to take in, South Boston City Councilor and U.S. Navy veteran Ed Flynn told WBZ NewsRadio's Karyn Regal.
"It's tough to look at it's tough to see someone that would intentionally harm a memorial that's so meaningful to the South Boston community, and the sacrifices of the men from South Boston that they have made for our country," he said. "We're gonna bounce back and we're gonna get this fixed. That's what South Boston is all about—when we're down, we come back, and we know what's right."
The American flag on Castle Island is at half-mast in honor of the just-departed John Mullen, a WWII veteran who helped create the memorial.
Massachusetts State Police are investigating the vandalism. It was discovered shortly before noon Monday, but the exact time of the vandalism wasn't yet known.
South Boston State Rep. David Biele said it was encouraging to see everyone coming to help.
"Whenever there's evil that rises up, good rises up against it, and we're seeing that today," he said.
WBZ NewsRadio's Karyn Regal (@Karynregal) reports