Residents in Plymouth, Massachusetts, are heartbroken after discovering Sunday that the town's 9/11 memorial was vandalized, just days after Plymouth Rock was vandalized in an apparent graffiti spree.
The memorial in Plymouth was built to remember the victims, and Richard Quintal, who led the campaign to erect the memorial, says it was the first memorial in the nation to list all the victims of 9/11.
"All the victims of 9/11, all the firefighters, police officers, the flight crews, they're all embedded in the stones," said Quintal who adds that the country has never been the same since that day.
“9/11 affected us all, I think we all know where we were at that moment. I think it's important that we never forget," said fire union president Brian Baragwanath.
When Quintal learned the memorial had been vandalized, he says, "I just shook my head with disgust and you know I was sad."
Local firefighters are stepping up to help with repairs.
"We are going to use our own funds within the union, our own manpower within the union to attempt to rectify this," Baragwanath said.
Local
But they are stunned someone would desecrate what's meant to commemorate a day that forever changed our nation.
"To have something like this is pretty appalling," Baragwanath said.
"I was heartbroken to see someone would do it," Quintal added.
The Plymouth community is vowing to come together and they say they will keep the memories alive.
"It's forcing us to rally together and be more vigilant with the things that we care about," said Baragwanath.
"They have a place to come, they have a place to worship, we are gonna continue to honor these people
Police are still investigating who did this and why. Anyone with information is asked to contact Plymouth police.
