Vandals damage war memorial in Uriah

URIAH, Ala. (WALA) - A Vietnam War memorial was knocked down and shattered in Uriah the monument was paid for by locals and it will cost $25,000 to replace.

A large veteran's memorial sits in the heart of the small town of Uriah.

Every single thing there- the land, the flags, the monuments, were all paid for by donations from locals, and each listed service member hails from this area.

But one pillar to our heroes was knocked down.

"They just turned it over and busted it,” said Albert Hollinger.

Hollinger donated the land used in this memorial. He says on Monday night, vandals pushed over the Vietnam monument, shattering the top. The whole thing will have to be replaced.

To Hollinger, this act of vandalism is personal. Because this memorial is near and dear to him.

Hollinger is a Navy vet who served in the Korean War.

"To us, this is sacred ground. It's as sacred as a cemetery, you know?" Hollinger said.

Hollinger says the solid granite slab cannot be repaired, so it will cost $25,000 to replace it.

This community stepped up to pay for this site, and locals at the nearby Cotton Patch café are disgusted.

One man said, "We’ve done a barbecue or two, raised them some cash. It's just a sad thing when people do stuff like that.

Another woman said, "It's such a disrespect what they did. Such a disrespectful thing."

It's a testament to our nation's heroes that has been defaced. But these heroes swore their lives for this country, so this community is determined to rise to this challenge. The organization behind the memorial will be looking for help to replace the damaged monument.

If you’d like to help donate for this cause, go to any United Bank branch and ask for the Uriah Area Development Association account.