SIDNEY - Three donor name plates were stolen from the donor wall beneath the flag house at Veterans Memorial Park over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, according to memorial park officials and Sidney Police.
Doug Barnard, president of the Sidney Veterans Memorial Park Association, said the issue is less about the value of the three stolen brass donor plaques — each measuring about 9 inches long, 1 inch wide and 1 inch thick — and more about the act of vandalism itself. He said the plaques were removed sometime between May 23 and May 25, over the Memorial Day weekend.
The veterans’ community is saddened by the theft, he said, and it has been reported the incident to the Sidney Police Department.
Police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the individual or individuals responsible.
A $1,000 reward, funded through the support of New York State Representative Joe Angelino, is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sidney Police Department at 607-561-2301. Tips may also be shared with Sidney Veterans Park through its Facebook page, Barnard said.
Barnard said the association’s hope is that the plaques will be returned so they can be reattached to the donor wall. The plaques appear to have been either unscrewed or pried from the monument, he said.
Officials are asking anyone with information about the theft to come forward to help recover the plaques and identify those responsible.
For more information about the Sidney Veterans Memorial Park or to make a donation, visit Sidney Veterans Memorial Park Association at https://svmpa.org or email SidneyVMPA@gmail.com.
