Members of Squadron 225 in Forest Lake worked with others to remove spray-painted vulgarities from veterans’ headstones.
Over the Fourth of July weekend, approximately a dozen headstones in Scandinavian Cemetery in Forest Lake, Minn., were defaced with vulgarities in black spray paint.
But the members of Sons of The American Legion Squadron 225 in Forest Lake moved quickly to deal with the graffiti.
Squadron Adjutant Jeff Larson; Squadron First Vice Commander Bill Murphy; a friend, Tom Larson; and Blake Johnson, who owns a local auto detailing business; headed to the cemetery to try to clean off the spray paint.
“Scandinavian Cemetery is one of the cemeteries we’ve been to and have done some headstone cleaning for veterans and their wives,” Jeff Larson said. Over the past few years, the squadron — using D/2 headstone cleaner — has restored some 80 headstones at a time.
The black spray paint, which was used to write anti-American sentiment in some cases, proved tougher than the usual stains. But the local Home Depot, which has donated products to the headstone restoration efforts in the past, donated graffiti removal material to the cause this time, Jeff Larson said.
“You can hardly see the paint now,” he said. There is one headstone whose material absorbed too much of the spray paint. Larson said he plans to “track down the family of that stone and see if it’s possible to get permission to take some light sandpaper and get the rest off there.”
Forest Lake Police are investigating the incident, Larson said, and the cemetery has installed trail cameras in hopes of catching someone returning to vandalize more headstones.
In the meantime, Squadron 225 will continue to show their support for veterans and the community.
“We are doing this to honor our vets and their families. It’s an act of citizenship. It’s something for our community, the American Legion; it’s a form of true spirit of Americanism,” Larson said. “We’re not looking for a pat on the back … it’s just a shame that such shenanigans are going on.”
- Sons