9/11 Families for a Safe & Strong America

Vandals destroy memorial to LCpl Justin Ellsworth for 2nd time (before and after photos)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Wednesday, April 8, 2009, Contact: Meghan Tisinger, Meghan@FamiliesUnitedMission.com, (202) 510-5304
Vandals Destroy Fallen Heroes’ Monument, Son of National Pro-Troop Advocate

Mt. Pleasant, MI – April 8, 2009 – Last week, a monument honoring the life and death of Lance Corporal Justin Ellsworth was vandalized on Island Park near the Michigan Vietnam Memorial. Lance Corporal Ellsworth died on November 13, 2004 [while] serving in Iraq. His father, John Ellsworth, is the President of Military Families United, an advocacy organization that has recently been vocal in opposition to President Obama’s plans for Guantanamo Bay and the handling of the War on Terror.

“My son made the ultimate sacrifice for his country when he gave his life in Iraq in 2004. The people of Mt. Pleasant, MI honored my son by collecting funds to erect a monument to honor his life and support our family,” said John Ellsworth. “The thieves who conducted this senseless act have taken an honorable and elegant monument to my son and made it a focal point of their hatred and destruction.”

The vandals tore apart the bronze monument and stole the bronze inverted rifle and Kevlar … The monument was built in September of 2005 and funded by citizens of Mt. Pleasant, MI. This is not the first time anti-war protestors have dishonored LCPL Justin Ellsworth’s memorial. In [2007], the flag pole was torn down and the flag burned using an accelerant on top of the boots, rifle and helmet. [Ed. -- see below]

“John Ellsworth started Families United to honor his son and all of our fallen heroes’ families that have given the gift of their loved ones in defense of this country. This terrible vandalism not only dishonors Justin Ellsworth but every veteran and all of our fallen heroes who gave their lives defending our country. We sincerely hope that this was not a purposeful act of political activism or against our troops. Families United is asking the public to show their support for LCPL Justin Ellsworth and every military family who has lost someone in service to this nation by helping us rebuild this monument,” said Families United’s Executive Director Brian Wise.

Lance Corporal Ellsworth was raised in Mt. Pleasant and graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School. He joined the Marines on the delayed entry program while a senior in High School and left for boot camp in September of 2003. Justin graduated from boot camp in December 2003 and left for Iraq in September, arriving in Fallujah on September 11th, 2004. Justin was killed in action just 2 months later on November 13, 2004.

Tax deductable donations to rebuild this monument can be sent to Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission, P.O. Box 65494, Washington, D.C. 20035 or sent online at www.FamiliesUnitedMission.org

Me:Two years ago, I posted when vandals destroyed the memorial the first time: Marine’s Memorial in Michigan Vandalized, 24 Jul 2007. Northern Michigan’s 9&10news.com (CBS TV affiliate) had the story:

“Its the idea that somebody vandalizing something that means so much to so many, I have trouble understanding,” an anguished Linda Fabian said while viewing a memorial to a fallen Marine from Mt. Pleasant, MI, that had been vandalized.

When Lance Corporal Justin Ellsworth died in Iraq on November 13, 2004, Fabian got to work making sure Ellsworth and all the troops who put their lives on the line would not be forgotten. Fabian’s own son served two tours in Iraq.

“It wasn’t about how big it was, it wasn’t about how extraordinary of a monument, its what it meant and what it represented,” Fabian said.

Police say someone twisted what it represents. They bent a twenty-foot flagpole, draped that flag on the monument, burned a part of the flag, stole a bronze eagle, and destroyed a lot of the flowers and plants that surround it.

“So many kids from around here have been to Iraq, are going to Iraq; they’re protecting the very people that are doing this to our monument,” Fabian said.

The Mount Pleasent Police Department is investigating yet, “At this point it’s pretty wide open. We don’t have any suspects or major leads to go on,” a spokesman said. Police hope the community will bring them answers to who did this to their community’s monument.

Fabian said the strange thing is, in all the damage that was done, the daisies here are the one thing that survived. They were Justin Ellsworth’s favorite flower. “Justin loved daisies and if you look, they only thing that really survived are Justin’s daisies,” Fabian pointed out.

The memorial in Mount Pleasant was designed by Gregg Garvey, of Florida, as part of the Lest They Be Forgotten memorial effort. Mr. Garvey began his not for profit campaign to create, establish and help maintain hometown remembrances of our men and women who have lost their lives defending the United States of America in our war against terrorism after his own son, Army Sergeant Justin W. “Hobie” Garvey, was killed in an ambush in Iraq on July 20, 2003.