The Airdrie LAV III monument that commemorates fallen Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan located next to the Nose Creek Valley Museum has been vandalized.

Graffiti showing some form of writing has been spray painted on the LAV, right beside the plaque detailing the monument.

President of Airdrie Branch # 288 of the Royal Canadian Legion Bill Drummond says that this act of vandalism is more than just a petty case of mischief.

"We're looking at graffiti spray painting on the north side of the light armoured vehicle. I don't understand what's going on with this. I can't say youth did this, because obviously, they don't know who it was. These cowardly people have no guts. They won't come up to us and stand up to us in our face and tell us what they're thinking, but they can do stupid stuff like this."

Drummond says the LAV was placed there in honour of the 156 soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan and thinks the graffiti is an act of disrespect.

"It's disrespectful to any servicemen, as far as I'm concerned. I'm too old to have been in Afghanistan, but I'm a serviceman and I find it diabolical. I think it's disgraceful that people would go to this extent."

The Government of Canada Criminal Code states that anyone who commits mischief on a memorial could be fined at least $1,000 for a first-time offence, imprisonment for no less than 14 days for a second-time offence, and imprisonment for no less than 30 days for a third-time offence.

Drummond says this level of disrespect struck him to his core.

"Being a serviceman myself, I find it almost brings tears to my eyes because people obviously have no respect for people who've died for our freedom and people who've died to make the country the way it is. I just do not understand the mentality of these idiotic people who do stuff like this."

Later today, a group is going to be on the site of the vandalism to clean up the blatant disrespect. Drummond plans to be in attendance. 


Update:

A group of volunteers met at the memorial this afternoon. They were successful in cleaning the paint off the memorial.

 

Comments? Questions? Story ideas? Email us at news@discoverairdrie.com