American flags on the Lance Corporal William Joseph Donovan Jr. Memorial Bridge over Route 6 in Yarmouth were found forcefully torn from the fencing on Friday, according to police. An officer discovered the vandalized display on the overpass, which honors Donovan, a Dennis-Yarmouth graduate and two-time Purple Heart recipient who later died in a motorcycle crash.
Yarmouth police said the flags' grommets had been ripped out and several flags were torn at the seams, leaving shredded cloth hanging from the fence. The department has opened an investigation and urged anyone who knows what happened to reach out, according to CBS Boston.
State Rep. Steve Xiarhos, who lost his son, Marine Cpl. Nick Xiarhos, in Afghanistan, addressed the incident on Facebook and said, "You can tear down flags, but you cannot tear down the spirit of this community." Locals did not waste time proving his point; volunteers and family members moved in to replace the damaged flags after the vandalism was discovered, according to CBS Boston.
Background on the memorial
The West Yarmouth Road overpass was dedicated in 2018 to Lance Cpl. William Joseph Donovan Jr., who served in Afghanistan and received two Purple Hearts before his death in a 2015 motorcycle crash, according to WCVB. The flags on the bridge were also torn down last summer and later replaced during a rededication ceremony, per CapeCod.com.
Police asking for tips
Yarmouth police said they are actively investigating the latest incident and again asked anyone with information to contact the department. WHDH reported that the department is seeking tips from the public.
