Adhesive blamed for fallen plaques
‘Zero’ evidence of vandalism at Yuma Armed Forces Park
Since changing the adhesive used to affix plaques to the walls of the Yuma Armed Forces Park, 30 of the granite tablets have fallen off. The Yuma County Chamber of Commerce, which manages the park, has already replaced 12 and is in the process of replacing the 18 plaques that are still missing.
The issue was brought to the forefront this past week when park visitors saw the latest victim of the adhesive failure. The plaque honoring U.S. Navy Petty Officer AK3 Bryant Russ Bedinger apparently fell down this past weekend.
Photos of the single plaque, which was on the ground, cracked in half, and gaps of other plaques that had previously fallen were posted on local social media sites on Sunday. People also reported that feces had been smeared on a wall, causing some to suspect that the park had been vandalized.
However, John Courtis, executive director of the chamber, said that there is “zero” evidence that the latest fallen plaque was intentionally damaged. He showed the plaque to the Yuma Sun and noted that none of the edges appeared to have been chipped, as likely would have happened if a crow bar or some kind of tool had been used to force it off the wall.
The chamber has also found no evidence of vandalism in the case of the other plaques that have fallen off the walls. “How many were the victims of vandalism? Zero,” Courtis said.
Falling plaques is a recent development, which followed the adhesive change. “All the original plaques are intact. In almost 15 years, none of them had jumped off the wall,” Courtis said.
Soon after seeing the social media posts reporting the latest fallen plaque and the outcry that followed, Courtis pledged to fix the situation. He posted: “PLEASE BE ADVISED ... The chamber will replace every — we mean every — plaque that has fallen off ... OR ... has been pulled off any wall. Some plaques that are off the wall are a byproduct of faulty glue (Liquid Nails) WE ARE ON IT!!”
Sgt. Lori Franklin also told the Yuma Sun: “It appears that some plaques may have come off due to glue and will be re-glued. The poop that was smeared was not on any plaques, it was on the brick wall.”
As soon as city officials saw the post, crews were sent to clean up the park. The latest plaque to fall down was taken to the chamber and a new plaque is being ordered. No other families have reported the plaques of their loved ones missing.
One good thing has come out of the recent outcry. “The offers of volunteerism as a result have been over the top. The offers of financial support have been over the top. The response has been amazing,” Courtis said, adding, “Anytime the public can help, we’re pretty appreciative.”
The park, which is located at 281 Gila St., is owned by the city and managed by the chamber under its Military Affairs Committee. It honors military veterans, living and deceased, including all military branches of service.
The one-acre park, located on the site of a former railroad depot, has more than 4,200 granite plaques up on the walls with space for 800 more. It honors all military veterans from all branches of service, alive or deceased. Each plaque is engraved with the veteran’s name, rank, dates of service and his/her service emblem.
To search a plaque by name and see a photo and a map pinpointing its location, go to www. armedforcespark.com.
For more info, call the chamber at 928-782-2567.