County of Onslow issued the following announcement on Jan. 16.
The Onslow County Public Safety Memorial was vandalized sometime around January 14, 2023. The defacement included graffiti depicting anti-Christian phrases and imagery.
Churchgoers at the Tar Landing Baptist Church discovered the graffiti Sunday morning. The Onslow County Public Safety Memorial shares a parking lot with the church.
Norman Bryson, Director of Emergency Services, says this disgraceful act is disrespectful to those whose names are inscribed on the memorial, their families, and to the men and women continue to serve Onslow County. “This memorial honors those first responders who gave their lives while helping and protecting the citizens of Onslow County and is a symbol to their families that we will never forget their sacrifice. We have a lot of first responders in this county, paid and volunteer, that give their time and service to the public and this memorial shows our appreciation for them.”
Clean-up of the graffiti will begin this week. The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office is investigating and anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to call 910 455-3113.
The Onslow County Public Safety Memorial is located at 112 NW Corridor Blvd and includes a sculpture entitled “Reflected in Our Eyes.” The sculpture is a curved wall of highly polished stainless steel cut with the outlines of a fire and rescue responder, a law enforcement responder and an emergency medical services responder. The voids created by their outline represent those now missing from our community. The mirrored surface allows the viewer to be reflected back; side by side with the with cut-out image of the first responders.
Fourteen names are on the sculpture representing those known to have died in service to the public. Onslow County holds an annual ceremony at the memorial where their names are read out in a roll call to honor them.
Original source can be found here.
