Philadelphia, PA – Council President Darrell L Clarke (5th District) today issued the following statement to thank the National Park Service for their ongoing work to restore the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier in Washington Square Park that was recently vandalized:
“Shortly after the vandalism occurred, both my office and the City’s Office of Veterans Affairs received calls and emails from the veterans community. The veterans are understandably deeply concerned about the defacement because this and other monuments are a very important part of veterans observances in the city throughout the year. We have heard their concerns and share their desire to have the monument restored as quickly as possible.
We’ve spoken with the National Park Service and they anticipate that the restoration of the monument will be completed within the next week. Carlo Aragoncillo, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Office of Veterans Affairs, and his staff are in constant communication with the Philadelphia’s veterans community to hear any concerns about the restoration process.
On behalf of Philadelphia City Council and the Office of Veterans Affairs, we would like to thank the staff of the National Park Service for addressing this restoration and preservation in a timely and careful manner.
We would also like to thank the members of Philadelphia’s veteran community whose vigilance brought this incident to our attention so quickly. Their vigilance is a reminder of why Philadelphia’s veterans deserve our gratitude and support every day.”
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