I-35 Bridge Memorial Dedicated &Then Vandalized Within 48 Hours

The Remembrance Garden, a memorial dedicated to the survivors and those killed in the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Mn.on Aug.1, 2007 was dedicated on Aug.1,2011, exactly 4 years after this devastating tragedy. Within a mere 48 hours of the dedication, vandals defaced the memorial.

The memorial was built to honor the 13 victims who lost their lives (one who lived less then 10 miles of my home and graduated with one of my sons) and the 145 survivors of the bridge collapse. Located on the east bank of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, the memorial includes 13 lighted pillars, each with a name of one of the victims and a reflection written by a family member.

Approximately 2 dozen stainless steel letters were ripped off the memorials granite face. They were part of a message honoring those who died in that 2007 bridge collapse. A worker removed the rest of the letters once the damage was discovered so the vandalism wouldn't be as conspicuous. It will take about 3 weeks to repair the damage, it was reported.

The Minneapolis Mayor, along with numerous others, expressed outrage at the act of this vandalism. "When the bridge collapsed, people were suffering, and now through this ignorant act, that suffering is being prolonged", it was said.

The message on the survivor wall was crafted by the survivors and loved ones of those who lost their lives in that tragedy. The families wrote a personal message on each of the 13 columns so people could get to know who these individuals were and how much they meant to them.

It is absolutely unbelievable that someone could do something like this. Obviously, whoever did this doesn't have an ounce of decency in their bodies.

Source: KARE11.com