On Thursday as residents of Sistersville gather at the Veterans Memorial Park to celebrate Veterans Day on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, something will be missing. Everyone will not spot it. Everyone will not recognize that it is not there. But a few, an important few, will.

You see, the building at the Memorial Park has been beautifully adorned with creative, artistic work honoring veterans in all branches of service. Among the paintings and artwork are separate, round emblems depicting each branch of the service – Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marines – all of which have been bolted in place.

One is gone. One is now missing.

How very inappropriate that the very week the rest of us choose to honor our veterans for the sacrifices they have made and thank them for their service to our country . . . someone has chosen to dishonor them in this way.

Be it child, teenager or adult; prankster or just an idiot out for a good time, local veterans ask that the Marine Corps emblem be returned to it’s proper place.

The veterans say no charges will be filed and no trouble will come to the person if they just return the emblem so it can be secured to the building once more, where it belongs, in its place of honor.

They are much more lenient than we would be.