COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A Navy veteran in Linden wants to know when a damaged memorial to fallen veterans who hailed from that neighborhood will finally be repaired.
He says it’s been a mess for weeks.
This is the part the concerns Kwodwo Ababio: the stone is overturned and the plaque with names is face down on this pile of rubble.
Amongst the hustle and bustle of traffic, the small memorial honors the fallen from Linden. Ababio says he was hoping to see repairs made by Memorial Day but that didn’t happen.
“This is not the first time that a car possibly hit this monument, but it’s been down time for at least three months,” said Ababio.
Kwodwo Ababio — a Linden resident and navy veteran — says seeing this makes his heart ache.
He tells me he called the city asking why the rubble hasn’t been taken away or repaired. “They’re not moving fast enough man, these people’s faces are laying down here in the dirt.”
We reached out to Columbus Parks and Recreation about the memorial. They say they understand the importance of it up but they’re waiting for specialists to come in and examine the damage.
“To pick it up and clean it up because I think it’s a total disservice and very disrespectful to the fallen veterans that have fought in World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War,” Ababio said.
Columbus Parks and Rec says moving it right now isn’t possible — they don’t have the right equipment and can cause more damage to the memorial. A company repaired the monument back in 2019 and are scheduled to come back to look at it in in the next couple of weeks.
Ababio wants the city to think about preventative measures as well. “I think we can put some steel barriers maybe some pylons in front and so the next time maybe they’ll hit the pylons before they hit the monument.”
Columbus Parks and Recreation says they’re thinking of ways to avoid any more accidents when it comes to the memorial. They’re floating around the idea of possibly moving it to a new spot but say they want the public’s opinion on that.
