Vandal urinates on American flags in veteran’s cemetery, gets confronted by a concerned citizen

From the Jefferson County Journal staff reports

SOMERVILLE, MA – A Massachusetts man was stunned by what he saw at the Somerville Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery on the day before September 11 of this year.  George Gatteny was stopped in traffic when he noticed a man and a woman, appearing to be in their twenties, enter the cemetery.  According to Gatteny the couple grabbed up at least three American mini-flags, that were at the base of a statue in the cemetery, and tossed them behind the statue.  The man then proceeded to urinate on the American flags.

Upon seeing this Gatteny parked his vehicle and walked into the cemetery in order to confront the vandals.  Gatteny stated, in a post on social media, “I started yelling at them to stop, asking him as I approached ‘what the hell he was doing’. He stopped urinating, pulled up his pants and started walking out of the memorial. Both of them walked up Broadway laughing. I walked behind them for awhile telling everyone I pass what they did.”

Gatteny returned to the cemetery to assess the damage and get pictures of the crime.  He was approached by a senior adult who thanked him for taking a stand.  Gatteny’s actions were especially meaningful to the older gentleman as two of his friends are buried in the cemetery.

Feeling that more needed to be done Gatteny returned to his vehicle and secured photographs of the vandals.

Gatteny reported the incident to the Somerville Police department and provided them with pictures.  An investigation is underway.