A Helmet Was Stolen From a War Memorial In Natick

Photo via Natick Police on Facebook

Natick Police are asking for the public’s help in locating a helmet that was allegedly stolen from a memorial site dedicated to soldiers from Massachusetts that were killed in the line of duty.

Police said Monday that the helmet was stolen from atop the Fallen Soldiers Memorial at the Natick VFW. They believe the helmet was snatched from the location sometime around September 15.

In a tweet, police asked, “Is there no decency?” and attached a link to their Facebook page with a photo of the site where the helmet once was. “We hope that public exposure will secure its return,” police said in a statement on Facebook. “We remain hopeful that the person(s) who did this will realize the gravity of the act and return it to the rightful place.”

Natick Police Chief James Hicks was not available for comment.

The memorial, which was constructed in 2012, and pays homage to fallen soldiers from Massachusetts as well as individuals from Natick who were killed in action while serving, includes a structure with boots, a gun, and a helmet. According to police, the only item from the structure that was stolen was the helmet. There were no further reports of damage at the scene of the memorial.

The announcement about the missing item sparked outrage amongst people who follow the Natick Police Department on Facebook, after officers posted the notice online:

The memorial was dedicated to soldiers by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1274 in Natick last year. It took months for members of the VFW to raise funds to build the site.