AUSTIN, Texas — A Republican congressman has called on elected officials in Austin to take immediate action and repair a sign vandalized with a disturbing message for American veterans.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), whose district is southwest of Austin but just four miles from the site of the vandalism, spoke out Sunday after he learned the city park's main sign had been painted with a line through "Veterans" and "DEATH" written below it.
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"Let's get this fixed asap," Roy wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
Let’s get this fixed asap https://t.co/JImsekJIpP
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) June 18, 2023
Texas Commissioner of General Land Dawn Buckingham tweeted on Monday for the city to take action and called the act "despicable."
This is despicable. Our #TexasVeterans deserve better. @AustinCityParks what are you doing to fix this? https://t.co/pxf0EmHo7H
— Dawn Buckingham (@DrBuckinghamTX) June 19, 2023
The Washington Examiner called attention to the sign over the weekend. It is not clear how long the sign has been in disrepair.
In late May, vandals struck a city park in Salisbury, North Carolina, where townspeople had set out American flags to honor deceased veterans ahead of Memorial Day.
In April, the tall glass panes of the Kern County Veterans Memorial in Bakersfield, California, were smashed.
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Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX), Democratic Mayor Kirk Watson, and the Austin Parks and Recreation Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.