Community Corner
Kings Park Mother Pleads for Return of Son's Stolen Memorial
Memorial for American Soldier Seamus Byrne, killed crossing Smithtown Main Street, has been stolen or taken down.
A Kings Park mother begged Smithtown officials for help in tracking down her late son's military cap - one of many items missed when his memorial suddenly disappeared.
Rose Byrne came forward to ask for public's help in finding items stolen from the memorial for her late son Seamus Byrne, an army veteran who received the Purple Heart for his service in Afghanistan, who was killed crossing Main Street after a birthday celebration in February 2011.
"The memorial erected in his honor is now gone, we can’t get answers from government officials on why or where the memorial has been removed to. I know in my heart it was not vandalism," Rose said. "All we ask is his belongings be returned to his family."
Rose said her husband and Byrne's family noticed a small memorial tacked to the Village of the Branch's sign on the corner of Main Street and Lawrence Avenue in Smithtown was missing in August.
"My son called us while we were on vacation in Ireland, he drove by the memorial was gone," Rose and her husband said.
Among the missing items are Seamus Byrne's green fatigue U.S. Army cap, worn on tour in Afghanistan as part of the "Fighting 69th" Irish infantry brigade, and an American Flag flown over the Capitol in his honor.
"It's just disheartening. When we go the the memorial in Smithtown, it's like going to his grave. It's where he was killed," Rose said.
Rose said she ad her husband changed the memorial each season, matching the season and carefully maintaining it. Friends and family members were known to leave small personal items there to remember Seamus.
"If there was reason for it to be taken down, I believe someone in Smithtown should have notified the family," Rose said.
Supervisor Vecchio said he did not personally remember the memorial or what it looked like, said the corner property belongs to the Village of the Branch.
Councilman Robert Creighton said he was made aware the memorial was missing and has put out word looking for the stolen items.
"We are trying to find out, but we have had no luck whatsoever," Creighton said.
A nearby memorial for Courtney Sipes, an 11-year-old girl from Smithtown killed nearby while crossing Main Street, remains untouched.
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