Vandals destroy US flags of CA memorial honoring 13 service members killed in Afghanistan

Police said that they were looking for individuals who destroyed flags that were set up in a memorial honoring the 13 service members killed in a terrorist bombing in Afghanistan.

The Riverside Police Department in southern California published photographs of the vandalized flags on their Facebook page.

Police said that they were informed about the vandalism to the memorial by members of a Facebook news group.

The photographs show the vandalized flags that were hung to honor eleven Marines, one Navy sailor, and one Army soldier, who were killed in a gruesome terrorist suicide attack while guarding the Kabul airport in Afghanistan. An affiliate of the Islamic State later claimed responsibility for the attack that killed dozens of Afghans and injured many more.

Three of the Marines killed were from southern California.

To honor those who died, Riverside residents hung 13 U.S. flags and one Marine Corps flag on the overpass on the 91 Freeway.

Police said that they had no description of any suspect but that it was obvious the vandalism was intentional.

One photograph showed a police officer removing the damaged flags.

Image Source: Riverside Police Dept. Facebook page

Police said the vandalized flags would be retired properly with the help of a local Boy Scout Troop.

The police Facebook post had more than 560 comments and 650 shares on Facebook after only being published for 6 hours.

Members of the community were already replacing the flags just a few hours later.

The police asked for help from the public in identifying who was responsible for the vandalism.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the lethal terror attack was the worst day of the Biden presidency.

Here's more about the death of the 13 service members:

U.S. troops killed in Kabul airport bombing ID'd, including 2 Marines from SoCalwww.youtube.com