- Five bronze plaques stolen from the Prisoners of War Memorial in Dundee's Memorial Park.
- Local historian James McGee emphasizes the personal impact of the theft, noting his uncle's connection to WWII.
- Memorial Park was funded by the community to honor Douglas County residents who died in WWII.
- Residents express shock and outrage over the "desecration" of a memorial.
- The theft raises concerns about the preservation of local history and memory.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Neighbors shocked at a theft in Dundee, five bronze plaques were stolen from Memorial Park, several featured at the Prisoners of War Memorial.
Watch Hannah's story:
James McGee has lived in Dundee for forty years, he's a historian for the neighborhood. McGee said that 70 years ago neighbors gathered funding to build Memorial Park, they wanted a place that honored residents of Douglas County who died in World War II. And for him the theft is personal.
"Desecrating the memory of men that died, my own uncle, I'm 77 years old, my own uncle was killed in World War II fighting the Nazis never came back, was never found, so, There's a lot of people, a lot of moms and Aunts and uncles and brothers and sisters and nephews and nieces that that means a lot to up there," said McGee.
Omaha Parks Department Director Matthew Kalcevich told KMTV the signs were bolted and welded in. However, the thieves used tools to remove the signs. He believes they took them to melt them down and sell the bronze for cash.
The department said the stolen signs cost a little over 30 thousand dollars. Kalcevich said the department was able to save another bronze sign near the memorial. As for the rest, replacing them is too expensive, Kalcevich said they will have to use a different material.
"There seems to be a lot of desperate people out there that are doing desperate things, and I would think they could find a better way to express their desperation," said McGee.
Omaha Police Department records show it's not just bronze plaques the thieves are after. Statues, pieces of art, and plaques on gravestones are also targets. In the last year, 15 bronze pieces have been stolen.
"And in your 40 years here in Dundee, how often have you seen things like this happen, vandalized, signs being stolen from it?" said neighborhood reporter Hannah McIlree.
"Never, never, never have heard of this.I've heard of flowers being cut and some things like that, but never this kind of desecration at all," said McGee.
McGee says in all of his years living in the neighborhood, he has never seen such a senseless theft before.
