Park rangers at the 100-year-old Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial told News 5 the monument and grave sites were all vandalized, just before the services they'll hold on Memorial Day.
Built between 1912 and 1915, it's the only international peace memorial in the National Park system. It's the burial site of three British and three American officers killed in the War of 1812.
"The vandalism is complete disrespect for three American and three British naval officers," Maggie Beckford, a park ranger at t told News 5.
Beckford said in all the time the memorial has stood on Put in Bay, with thousands of people visiting every year, they've never seen disrespect like it.
"I mean who doesn't know, who doesn't know someone in the military," Beckford said.
The damage is now covered and blocked off by wood planks, the memorial itself is still fenced off for reconstruction that's been in the works for months, Beckford would not tell us the nature of the recent damage.
"It's an open investigation. That's part of them determining who may have done it," Beckford said.
There's a $2,500 reward on the table for a tip that leads to an arrest in connection with the vandalism.
Special agents with the park service and US park rangers are investigating.
"They're very good at what they do. We are talking about top level law enforcement here. When they come in? Might as well be the FBI," Beckford said.
The Perry Memorial is still hosting all scheduled events, including Memorial Day services planned for Monday.
