FRUITPORT TOWNSHIP, Mich. — An investigation is underway in Fruitport Township after someone stole a plaque from a local veteran’s grave.
“It’s just very disrespectful,” said Shelly Pryzbylek. “You’re disrespecting these people that gave their life for our country.”
Shelly explains on Monday, her son, Caleb, went to Pine Hill Cemetery to spend time with his grandfather and her father, Francis Lynn Hosko, who went by Pete.
“If I have some thoughts, sometimes [it’s] just nice to come over here to sit in front of the grave [and] talk to my grandpa,” said Caleb.
Caleb visits him often, but says during this trip, he noticed a bronze plaque on the back of his grandfather’s headstone was gone.
“I wound up picking up some leaves, running it over to the dumpster right over behind us, and was walking back and I noticed it was dirty, and then couldn't see the plaque,” said Caleb. “Walked over behind it to realize it was missing and then I called my mom instantly.”
The plaque honors Hosko’s time in the Army during the Vietnam War. Shelly says he was never deployed overseas, but the staff sergeant took pride in his service.
“He just loved this country, loved that he was able to participate in the Army, so that plaque meant so much to him and to us,” said Shelly.
The family believes someone took the plaque Sunday night or Monday morning because they paid their respects earlier that afternoon and saw it then.
Caleb and Shelly filed a report with the Fruitport Township Police Department.
The agency told FOX17 the incident remains under investigation and they did not receive any other complaints; however, during our interview with the Pryzbyleks, we observed a handful of other gravesites with their plaques missing too. It’s unclear when they disappeared or if someone purposefully took them down.
"It is hard to say why any other plaque is missing at this time," wrote Andrea Anderson, the Fruitport Township clerk, in an email to FOX17. "In a full walkthrough [Thursday], we did note that there were a few others missing, however there have been times when family has removed them for one reason or another. I have had people want to place them at a memorial site in their yard, or they are moving away and want to bring it with them. Because we have not been contacted by any other individuals claiming that theirs is missing and/or stolen, it is hard to say how long those have been gone for or why they are gone."
Anderson added the township was “saddened” to hear about what had happened and in recent years, the township has not experienced theft or vandalism of a veteran’s plaque.
“We’re trying to honor families here and somebody had to come and ruin it,” said Shelly.
Shelley and Caleb say whoever did this should come forward and bring back a sense of peace to the cemetery.
“Get it figured out and get the plaques back to the family members of people that have been taken off because it means a lot to everybody,” said Caleb.
Anyone with information about Hosko’s plaque should contact the FTPD at (231)865-8477.
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