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Yelm mayor apologizes after removal of veterans memorial; city pledges temporary reinstallation
Summary
Mayor DePinto apologized to veterans after the unannounced removal and storage of a veterans memorial at Yelm City Park, saying bricks were saved and will be reinstalled temporarily while a new memorial is built; veterans called for prompt, respectful handling and family notification.
Mayor DePinto apologized Tuesday evening for the unannounced removal and storage of the veterans memorial at Yelm City Park and said the city will work with local veterans groups to return the bricks and restore the monument until a new memorial is ready.
"As the mayor of Yelm, I wanna offer my heartfelt apology regarding the recent removal and storage of the memorial at Yelm City Park," DePinto said, adding the city will "meet immediately with the leaders of the local VFW and the American Legion" and pursue a decommissioning process that includes veterans' input.
The mayor said the original memorial was constructed in February 2006 and that much of it was damaged in a 2017 accident. The city purchased property next to Mill Pond in 2023 for a new veterans memorial and had planned to build in phases, with the first phase opening next year. DePinto said the bricks were removed sooner than anticipated because construction of a nearby park feature required work in the same…
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