“A new low.”
Those were the words of Aldermanic President Ken Hughes Tuesday after learning three bronze plaques were stolen from the monument at Frank P. Witek Memorial Park.
Derby police are investigating.
The plaques described the heroic actions of Private First Class Frank P. Witek, a U.S. Marine born in Derby who killed 16 Japanese soldiers before dying in a hellish battle on Guam during World War II.
Witek received the Medal of Honor for his sacrifice.
The plaques — which were on a large memorial dedicated in Witek’s honor on May 29, 1999 — were apparently stolen sometime between late Monday and Tuesday morning, according to Bernard Williamson, a Derby resident and fellow Marine who helped convince city fathers to name the park in Witek’s honor.
Williamson said the theft was discovered Tuesday at about 10:30 a.m. by Leonard Witek, who lives nearby and often walks past the monument. Leonard Witek’s friend had informed him of the theft at about 9 a.m.
Leonard Witek, a cousin of Frank Witek, hasn’t been to the park himself to see it. He’s not sure he wants to see the empty stones, without the plaques.
“It’s traumatic,” Leonard Witek said. “Who would want to do that?”
Williamson, 75, put the value of the plaques in the neighborhood of $10,000.
He assumed someone stole them with the intent of selling them for scrap metal. He hopes any scrap metal merchant will realize the items are stolen, given the inscription which details Witek’s extraordinary actions during World War II.
From Witek’s Medal of Honor citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 1st Battalion, Ninth Marines, Third Marine Division, during the Battle of Finegayan at Guam, Marianas, on 3 August 1944.
When his rifle platoon was halted by heavy surprise fire from well camouflaged enemy positions, Private First Class Witek daringly remained standing to fire a full magazine from his automatic rifle at point-blank range into a depression housing Japanese troops, killing eight of the enemy and enabling the greater part of his platoon to take cover.
During his platoon’s withdrawal for consolidation of lines, he remained to safeguard a severely wounded comrade, courageously returning the enemy’s fire until the arrival of stretcher bearers and then covering the evacuation by sustained fire as he moved backward toward his own lines.
With his platoon again pinned down by a hostile machine gun, Private First Class Witek, on his own initiative, moved forward boldly ahead of the reinforcing tanks and infantry, alternately throwing hand grenades and firing as he advanced to within five to ten yards of the enemy position, destroying the hostile machine-gun emplacement and an additional eight Japanese before he himself was struck down by an enemy rifleman.
His valiant and inspiring action effectively reduced the enemy’s fire power, thereby enabling his platoon to attain its objective, and reflects the highest, credit upon Private First Class Witek and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Article continues after photos, which depict the plaques before they were stolen.
Williamson was obviously stunned by the theft. He said the news brought tears to his eyes.
“I cried. Myself and about four other guys spearheaded that drive back in the 90s to get the park named after him,” Williamson said.
“We worked damn hard to get the park named after Frank and we worked hard to get the monument up there.”
The process to build the memorial was a labor of love. The labor was donated, Williamson said. A flag pole at the site was donated from the old Farrel-Birmingham company, Williamson said.
“We took that down by hand and carted that up there,” he said. “A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into this, so I’m taking this real hard.”
Williamson said the plaques are about 100 pounds each. There are scratch marks on the memorial, indicating they were pried off, Williamson said.
Hughes said he is hoping someone may have spotted something or someone Monday or Tuesday near the memorial. He urged residents to call the Derby Police Department.
The number is 203 735‑7811.
The memorial itself is near the park’s entrance off Academy Hill Road.
Derby police Lt. Sal Frosceno confirmed that officers learned of the incident Tuesday.
He said that officers first checked with local groups to see if the plaques had been removed for a legitimate reason, such as to be cleaned, perhaps.
“At this point, we don’t believe they were removed by anyone with authority, so it appears they were stolen, sad to say,” Frosceno said.
Frosceno assumed the theft may have been motivated by people looking to make money by scrapping the plaques.
“In these economic times, we’ve seen copper pipes and copper gutters and all kinds of copper things removed from structures for nothing more than their scrap value,” he said. “These were bronze plaques. Maybe it was for the same purpose.”
The memorial has been vandalized several times in the past, but never to this extent. Click here for information about vandalism at the memorial in August 2010.
For more on Witek and his connection to Derby, please visit the Electronic Valley.
