At Bloody Ridge only after a week of launching
AN engraved plate located on top of the monument which was unveiled last week at Bloody Ridge National Park in East Honiara has been removed.
The incident which was claimed as an act of theft was discovered over the weekend.
The monument was declared opened by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare last Tuesday – 8th August during the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal celebration.
PM was given the honor to unveil the monument which was dedicated to the more than 2500 men who lost their lives on the ridge during the Guadalcanal Campaign in 1942.
The monument was erected and funded by the government through the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
During the event, Bloody Ridge was also declared a national park.
Photos of the removed engraving plate were shared on Social Media yesterday.
Henderson Police station did not answer their landline after numerous phone calls to provide an update on the removal of the monumental engravings over the weekend.
Comments will also be sought today from the Tourism Authority.
The park which covers 25 hectares and is expected to be fenced soon.
The removal of the plate with engraved statements was described as a shameful by those people who did it.
Last week a senior statesman and Guadalcanal Chief Sir Paul Tovua appealed for respects towards the monument and park.
“I called on people around this WWII memorial site to respect it.
“Do not desecrate this shrine.”
He said as custodians of the land, they want people in the nearby settlement to maintain the ridge.
“Please maintain this ground.”
Her Excellency Ambassador to Solomon Islands Catherine Ebert-Gray last week also announced the soon elevation of Bloody Ridge into the American Battlefield Monuments Commission (ABMC).
Ms Gray accorded her appreciation towards the government for their preservation efforts in the face of ensuing development on the land.
By TEDDY KAFO
