The granite bricks in Diamond Park recognizing honorably discharged veterans, approximately 60 of which were badly damaged or destroyed, deserved better attention than what they've gotten over the past year.

In February, John Cyprian, county director of veterans services, said he had made arrangements with the company that installed the bricks to repair or replace the bricks in question once warmer weather arrived.

Trouble is, when warm weather arrived, he apparently failed to follow up on the calls that he had made to the company last winter.

Bob Romah, owner of Granite Fabricating of Bentleyville, Washington County, said if he had been informed directly about the problems with the bricks, the work would have been done as anticipated.

However, Romah said, he was unaware of the damage that has gone unrepaired for so long until he was contacted by the Butler Eagle on Friday.

It was Cyprian's responsibility as head of the local World War II Memorial Committee to see that none of the bricks would be an eyesore this summer. The bricks, which carried a price tag of $200 each, were sold to help finance the World War II Memorial in Diamond Park.

The failure to ensure that the needed repairs were made as soon as possible suggests disrespect to the veterans whose bricks were damaged or destroyed — and to their families.

Now that Romah is aware of the situation, it is to be presumed that there won't be another summer of such disgrace.

"It's my project," Cyprian said, regarding the brick project. "I created it. I want it done as quickly as everyone else does."

If that's the case, families whose bricks are no longer in place — or which are in place but cracked or chipped — are justified in observing that Cyprian's inaction to get to the bottom of why the repair work wasn't done smacks of inattention to responsibility.

Meanwhile, the Eagle's inquiry last week revealed a discrepancy in the reason for damage to the bricks.

Cyprian said in February that bricks had cracked and dislodged because they had been improperly sealed. No so, says Romah. He says damage was caused by vehicles that sometimes run over the bricks — such as during sidewalk snow removal.

Romah said the solution was to move the bricks to the center of Diamond Park, where vehicles usually do not travel, and he promised to do that after the coming winter.

The county will be responsible for repairing the area from which bricks will be removed.

Each 4- by 9-inch brick represents a piece of Butler County's commitment to this country's defense. That commitment was tarnished by the damage that has remained visible for so long.

"I placed more than one call," Cyprian said.

He should have placed more — however many it took to get the problem resolved, back when warm weather had returned and no repair work was started on the bricks.

— J.R.K.