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Family left heartbroken on Memorial Day after memorial site was displaced

WORCESTER, Mass. — On Memorial Day, a local Worcester family went to pay respects to their loved one’s memorial site and discovered the site was displaced.

“He gave his life, for all of us, rich or poor,” said Dennis Brosnihan of Worcester.

Brosnihan would fondly hear stories about his late uncle, John Kamandulis, a World War II veteran.

Kamandulis was just 31 when he died while fighting in France during the war.

“As a child, I remember they would always be praying for him, crying over him,” said Brosnihan.

As part of the City of Worcester veterans square project, they honored Kamandulis square after him.

On Memorial day, Brosnihan went to go pay his respects at the memorial site, which sits at the corner of Vernon and Wards streets in Worcester, when they noticed it was displaced.

“I glanced up, and I saw a lot of orange-type of construction in that intersection that was flagged off. That’s how I found the monument, laying on the ground on top of a tree that had been snapped in half,” Brosnihan said.

Brosnihan said he is trying to figure out if this has to do with the new polar park that is being built, soon home to the Worcester Red Sox.

When asked if he thinks the city moved the memorial, Brosnihan said, “They are on track. They are hired, it’s an off-ramp to polar park, appears they put in a sidewalk.”

Brosnihan shared this email with us that was sent to a city councilor on April 9, asking if the memorial was going to be moved because of the construction.

“Can you please keep a look out for this monument, I know there is work going on,” asked the city councilor in the email.

Brosnihan said he did not get a response back from the city. He said the family feels heartbroken over this.

Boston 25 also reached out to the city manager’s office, and have not heard back from them.