Overview
- Yarmouth police said an officer found American flags forcefully ripped from the fencing of the Lance Corporal William Joseph Donovan Jr. Memorial Bridge on Friday, hours before Independence Day.
- Officials documented that the flags had their grommets torn out and were ripped at the seams, leaving pieces hanging from the overpass.
- Police have opened an investigation and urged anyone with information to contact the Yarmouth Police Department.
- State Rep. Steve Xiarhos and local residents moved quickly to replace the flags on Friday evening and framed the response as a show of community unity.
- The bridge honors Lance Cpl. William J. Donovan Jr., a two‑time Purple Heart recipient who died in 2015, and the latest damage follows a similar flag removal that led to a rededication in September 2025, raising concern about repeat vandalism and continued local vigilance.