ODESSA, TX (KWES) - What do you do when something doesn't seem right?
For Joe Guerrero, a local veteran, something looked off about the Chris Kyle Memorial in Odessa.
"Can't stand for stuff like that," said Guerrero.
"I'm a part of a Facebook group that has other soldiers across America. I wanted to stop by and share photos of the Chris Kyle monument, when I parked I immediately noticed one of the monuments was spray painted on," said Guerrero.
It's hard to make out what the graffiti on one of the boulders say, but to Guerrero the vandalism speaks volumes.
"It upsets me deeply. I'm not just someone who admires Chris Kyle, I'm also a soldier myself. I deployed to Iraq. I understand the sacrifices he went through and to have somebody come and destroy something in remembrance of him, really cuts me to the core," said Guerrero.
With a rag, some soap and water Guerrero and his son got to work.
"Sometimes you got to get your hands dirty to clean it first, so I wanted to get as much as I could," said Guerrero.
A terrible moment became a teaching moment.
"I told him doing the right thing, is always doing the right thing. When you see something wrong and out of place you need to step up and do something for it. Don't wait for someone else to clean it," said Guerrero,
No one knows who the vandal or vandals could be, but Guerrero thinks it could be someone young.
"Take the time, get to know a soldier. Get to know your veterans. We're great guys. We're here for each other. There's no need for stuff like this," said Guerrero.
West Texans respect the men and women who served. You can count on them respecting Guerrero two-fold.
The Odessa Chamber of Commerce and Medical Center Hospital work together to maintain the memorial.
Officials tell NewsWest 9 they will use a sandblaster to finish off what Guerrero and his son worked on.
They hope surveillance footage will help lead to the persons responsible.
