A U.S. Marine Corps recruitment advertisement in Memphis, Tennessee, was recently vandalized with an offensive message, drawing shock from local residents and a response from the Corps.
A large billboard located eastbound on W. E.H. Crump Boulevard near Interstate 55 in downtown Memphis showed an image of a Marine beside a search bar that states: “What do Marines fight for?”
A banner in red lettering fixed to the sign responded: “The chance to feed Mexicans to alligators,” according to local news reports. The text was accompanied by a logo of a figure with devil horns wearing a suit.
The banner appears to reference the controversial temporary immigration detention facility in South Florida nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz. The Marine Corps is not currently involved with operating the facility. Further, there are no reports of detained migrants being fed to alligators.
“Though unfortunate, Marines are always ready to adapt and overcome,” Master Sgt. Tyler Hlavac of Marine Corps Recruiting Command said in a statement to Military Times. “We remain focused on attracting and inspiring the next generation to answer the call to serve.”
The graffiti did not stay up for long and was quickly replaced by the same advertisement.
“I think it’s pretty crass and derogatory towards the Marines. The U.S. military is here for us and our protection, not for vulgarity,” Memphis resident Jim Kinney told Action News 5.
Although the graffiti caused indignation in the community, no report is currently on file with the Memphis Police Department, Military Times has learned.
The detention facility in the Everglades has been the subject of nationwide controversy due to its remote location, rugged environmental surroundings and intended purpose to speed up the deportation of migrants from the United States. On Aug. 14, the Department of Homeland Security released a statement to affirm that no inmates have died at the site.
The vandalism in Memphis represents one instance of military recruiting billboards being targeted with demeaning graffiti. In 2018, a self-described “Christian political artist” caused offense in Des Moines, Iowa, by spray-painting the words “No Respect” in red across a U.S. Army recruitment billboard.
Zita Ballinger Fletcher previously served as editor of Military History Quarterly and Vietnam magazines and as the historian of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. She holds an M.A. with distinction in military history.
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