WINTER PARK, Fla. (WESH) — A Florida military hero and Tuskegee Airman is responding to his statue being vandalized in Winter Park.
Winter Park police are still looking for the person responsible for crushing a portion of the life-size statue of Chief Master Sgt. Richard Hall Jr. earlier this month. This sculpture stands outside the Hannibal Square Heritage Center.
“There must have been a reason why they did this. I was very proud of the statue,” Hall said.
Hall is a distinguished member of the Tuskegee Airmen; the first group of African-American pilots and support staff to serve in the U.S. military.
“I thought that someone disliked me for some reason,” Hall said.
On Saturday, Hall told WESH 2 News he is not sure why someone would damage his likeness outside the center in Winter Park.
Local artist Rigoberto Torres created the piece of art three years ago by molding a cast around Hall himself.
Torres agreed to repair the statue.
It stands to honor a man who is 95 years old, an original Tuskegee Airman and was raised in the Winter Park area.
“I survived three wars. Survived WWII, Korea and Vietnam,” Hall said.
The heritage center is working to surround the building with surveillance cameras so vandals will be discouraged from damaging the statue again.