The unauthorized removal of a local firefighter’s roadside memorial sparks community outrage and appeals for its immediate return.
By BC News Staff Writer
WHITEVILLE, NC (DEVELOPING STORY) — A local community is calling for the return of a roadside memorial honoring a fallen firefighter after it was unexpectedly removed from a major intersection earlier this week.
The memorial cross, which stood at the intersection of Highway 130 and Ludlum Road, was erected six years ago to honor the life of Michael Stanley.
Stanley, a resident of Whiteville, tragically passed away on May 11, 2020, from injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash in nearby Brunswick County. He left behind a wife and two children.
Stanley was a highly respected and popular figure in the regional emergency services community, serving with the Whiteville Fire Department for over 15 years, as well as working with New Hanover County Fire Rescue. Shortly after his passing, fellow members of the Whiteville Fire Department built and installed the black wooden cross, adorned with a firefighter’s Maltese cross badge reading “Husband, Father, Friend” – at the intersection to ensure his memory and dedication to public safety would not be forgotten.
For the past six years, local residents and volunteers have meticulously maintained the site, cutting the grass, placing flowers, and keeping a solar-powered memorial light burning continuously.
According to community notifications, the removal of the cross was completely unauthorized. Both the family of the fallen firefighter and the landowner of the property where the memorial stood have stated they did not want the cross removed and were not involved in its disappearance.
While the exact motive behind the action remains unclear, local witnesses reportedly observed an individual loading the cross into the back of a utility vehicle (Gator) and driving away from the scene.
Community members and fellow first responders are urging whoever took the cross to return it to its rightful place at the intersection, emphasizing the profound emotional significance the memorial holds for Stanley’s family, friends, and the fire service community.
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