LANSING – Kelly Greer, founder of the Nicholas Greer Foundation in Monroe, spent a great deal of time and energy creating a memorial to her son and other local fallen soldiers.

“I spent a year of my time from the day he was killed to the one-year anniversary,” Greer said.

Yet when she arrived at the city’s War on Terror monument in Veterans Park last Memorial Day weekend to lower the flags to half-mast, she realized the site had been vandalized.

The flags, including a “lest they be forgotten” one, had been stolen, along with bullets from a 21-gun salute. A cross of ribbons was also damaged.

So far, no arrests have been made.

In addition, an Iraq War Memorial in Mount Pleasant was vandalized this summer. A flagpole was broken and a U.S. flag was destroyed.

Incidents like those may be deterred in the future if a bill introduced by Rep. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, is passed, backers say.

The proposal would make the desecration or vandalization of a war memorial or monument a felony.

Violators would be punished with up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000 or three times the amount of the damage, whichever is greater.

Currently, Jones said these types of crimes can be treated as a misdemeanor if not enough damage is done and that harsher punishments are necessary.

He also said that a judge wouldn’t necessarily sentence a first-time offender to the maximum time.

“These despicable acts violate the memory of our fallen heroes and create more heartbreak for the families they left behind,” Jones said. “My legislation will serve as a powerful deterrent against future acts of vandalism.”

Jones said such crimes remind him of the days when Vietnam War veterans were bullied upon arriving home.

“Whether these are random acts of idiocy or calculated acts meant as a statement against the war, this destructive behavior must end,” he said. “These types of memorials must never be touched by malicious hands.”

Greer said that because of the public’s mixed feelings about the war, vandalization of memorials is likely to continue as long as U.S. soldiers remain in Iraq.

Vietnam veteran and Rep. Joel Sheltrown, D-West Branch, said that harsher punishments should be handed out for desecrating war memorials.

“I think that it should be a felony to destroy a war monument,” Sheltrown said. “People have given up their lives.”

Other sponsors include Republicans Reps. David Palsrok of Manistee, Brian Calley of Portland and John Garfield of Rochester Hills.

A related bill, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Mayes, D-Bay City, outlines the punishment for offenders.

The bills are pending in the House Judiciary Committee.