Widow Of WWII Veteran Says Someone Vandalized His Grave; The Touching Way She Knows He'd React

SANTA CLARITA (CBSLA.com)   —  A WWII-era widow says her husband's grave site in Santa Clarita was recently vandalized.

But Marion Guzman tells CBS2's Randy Paige her late husband was very forgiving and wouldn't be mad at the vandal.

Every Veteran's Day, you will find Guzman at her husband's grave -- arranging flowers and offering a silent prayer.

"He was very giving, a very, very lovable affectionate person," Guzman says.

Sgt. Refugio Guzman served four years in Japan during the Allied occupation after WWII.

When he died in 1994, he was buried in a section reserved for veterans at the Eternal Valley Memorial Park in Santa Clarita.

To honor each veteran, a bronze vase was placed on the tombstone, surrounded by a circle of bronze stars.

They are now gone.

Thieves came through here and stole many of the vases, including Guzman's. Authorities believe the vases and stars were stolen so they could be sold and melted down as scrap metal.

"It was sad, it was very, very said," Guzman said.

Paige asked what her husband's reaction would be to the vandalism?

"He would say, they needed the money. The people who stole it needed the money. That's the kind of guy he was," Guzman said.

On this Veteran's Day, a lone bagpiper brought Guzman to tears and she pointed to Refugio's name inscribed on the wall in honor of the men and women who served their country.

Paige asked Guzman what her husband would likely do for the veterans in that cemetery if he were alive today?

"He'd probably help the ones who couldn't afford [to replace them], and put them back on," she said.