A New York-area Iraq War veteran discovered an angry letter left on his car Thursday that criticized him for serving in the military.
News 10 reported that the Queensbury, New York, Marine found the note on his vehicle after a shopping trip Thursday morning.
The letter criticized the veteran for earning a Purple Heart and fighting for the United States military overseas.
"All of you Islamaphobe vets deserve to die," read the note, which was authored by an anonymous individual.
Those in the area interviewed about the letter expressed outrage.
"Makes me sick to my stomach," said Robert LaPrairie, a local Navy veteran. "To me, it’s an act of terrorism really."
Lt. Steven Stockdale of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office explained that authorities would probe any "potential criminality" in the incident, adding that the act of leaving a note on a windshield is in fact illegal.
"Communication these days has gotten very easy for people who want to stay anonymous," Stockdale said. "And it takes a lot more courage to strap on an 80-pound pack and go to the Middle East and fight for your country than it does to scribble on a note and leave it cowardly behind on somebody’s windshield."
The sheriff’s office said that similar incidents have occurred across the state.
The veteran, though unwilling to publicly speak to reporters, said that he has dismissed the note as something to laugh at.