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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 16725
[Crime]
Date Posted:
12/1/2006
8:54:16 am EST
Wvox Stats
Views: 8,167
RSS: 20,505
Comments: 18
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Nevada Veterans Cemetery Vandalized
Author: Christy Lattin Source: Nevada Appeal (NV)
Title: VETERANS CEMETERY VANDALIZED
The Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley was vandalized Monday night when someone riddled the columbarium wall with bullets from a high-powered rifle.
Gabe Velazquez, equipment operator at the cemetery, said the wall was struck six times. The bullets damaged one niche cover with a name and another empty niche cover. The columbarium wall holds interred remains of veterans in separate niches faced with engraved plaques. The cement walkway in front of the wall was also damaged.
Lt. Mike Lang from the Lyon County Sheriff's Department Fernley substation said eight shell casings were found. He speculated the bullets were fired from an AK-47 or SKS rifle based upon the 7.62x39 mm casings.
Cemetery Superintendent Wes Block said the flagpole is illuminated with lights facing upward while the columbarium wall is not. He said the shooter probably didn't even know what was being shot.
Block said he doubts the shooting is related to the controversy surrounding veteran Sgt. Patrick Stewart, whose memorial plaque at the cemetery carries the pentacle symbolizing the Wiccan religion.
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Community Thoughts: There are 18 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Hideous | Dec 2nd. at 12:58:15 pm EST
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genexs (Newburgh, New York) - Email Me - Web
Yikes, what a disgusting act! Although I think it's best to reserve judgment, I agree with most other posters . My gut tells me this is just too big of a coincidence. Look on the bright side: the jackass/es doing this (along with their cause) will be the happy recipients of 3x the bad Karma.
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| I'll Reserve Judgement At This Time | Dec 2nd. at 11:17:20 am EST
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Hellas32 (Dacula, Georgia) - Email Me
While my gut tells me that this is related, and the person (s) involved were just too cowardly to walk up and deface/destroy the actual marker (fear of being seen, maybe) , the evidence suggests a random act of vandalism by an idiot. I would not get too down on the cops, they are following procedure. They collected the evidence and sent it off for analysis. At this point, that's about all that can be done. Given that there are a lot of veterans making a living as Police Officers, I would not count on this being taken lightly. The Police Chief probably just wanted to deny this idiot his 15 minutes as anything other than a random scumbag.
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| Desecration | Dec 2nd. at 12:31:02 am EST
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Mothrae (Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania) - Email Me
Any act of desecration in a cemetery is illegal. People will whine that laws should be passed. The laws are there already, enforce them.
Bring in the guys from the American Legion (of which I am a proud member) , the VFW, the Amvets, JWV, and all the others. These right-leaning conservative veteran groups still see a veteran as a veteran, no matter what symbol is on his VA marker.
Find the clowns responsible, and then let the vets have their way with them. You would be amazed at the new and wonderful locations in and on the human body an AK-47 could be installed...
Desecrate a vets's grave? You're toast, pal.
Honorably discharged E5, US Army 121st CECOM Signal Corps, Desert Shield/Storm vet.
Slan agus beannacht leat.
Moth
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| The Odds Are Against It Being Unrelated... | Dec 2nd. at 12:29:18 am EST
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Faloku (Arcata, California) - Email Me
...but the evidence is for it being unrelated. I believe the guy. Besides, guns of all types are traditionally favored as weapons of vandalism.
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| I Have To Agree | Dec 1st. at 9:35:17 pm EST
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Riding A Pale Horse (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) - Email Me
If this truly were an act of vandalism directed at the Wiccan headstone, there is little that would have stopped this person from making a direct attack on it. Having worked in many cereteries over the years as a groundskeeper, I haven't encountered any that have more than a standard gate and chain link fence for security, certainly not enough to stop someone from entering it.
This sounds more along the lines of someone "experimenting" with a newly aquired weapon, or someone who was out and had one or two too many. I await the findings of the police and any followup that might present.
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| Too Coinkydental For Moi | Dec 1st. at 5:59:03 pm EST
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KatRivers (Berea, Kentucky) - Email Me
I agree with what others have said here. This is just too coincidental. If this does turn out to be some bigot I wander whether this could count as a hate crime?
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| Vandalism | Dec 1st. at 5:51:22 pm EST
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Finn (San Marcos, Texas) - Email Me
Although many people seem convinced that clearly the Wiccan headstone and the vandalism are connected, I'll reserve judgement. The simple fact is that most cemetaries in the United States suffer vandalism (of a wide variety of sorts) on an average of 24 times a year. That is twice a month in general.
Given the security at most cemetaries is poor, I expect someone offended by the plaque would have had no problem walking in, destroying it, and walking out. The fact that the vandalism was non-specific tells me it is likely unrelated. The kind of person who would be offended by the Wiccan symbol would also feel it inappropriate to desecrate the graves of others by such an action. Thus, their protest vandalism would be far more specific.
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| I Don't Know Much But.... | Dec 1st. at 3:35:57 pm EST
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Lady Katyara (Milford, Connecticut) - Email Me
The fact the symbol is there or not an issue. The fact is that there is person out there who is in possesion of a weapon that has the capacity of taking a life and seems to have no respect on how or when to 'use' it.
It's not the fact the deed was done and for what cause it stood for, debating rights we already know we are entilted to has no claim here.
The issues is a person (psyco) with a gun, running around Nevada, thinking that shooting things is right.. what's next? People? The unconcered manner of the law enforcement scares me and I don't think I'll be needing to visit that town for awhile.
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| Sure... | Dec 1st. at 2:44:32 pm EST
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Amtehuti (Queens, Florida) - Email Me
The only veterans' cemetery in the United States with a pentacle on a headstone just so happens to be the only one attacked with an AK-47. I would like to think it's unrelated, but I would also like to think I'm marrying Johnny Depp, and that isn't exactly likely...
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| Swampland | Dec 1st. at 12:04:29 pm EST
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armand (shreveport, Indiana) - Email Me - Web
Yeah right it has nothing to do with the fact there is a Wiccan symbol in the cemetery. If you believe that I have some prime swampland for sale.
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| I Was Wondering... | Dec 1st. at 11:48:21 am EST
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Parallaxxx (Louisville, Kentucky) - Email Me
... how long before some idiot tried to vandalize Sgt. Stewarts plaque. "Not related" my butt! I think a couple of video cameras hidden on the grounds for a few months would be a good idea. Somebody needs to be made an example of by going to jail for this for a good long while. I'm wondering how many times the plaque will get replaced before the state of Nevada decides to give up.
Mike Avery
Louisville
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