Posted on 09/20/2013 9:55:12 AM PDT by Hulka
Last Thursday night someone stole the tail hook that was attached to USMC Lt. Col. XXXXXXX mailbox at XXXXXXXXX. As a Naval Aviator, it was one of his prized possessions. I wrote the following memo for inclusion in The XXXXXXXX but the publication deadline has passed for the next issue. Please “put your ear” to the ground and perhaps collectively we can identify this petty thief. Please contact me if you have any leads.
Memo To A Thief: To whomever took the tail hook that was attached to the mailbox at XXXXXXXXX… wow, you must really be some kind of a stud. Since you probably don’t even realize what it was that you stole, let me enlighten you. That’s the arresting hook from a Chance Vought F-8 Crusader (nick named “The Steel Dart”) because of the extreme speed at which it comes aboard the carrier. Try if you can to imagine yourself on an ink black night and low on fuel, with the stick and throttle of an F-8 in your hands, attempting to trap on a wildly pitching deck. Rest assured, you could never do it… but the man from whom you stole that treasure damn well could and did. He is my neighbor and friend. If you have any shred of honor you’ll sneak back and return it. If not, I hope your girlfriend realizes that she’s dating a pussy.
He wrote the memo and distributed it to all homes in the area, alerted scrap-yards but to no joy.
The tailhook remains lost but my friend, along with many others, found the exact same tailhook on eBay (no, not the stolen one). They bought it and repaired/replaced the mailbox, returning it to its original condition.
If it’s something of such value, why put it on a mailbox?
You can find most anything on ebay.
maybe they better weld it on better.
Pride and sentiment
I have pride and sentiment in my military memorabilia, too.
I don’t put it outside on the street for the Gibsmedats to steal it.
It was WELDED to the mailbox. The thief had to pry-apart the mailbox, destroy it, to get the tailhook. And it was in a semi-secured area (gated-community) on a lake (pricy area), as well. Tailhooks weigh a heck of a lot, those things are darned solid and it took some muscle to pick it up and carry it away. If you have seen one of those tailhooks you would understand it is not something a reasonable person would expect to stolen. It is thought the thief lives in the community.
Thievery, burglary, other such property crimes in that area (semi-rural) are unheard of.
Now, how about the comment about the thief, his actions and — lack thereof — honor and character. . .
Probably sold as scrap for drugs............
So it is the victims fault. Understood.
As an aside, I’ll wager the memorabilia you speak of do not come close to the weight and heft of that tailhhook.
If it was a semi secured gated community then my first idea as to where to look would be the Julio’s that do the landscaping work, they are always looking for extra income from scrap metal.
Good point. . . .
That’s your opinion, and fortunately doesn’t mean crap.
I safeguard my effects better than this guy, apparently.
So it is the victims fault. Understood.
Did I post that?
Touchy and rude. . .wow. . .sensitive type.
And still not calling out the thief for his actions, in fact, you defend the thief by blaming the victim.
Have a nice day hunkered down in your gloomy dark world, surrounded by I-luv-me “memorabilia.”
Buh-bye.
No, I was posting to the guy defending the thief, as he posted to you. . .should have been more clear.
If they had to do all that in a gated community didn’t any one hear that commotion?
If gated how’d the perp get in..may be a neighbor
Ditto.
The thinking is a neighbor. They have a few high school football players living with their parents in the community and those players have had “issues” outside the community.
Post 6 explains how the item is a very heavy chunk of iron, welded in place and required the mailbox to be destroyed.
This item could not be casually picked up and carried away.
It would be easier to break-in a home and steal memorabilia from inside the home.
I live in rural neighbor hood.
I cant put anything out front.
Last year I had to bales of hay to slow run off at some newly seeded areas.
Some one took them.
Last week I had a cone out to mark a hole in the drive.Gone
“As a Naval Aviator, it was one of his prized possessions.”
Seems unwise to leave it out in the front yard, then.
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