Posted on 09/15/2005 5:09:45 PM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult
CRAWFORD The Camp Casey Memorial on Prairie Chapel Road was removed by thieves earlier today. Not a single item is left at the memorial site.
Crew members working for McLennan County said they witnessed items being removed by an unidentified individual and contacted their office to inform commissioners.
Upon arrival at Camp Casey, honor guard members who had been at the Crawford Peace House immediately called McLennan County Sheriffs Deputy R. Polansky to report the theft.
Among the items stolen were numerous crosses, Casey Sheehans boots, tents, and other items.
The 26-day vigil of Cindy Sheehan outside the Bush ranch ended with a cross-country tour to spread the anti-war message. Camp Casey became a semipermanent memorial, to remain until the Veterans For Peace organization could establish a solemn removal ceremony.
Items that remained at the Camp Casey Memorial following Sheehans departure were the three original tents under a pavilion, crosses of the war dead, signs, and personal items of the individuals involved. Members of the guard filed a report with the McLennan County Sheriff Office.
The three honor guard volunteers diligently listed, item by item, the belongings that were stolen from the site. Tents, pillows, signs, books, a box of literature, sleeping bags, an air mattress, flowers, plants, tarps, memorial crosses even Casey Sheehans boots that stood in front of the small wooden cross bearing his name. Virtually every item that was at Camp Casey is gone.
Veterans For Peace member and honor guard volunteer Paul R. McDaniel said, My role here was as caretaker. Now its gone. Honor guard volunteer Linda Foley cried as she said, Caseys boots are gone! His boots are gone. You tell me that were not being respectful. Those crosses are probably in a trash can somewhere right now! His boots are gone. What kind of people would do that. Honor guard member Sarah Oliver said, His boots were one of the last things that Cindy had of Casey. I cant believe that anyone would take something like that.
McLennan County Commissioners road workers were in the area to post the No Parking signs that had been approved by the Commissioners Court. Those signs were on a 26-mile stretch of several roads. According to a representative of the County Commissioners office, the act of removing items from the ditch had nothing to do with the Commissioners and that this was done by a private individual.
Organizers of Camp Casey Memorial had been in contact with neighbors of the site and had informed them that the memorial was temporary and would be removed when a removal ceremony could be organized.
McDaniels said, We have tried to be as accommodating, peaceful, and graceful as we can. We wanted them to be aware of what was going on. We also took very good care of the area with the mowing and cleaning. We wanted to erect a permanent site at the Peace House, as soon as its garden was worked on. We were going to call it the Casey Sheehan Memorial Garden.
Following the tedious report given to the officer, honor guard members began to disassemble the poles of the pavilions tent that stood over the tent of Cindy Sheehanthe single item left at the site. One could walk through the area where the tents and crosses stood and see nothing. There was no evidence that Camp Casey had even existed.
Loading the tent poles in the back of a pickup, the three guardsmen said that they would return to the Crawford Peace House, finish a few chores there, and pack up to go home. Someone will be there part-time to take care of the information flow, said McDaniels.
Veterans For Peace members will continue their support of Cindy Sheehan and her efforts against the war in Iraq. There are actions planned on Sept. 24, the day that Sheehan will arrive in Washington for a protest there. Other demonstrations are planned by the group in Waco.
The three members of the Camp Casey Honor Guard stood in a circle at the site of Casey Sheehans cross, held hands, and wept as McDaniels offered a prayer of peace, got into their vehicles, and left Camp Casey.
Honor guard? What a load.
Gee ...that's too bad.
1-800-SUCKS-2BU
There's always the possibility they did it themselves to make it look like it was done to them.
I'm so moved!
Look for the stuff on ebay, then you got your liberal thieves.
You didn't do your job Linda. S*** happens.
The "honor guard" wasn't at the site? Weird.
Check they guys with the Waste Management truck.
Mom has been very neglectful.
Typical DUmbocrats, can't do anything right. I agree with you, honor gaurd? What would they know about honor?
If you leave a pile of trash along side the road - don't be surprised if someone comes along and sweeps it up.
Lying is their mode of operation.
I guess some of the families didn't appreciate having their sons names used without permission.
If they were so precious to her she would not have left them there.
UH-OH? Perhaps the cows did it! MOOOOOOOO :)
LOL, what a pant load they must have been. There was no one younger than 50 at "Camp Casey."
You took the words right out of my mouth! Then there is the fact that alot of the names on the memorial's were objected to by their family's.
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