UPDATED Message to Crawford Thieves - from a Gold Star Mom

Amy Branham, one of the Gold Star moms I met in Crawford, sent me a disturbing email today. I swelled with joy when I saw her message waiting in my inbox...but she had bad news. When the workers left behind at Camp Casey went to check on the crosses this morning, there was no evidence that Camp Casey had even existed.

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.

Ya, OK, pull my right leg and it plays jingle bells! Those signs were on a 26-mile stretch of several roads. And everything is gone...

Tents, pillows, signs, books, a box of literature, sleeping bags, an air mattress, flowers, plants, tarps, memorial crosses even Casey Sheehan's boots that stood in front of the small wooden cross bearing his name.

Is there any doubt who we are dealing with now? Has the "good Christian, do no wrong" facade finally feel for the last time?

Amy's email to Elmo...

This morning I read a report from the Lone Star Iconoclast about the remaining memorial to our beloved fallen heroes, our sons and our daughters, was stolen. You can read more about it here: http://198.65.14.85/News/2005/37-38/37news10.htm

While, at first, I was brokenhearted and stunned as I read this news, I have to admit that I no longer am. These kinds of acts of hatred have become commonplace, and not only at Camp Casey. Just last week another memorial to our heroes was destroyed in Toledo, Ohio. These are only desperate acts to undermine the movement to end the war and the effort to bring our soldiers home and to honor them.

There is a very simple message that I don’t think these criminals will ever understand, and that is this: We support our troops wholeheartedly. We love them. We believe the best way to support our troops is to BRING THEM HOME NOW! We will not and have not spit upon even one of them, we have not judged them for fighting in what we believe to be an illegal and immoral war.

There was a memorial to my son, Sgt. Jeremy Smith, at Camp Casey. I had left a picture from his funeral and flowers. Cindy left Casey's boots. Most, if not all, of the members of Gold Star Families for Peace had the names of their loved ones on crosses at Camp Casey. We all had an emotional stake in that sacred ground where our movement finally gained attention (thank you, Cindy) and the energy needed to end this war.

I think what the thieves should know now is this: Your acts have only fueled our fire and the fire of thousands of other people who have an emotional investment in Camp Casey. We will only fight harder now to bring about an end to this war. Your unspeakable acts of hatred and disrespect toward our fallen heroes are despicable.

You can mow down the crosses, but you can't mow down our hope
because the truth will always greet the light of day
And we know what the cost is in this darkness where we grope
but we know that peace will be the better way
on Prairie Chapel Road.....

(from Prairie Chapel Road by Eric Folkerth)

We will continue on our path undaunted, the fire in us rekindled by your senseless act of hatred.

Amy.

UPDATE: From Amy...

Hadi from the Crawford Peace House called Dede to let her know that the Sheriff found the items stolen from the memorial. They have all been returned to the Peace House.

We don't know any more than that.

Peace,
Amy