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Rhiannon12866 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 04:38 AM
Original message
Soldiers Ashes Stolen
Edited on Sun Nov-15-09 04:46 AM by Rhiannon12866
Source: WTVY

A burial at Arlington National Cemetery Friday had all the trimmings of a proper military funeral except one thing, the soldier’s remains.

It's theft in front of the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. has left the family distraught.

The urn containing the remains of bronze star and two purple hearts winner Army Colonel Norbert Otto Schmidt was taken from his family’s SUV just before the funeral.


Read more: http://www.wtvynews4.com/news/headlines/70115147.html


Bizarre, and certainly as low as anybody could sink... x(

On edit: Video
Urn With Veteran's Ashes Stolen Before Burial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPHEBBWdwC4&feature=player_embedded
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create.peace Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 04:44 AM
Response to Original message
1. i wouldn't have left the ashes unattended in the car....
i am the custodian of a treasured child's ashes, and they don't get 'left in the car' with other replaceable things attractive to thieves. my heart goes out to the family nonetheless, but let this be a lesson to all here.
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Rhiannon12866 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 04:51 AM
Response to Reply #1
3. I imagine that the thief got a startling surprise,
if he realized what he had. My heart goes out to the family, too, but I wouldn't count on getting them back. Terribly sad... ;(
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create.peace Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 04:57 AM
Response to Reply #3
4. if the ashes were in the container from the crematorium ....
they have a label with the deceased persons name and date of death. only a soulless person would have taken it then. if it was transferred to an urn, i guess it could have been in another box. it is a bizarre thing all way round. i actually can imagine a thief leaving the ashes somewhere hoping they would be found. i would post a no questions asked appeal.....what a world.
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Rhiannon12866 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 05:01 AM
Response to Reply #4
6. I would think that even a thief would want to return the ashes,
unless he was just too terrified of getting caught. Even so, someone's ashes?! Bad Karma, no matter how you look at it. x(
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Tx4obama Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 05:03 AM
Response to Reply #6
7. Most thiefs are not very intelligent, probably don't even realize they are ashes. n/t
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edwardian Donating Member (177 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 06:54 AM
Response to Reply #6
11. Bad karma.
A string of garbage cans extending into the past, through which one picks in order to rationalize unrelated events of a negative nature. Superstition my friend.
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nvme Donating Member (486 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 02:41 PM
Response to Reply #1
16. What an insensitive thing to say
Bury someone you love dearly and you will see how someone doesn't think right for a time.
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Tx4obama Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 04:51 AM
Response to Original message
2. I don't blame the family at all BUT...
We watched HBO's film 'Taking Chance' earlier this evening (which deals with a fallen marine's remains brought back from Iraq for his funeral) and the thought of someone leaving ashes in an unattended car after seeing that movie is bizarre.

Anyone else here on DU watch 'Taking Chance' ?
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Rhiannon12866 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 04:57 AM
Response to Reply #2
5. I've seen "Taking Chance," twice!
Wow, I sure agree with you, and what a well done and affecting movie. I was incredibly impressed with the extreme care that they took and the sympathetic reactions of all the people that the main character encountered. But what really blew me away was when I found out at the end that this was a true story! :wow:
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Dead_Parrot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 05:11 AM
Response to Original message
8. People only sink when they're held down
I imagine this was an opportune theft, and the person(s) didn't know what it was - I doubt there's a huge black market for ashes out there.

Although, the urn might be worth a few bucks.

A lot of people live from one meal to the next, and will grab whatever they can sell: Whilst it's easy to damn a grave robber, it's not so easy to damn someone who's just hungry. These are desperate times.

No, I'm not defending them. Just understanding them - I've been hungry in the past.
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Rhiannon12866 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 05:22 AM
Response to Reply #8
9. I understand your point, sounds like Les Miserables... :-(
but stealing ashes would be rather futile, since they would only be valuable to the deceased's family. :shrug:
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Dead_Parrot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 05:51 AM
Response to Reply #9
10. But the urn might not be
Desperate times. :(
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Rhiannon12866 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-16-09 09:57 PM
Response to Reply #10
21. Do they use an urn when the ashes are going to be buried?
I know that it mentions one in the article. But I thought that urns were used if the remains were going to be displayed. I went to a funeral last week where the ashes were kind of wrapped up in a package... and afterwards there was internment at the cemetery. :shrug:
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old mark Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 03:22 PM
Response to Reply #8
18. A computer was also taken from the SUV - you are right, probably
someone just passing by, or checking parked cars looking for something to steal.

Probably dumped somewhere within the first few blocks, or flushed.

I'd think the proceeds went for dope money rather than food, though.

mark
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cornermouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 08:24 AM
Response to Original message
12. Sad? Yes.
But, historically speaking, a lot of families never ever got their family member's remains back and whatever made that person who they were isn't contained in that urn anyway.
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Rhiannon12866 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-16-09 10:19 PM
Response to Reply #12
22. Have you followed the stories of the MIA soldiers?
Edited on Mon Nov-16-09 10:22 PM by Rhiannon12866
It may have been decades, but the families still refuse to give up. They want to know, and they need "closure." Senator Kerry was leading the effort to investigate those listed as MIA in Vietnam, and to find and bring the remains back, when possible. :-(

And this family has spoken about how much their father wished to be buried at Arlington, among those he served with. :-(
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geckosfeet Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 11:01 AM
Response to Original message
13. Bizarre and disturbed. One can only think that the people who stole it were
oblivious as to the urns contents, or are wildly destitute and disoriented. I can't see my way to finding any excuse at all for this. It is like stealing a body.
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bertman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 01:09 PM
Response to Original message
14. How many opportunistic thieves, probably teens, are going to know what a funerary urn
is? Not many, is my guess.

Very sad, but also very unthinking to leave the urn in an unlocked vehicle in D.C.
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nvme Donating Member (486 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 02:36 PM
Response to Original message
15. oops
Edited on Sun Nov-15-09 02:38 PM by nvme
self delete
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Ozymanithrax Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 02:54 PM
Response to Original message
17. IF the urn was metal, it has probably been melted down for scrap.
Strange case.
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AngryAmish Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 03:25 PM
Response to Original message
19. Wasn't this an angle with The Undertaker and Rick Rude cerca 1992?
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Blue_Tires Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-15-09 03:35 PM
Response to Original message
20. shameful...
probably stolen by a crackhead...
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proteus_lives Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-17-09 01:01 AM
Response to Original message
23. I hope they find who did this.
And put them in prison for a long time.
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