Author Topic: Wiccan soldier who died in Iraq can't have pentagram on grav  (Read 1124 times)

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Offline Anonymous

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http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic ... /1002/NEWS

GERALDA MILLER
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Posted: 3/18/2006

ANDY BARRON/RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL


Sgt. Patrick Stewart?s place on the memorial wall remains empty, next to John Flynn who died with Stewart, at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley.

Roberta Stewart holds her huband?s flag and medals as she sits next to her altar, where she keeps her husband?s ashes.

Roberta Stewart will return with her husband to the circle cast for their wedding ceremony almost two and a half years ago.

The six cords that bound the couple's hands together in the traditional Wiccan hand fasting ceremony are buried there in the Virginia Highlands.

It is where Stewart says she will scatter his remains.

"Our cords are buried up there so it's a very sacred spot to us," the Fernley resident said.

Stewart's husband, Nevada National Guard Sgt. Patrick Stewart, died on Sept. 25 when the Chinook helicopter he was in was shot down in Afghanistan. Both were Wiccan before they met.

"But we jointly came out together and stood strong for our spirituality upon our marriage," she said. "Alone we didn't want to take on society or our community. Together we can take on anything."

When her husband found out the military recognized Wiccan, Stewart said he changed his dog tags, declaring his faith.

"That's when he started sharing with his fellow soldiers," she said. "They questioned us a lot. The soldiers are comrades. It's really irrelevant what your beliefs are when you are a soldier."

His buddies who were on a training mission on the day of his wedding stopped by to say "hi" by flying their Chinook over in a figure eight, she said.

Stewart is now taking on the Veterans Affairs Department and its National Cemetery Administration because it refuses to use the Wiccan symbol on the memorial plaque at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley.

There is an empty space on the wall to the right of Chief Warrant Officer John Flynn, of Spanish Springs, who also died in the crash. It will remain vacant until the VA recognizes Patrick Stewart's religion, and she can have the five-pointed star enclosed in a circle below his name, she said.

"John Flynn's wife asked that they keep that place next to her husband," she said. "Our boys died together. They should be memorialized together. She's Christian."

Several from the Pagan community of Northern Nevada attended the rite of passing ceremony and are extending their support to Stewart.

Laura Fitzpatrick, who also lives in Fernley, said she did not know Stewart before the memorial service but is doing what she can.

"Everybody supports it," said Fitzpatrick, a witch whose Pagan name is Summer Wolf. "This is a breakthrough for others to have their faith recognized. We signed petitions. We wrote letters to our state representatives, the Senate."

Margie Ewen of Reno said she remembers sending a care package to Patrick Stewart when he was deployed to Afghanistan.

"I didn't even know he was Pagan at the time," she said.

Ewen said she is aware of six Pagans from Northern Nevada who are currently deployed in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.

"I'm guessing there's a lot more," she said.

Stewart said she and her husband were natural spiritualists who blended Celtic, Buddhist and American Indian traditions into their faith system.

"It's part of our life," she said. "It's who we are. We rock hunt, we arrowhead hunt, we do archery. We go hiking."

The altar in her living room is positioned below a photograph of Patrick Stewart walking in the open, dressed in a chocolate suede fringed jacket and knee- high boots. A dusty rose box she called a spirit box contains his remains, for now. Next to the Celtic cross are rocks they felt had energy on their adventures.

There is a book on a side table -- "Widowed Too Soon."
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

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Wiccan soldier who died in Iraq can't have pentagram on grav
« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2006, 03:56:00 PM »
The guy is dead, and more than likely the symbol on a stone above his rotting human remains is the least of his worries. If I were his family I would be more angry with the fact he got killed in a war that should have never happened. It was a strategic error to attack Iraq, history will show this, and like all losing wars it's harder to cope with being an aggressor, and harder for families to deal with the dead. It's normal for family members to memorialize, and try to boost the image of a dead love one. Look at Bobby Kennedy after his brother died, how many places are named JFK now. But it's a lot harder to do when that person was killed fighting in a war that shouldn't have happened, a war that will not even be remembered fifty years from now other than that blunder the presidents son got into.  :roll:
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

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Wiccan soldier who died in Iraq can't have pentagram on grav
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2006, 04:22:00 PM »
Agreed absolutely but I also find it completely ironic and typical of this administration that this would happen.  These kids are over there supposedly fighting for freedoms that we enjoy, this one (of many) dies in that effort but he can't have a pentagram on his grave.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

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Wiccan soldier who died in Iraq can't have pentagram on grav
« Reply #3 on: July 04, 2006, 05:35:00 PM »
Good point.  :lol:
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

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Wiccan soldier who died in Iraq can't have pentagram on grav
« Reply #4 on: July 04, 2006, 07:58:00 PM »
Did he throw any fireballs at the insurgents?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline starry-eyed pirate

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Wiccan soldier who died in Iraq can't have pentagram on grav
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2006, 07:16:00 AM »
What a shame, in so many ways.  ..."Widowed Too Soon".  Man, that sux!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
If you would have justice in this world, then begin to see that a human being is not a means to some end.  People are not commodities.  When human beings are just to one another government becomes obsolete and real freedom is born; SPIRITUAL ANARCHY.

Offline Anonymous

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Wiccan soldier who died in Iraq can't have pentagram on grav
« Reply #6 on: July 05, 2006, 11:44:00 AM »
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiccan  

    * 1 Core concepts
          o 1.1 Wicca as a magical religion
          o 1.2 Wiccan views on Divinity
                + 1.2.1 The elements
          o 1.3 Morality
          o 1.4 Secrecy and initiation
          o 1.5 Organisation within Wicca
          o 1.6 Ritual
                + 1.6.1 Tools
                + 1.6.2 Ritual attire
                + 1.6.3 Ritual occasions
    * 2 History of Wicca
          o 2.1 Origins
          o 2.2 Later developments
    * 3 Etymology
    * 4 Discrimination and persecution of Wiccans
          o 4.1 United States
    * 5 Wiccan traditions
    * 6 Wicca in popular fiction
    * 7 See also
    * 8 Notes
    * 9 Bibliographical and encyclopedic sources
    * 10 Academic studies
    * 11 External links
          o 11.1 Communities and organizations
          o 11.2 Further reading
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

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Wiccan soldier who died in Iraq can't have pentagram on grav
« Reply #7 on: July 08, 2006, 11:29:00 PM »
Get Ronnie James Dio on the case then, if it concerns Pentagrams or Dungeons N Dragons lyrics, he's your half-man.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »