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05/28/2007: "Update Award Fund Pledges Reach $6,000.00."

Flags Burned, Swastikas Placed At Graves
An account is being established to deposit donations in, and then the accounting and money will turned over to Bill Cumming to present as a reward, if, and when, there is an arrest, prosecution and conviction.

Checks can be made out to The Island Guardian with a notation of “Award Fund” on the Memo line. John Erly is spearheading the drive on Orcas Island, and he can be reached at 376-4155. The Island Guardian address is 405 Blair Avenue, F.H. WA 98250, email is: editor@islandguadian.com



While the rest of America was preparing to honor those who gave their lives to protect American’s freedoms, someone made the decision to desecrate the graves of veterans on Orcas Island. Sheriff Bill Cumming (a Vet-Nam veteran) reported that sometime after midnight on Sunday morning, 33 American flags at the Woodlawn Cemetery that decorated veteran graves were burned, and the flags at 46 other graves were replaced with Nazi swastikas.

The damage was quickly discovered, and by 2:00 p.m. the Orcas American Legion and friends of the Legion had replaced the flags with new. The vandals then returned and replaced 38 of the flags with swastikas.



Sheriff Cumming in an email told The Island Guardian that “This crime is an absolute outrage to veterans, their families, friends of their families and the community as a whole. The desecration of a burial site is not free speech, it is a crime.”

The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with any information to contact a deputy. The Island Guardian is offering a cash reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons guilty of committing these crimes. As of Monday the reward amount is growing as more people learn of the crime. Those that wish to add to the amount may contact The Island Guardian at editor@islandguardian.com