IS NOTHING SACRED?

[reccecrewman]

I read this is today's Ottawa Sun.......... Absolutely sickening that thieves would stoop to this level.

Story by Jon Willing
SUN MEDIA

Ken Larcombe waited more than six decades to receive his war medals, only to have thieves sneak into his retirement residence this weekend and take them away.

"I was planning to have them fixed up so I could wear them on my blazer," Larcombe said last night, about 24 hours after his medals and other priceless items went missing from his room at a south-end retirement home.

"I've been here five years and I never lock my door," he said. "I do now."

Larcombe, 82, said the thieves snuck around the rooms Saturday as residents enjoyed their supper at the facility, which is in the South Keys area.

Ottawa police learned cash, jewelry and credit cards went missing in that time. Two other residents also reported thefts from their rooms.
 

MEMORABILIA, WILL

A black briefcase full of a life's work went missing from Larcombe's room. But that wasn't all. Inside were three World War II service medals Larcombe received about a month ago.

A wartime flight lieutenant in the Royal Air Force, Larcombe only recently applied to have his medals shipped to him. He was looking forward to showing them off next Remembrance Day.

"It looks as though I'm unfortunate," the veteran said.

The briefcase was full of other priceless items: Larcombe's flying log from the war, his squadron crest, a tin box with buttons and badges from his uniform, coins, his will and research on his family tree.

The retired Ottawa elementary school teacher said he felt a wave of pride when he finally received his medals. Two recognize service in the allied forces' victory and service in the European theatre operations.

"None of them I can replace," he said.

After receiving flight training in Canada in 1942, Larcombe returned to England to fight in the war. In one operation, his plane was shot down; all but one of the seven passengers escaped with their lives.

RESIDENTS 'DISTURBED'

Larcombe hopes the thieves will realize they have stolen a set of irreplaceable memories.

"Hopefully, they will throw it (the briefcase) away and someone will find it and report it to the police."

Everyone at the retirement residence is "disturbed" that thieves would target the elderly, Larcombe said.

For the residents' safety, police aren't naming which retirement home was hit.

According to police, the suspects are two "scruffy" males wearing workman's clothing. One is about 5-foot-10, 180 lbs. with brown hair and a brown moustache. The other is about 5-foot-7, 170 lbs. with brown hair.

 

[Mike Baker]

I am disgusted. Who would go to such a low level?

 

[xo31@711ret]

:rage:  Same type of:

- lower-than-whale- sh **;

-scum-suckin' bottom-feeding;

-should-be-shot-with-a-ball-of-their-own-sh **, then p*ssed on;

sub-human type animal who also mug, head-punch (x3), 101 year old ladies on their way to church!  :threat:

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

I read that on the weekend too and was extremely disgusted.

The answer to the title of the thread is no. The world we now live in is a relative and materialistic one. What is sacred to you and I may not be to others and may not be respected by others.
Witness the low lives who steal the oil out of the Church oil tanks here in NS....not to mention those who have vandalized churches, mosques and synagogues in other parts of our country.
Witness the urination on the sacred tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the vandalizing that happens in civilian graveyards throughout the country on a regular basis.

I've lost all confidence that anything will be respected by anyone. There are thieves and opportunists everywhere and everything that is not nailed down or guarded will be stolen or desecrated.

 

[larry Strong]

Reproduced under the ......

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/National/2007/03/12/3736345-sun.html

Marine's medals stolen from shipment to California
UPDATED: 2007-03-12 01:03:10 MST


By CP

 
DIGBY, N.S. -- Russell Farrell, an 86-year-old former marine who lives in this Nova Scotia town, was there when the U.S. forces raised the flag on Iwo Jima and chatted with Bob Hope while recovering from a Japanese shrapnel burst.

Farrell was wounded three times and decorated with two Purple Hearts and a gold star, but he can't show off the medals -- they've been stolen.

Farrell, who has lived in Nova Scotia for 30 years, mailed the medals in a package last month to his daughter, Judy Farrell, who is in California. The package was insured for $50.

They never arrived.

"She got on the phone and she started crying," recalled Farrell. "She said, 'Dad, the package has been opened. It looks like somebody cut it.' She said, 'The medals are gone. All that's left are the ribbons.' "

The medals were for service at Guadalcanal, Guam and Iwo Jima, and included two Purple Hearts and a gold star to place in the ribbon of one of the Purple Hearts.

The Asiatic-Pacific medal, American Campaign medal, a good conduct medal and a presidential unit citation for the 9th Marine Regiment were also in the package. He sent the medals to his daughter after she told him she would love to have them.


"I had no idea someone would steal them," he said. "I don't think they'll be found ... I had the medals for 60 years."

The theft is being investigated by Canada Post and the U.S. Postal Service.

 

[orange.paint]

No nothing is.
What causes people to do crap like this? IMHO Drugs.
Hence why I don't like a reformed coke head working by my side(once an addict always an addict).My helmet/personal kit could easly score a baggy.

Desperate people do desperate things.

I hope he gets his medals back.

 

[warspite]

How to deal with this scum?
Kneel down and face the ditch :threat:

 

[wannabe SF member]

http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/TopStories/ContentPosting.aspx?newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20070312%2fmissing_medals_070312&feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V2&showbyline=True

 

[aesop081]

Did i already see ths posted today ? It sounds familiar

army.ca staff

 

[Michael OLeary]

Found by searching for "Russell Farrell":

http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/58620.0.html

 

[aesop081]

Merged......

 

[Strike]

Hopefully the authorities will be keeping a lookout on E-Bay.  I wouldn't doubt something showing up there, given the popularity of medals.  :rage:

 

[mudrecceman]

And look at what he says in the article...

"It looks as though I am unfortunate".

Even after being robbed of something like this, he keeps his...composure and makes a gentleman-like comment like this. 

I hope you get your medals back sir 

I hope someone finds out who the RFMs are that pulled this one off...hopefully they sober up or whatever and atleast drop them in the mailbox or something.

 

[1feral1]

I am not suprised with the postal theft. I have little or no confidence in Canada Post. Thats a sad story, real sad.

Now, about the bloke who had his room burgled.

There is no doubt that most of the stuff will end up in the garbage (family tree info his log book etc) nearby. As for the medals, thay might turn up somewhere, might, but with all the publicity, the fear of getting caught, they too might get chucked.

These thefts are unfortunate, and even if the door was locked, they still may have broke in.

Lets just hope the bastards are caught, but we all know the limp dick snivel libertarian legal system will cough up some excuse "why", and whether its a from a broken home or a drug problem, at the end of the day some one will get a suspended sentance, a slap on the hands, and an old veteran of WW2 will still be the victim without his medals, flight log and family tree info.

Too bad the theives could not cop a discrete shytekicking, and be forced to pay in big fine in cold cash, have their crimes and names published, and be sent to an unpopular labour camp in a mosquito infested area for some serious long hard days and nights.

It aint gonna happen is it.


Regards,

Wes

 

[geo]

(I agree with ya wes... but we don't ship people off to an Australian prison colony anymore)

 

[Yrys]

Couldn't we started a new one in Af'stan  ?

 

[geo]

Nope - some lawyer out of Ottawa would want us to keep track of em once they got there.... and get upset if they got banged up a bit.

 

[1feral1]

too right mate, :rofl: not since the 1850's, but in reality the worst mosquitos I have seen was in northern Saskatchewan.

Soon to be imersed in ice cold beer,

Wes

 

[geo]

Mosquito central.... Winnipeg!
They even have mosquito air-raid allerts in that town

 

[reccecrewman]

And mosquito anti-air batteries scattered all around town...................... ;D