Wiccan Soldier Finally Gets His Mark

I blogged about this a while back.

The story is of fallen hero, Sgt. Patrick Stewart, who just happened to be a Wiccan and his widow's fight to have a Wiccan symbol placed on his memorial plaque at the Veterans' Memorial Wall in Fernley, Nevada - in acordance with his wishes before his death.

It's a fight that's been ongoing for a year - although other Wiccan fallen heroes have waited even longer.

The good news: Sgt. Stewart gets his plaque.

The bad news: the VA hasn't suddenly approved the Wiccan symbol after years of prevarication so other families will have to ontinue waiting.

The new development came Wednesday when state veterans officials said they had received a legal opinion from the Nevada Attorney General's Office that concluded federal officials have no authority over state veterans' cemeteries.

As a result, they intend to have a contractor construct a plaque with the Wiccan symbol to be added to the Veterans' Memorial Wall in Fernley.

"The VA still has not determined yet if a Wiccan symbol can go on the headstone," said Tim Tetz, executive director of the Nevada Office of Veterans Services.

"But we have determined we control the state cemetery and that we therefore have the ability to recognize him for his service to his country," he told AP.

MAJOR kudos to the Nevada Office of Veterans Services!

MAJOR hisses and boos to the VA who should pull their colective rightwing-Christian-appeasing fingers out of their controversy-phobic anal sphincters and get their own house sorted out.