And we're STILL WAITING!
What more is it going to take for this poor woman and the widows and widowers of other Wiccans to lay their loved ones to rest in the way that they wanted? These people gave their LIVES for this country. Their survivors deserve to be treated better than this. It's perfectly ok to have "Wiccan" on one's dog tags, to participate in worship and otherwise have freedom of faith in the military. It's just when they come home on a box that they are abandoned. This is SO ridiculous!
See previously run TV program on discriminatory VA practices at this handy link
Woman fights to have religious emblem placed on memorial:
FERNLEY — Local woman Roberta Stewart is bracing herself as Memorial Day approaches.
She is the wife of Nevada National Guard Sgt. Patrick, Stewart who was killed in combat Sept. 24, 2005 when a CH 47 Chinook helicopter he was in crashed on a support mission in Afghanistan.
Roberta has been waiting for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to approve a Wiccan emblem, which would be placed on her husband’s marker at the memorial wall at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery.
The Stewarts were members of the Wiccan religion, which worshipped nature.
Although Roberta submitted an application to the Veterans Administration months ago, she had not heard back from officials even though that department indicated it would make a determination by Feb. 21.
She reported she had not received any information because the VA changed its protocol in reviewing applications.
“They changed protocol and were supposed to streamline the process, but now it’s taking a longer time,” Roberta said, adding that is frustrated by the postponements as the VA most recently approved three other emblems including Sikh, Ecankar and Islamic faiths.