Trees reportedly stolen from Ohio veterans’ cemetery

RITTMAN, Ohio – Rittman police are investigating a report of a dozen timber stolen from an area cemetery for veterans.

The Ohio Western Reserve Nationwide Cemetery is present process an growth to its grounds that can enable for extra burials to happen. A contractor reported the timber, which have been to be planted this week, have been lacking from the placement, the cemetery’s director, Jesse Getz, mentioned.

“It’s simply disrespectful,” he mentioned. “For the veterans and their households. It’s simply disrespectful. We take nice delight within the work that we do right here.”

Getz, who’s a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, mentioned the overall value for the timber is about $1,200. He added that he hopes folks will concentrate on the constructive work the cemetery does.

“That is only a destructive incident surrounded by plenty of good,” he mentioned.

Getz mentioned the cemetery growth is about to be accomplished by November 2023, and it’ll enable a minimum of 10,000 extra burials to happen.

“We hope folks will come out and see what the cemetery means for the neighborhood,” he mentioned.

These excited by volunteering on the cemetery ought to e mail owrnc@va.gov.

The cemetery is situated at 10175 Rawiga Street in Seville. It’s the second nationwide cemetery inbuilt Ohio and the 119th within the nationwide cemetery system.

Burial in a nationwide cemetery is open to all members of the armed forces who’ve met a minimal active-duty service requirement and have been discharged below situations aside from dishonorable.

A veteran’s partner, widow or widower, minor dependent kids, and below sure situations, single grownup kids with disabilities can also be eligible for burial. Eligible spouses and kids could also be buried even when they predecease the veteran.

Members of the reserve elements of the armed forces who die whereas on energetic responsibility or who die whereas on coaching responsibility, or have been eligible for retired pay, can also be eligible for burial.

Presently, there are greater than 1 million veterans dwelling within the State of Ohio and roughly 540,000 residing within the cemetery’s service space, in line with the Nationwide Cemetery Administration.

Ohio Western Reserve Nationwide Cemetery lies roughly 45 miles south of Cleveland in Medina County. The cemetery’s identify refers back to the a part of the Northwest Territory previously generally known as the Connecticut Western Reserve, a tract of land in Northeast Ohio reserved by the State of Connecticut when it ceded its claims for western lands to the U.S. authorities in 1786.

Anybody with details about the stolen timber is requested to contact Rittman Police Officers Derek Miller or Probability Sigler by calling (330) 925-8040.