War Hero's Grave Desecrated By Vandals
3/1/2006 11pm report
By Kyle Meenan
First Coast News
BRUNSWICK, GA -- The reward is growing in a community manhunt for those who vandalized a local war hero's grave last month.
"It was as if they slapped us in the face. Spit on my son's grave. That they would desecrate or even vandalize a hero," said Crystal Merillat.
When Crystal Merillat buried her son, Marine Sniper John Stalvey in October, he was hailed a hero. Stalvey had gone into the Marines after 911 and was protecting U.S. troops in Iraq when he was killed by a roadside bomb.
Hundreds of people, many waving American flags lined the procession route through Brunswick to Stalvey's final resting place. He was buried with full military honors.
Crystal Merillat wanted a tribute to her hero son. Something that would stand as a proud reminder and tribute to all who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
She ordered a very detailed grave marker for her son's burial place, along with a special bronze sculpture of a life-sized pair of boots, M-16 rifle and helmet.
"It's just unbelievable that somebody would stoop to something so low -- to do something this low," said Billy Stalvey, John's father.
What somebody did was pull up to John's grave a pickup truck. They proceed to rip the sculpture out of the ground -- tossing it less than a mile away like garbage into a roadside ditch.
Crystal Merillat got the call from her son and raced to the cemetery.
"When I pulled up, it was like they killed my son again."
It has taken weeks to repair and re-install the bronze sculpture, but now it is the vandal or vandals that are the hunted.
"People are just outraged," said Billy Stalvey, talking about the community response.
The community reward for an arrest is increasing with local police going door-to-door -- committed to finding those who defaced a local hero's grave.
"For something like this to happen is just beyond words," said Billy Stalvey.
The question on everyone's mind... Who would do such a thing?
"We thought of maybe, teenagers. Could have been an anti-war protester, we don't know," said Merillat.
"Somebody that was awful. Cruel. Evil. To even think of doing something like that."
If you have any information about the vandalism to John Stalvey's grave you're urged to call the Glynn County Police Department, or First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.
