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Sep 16, 2008 6:55 pm US/Central
Purple Heart Stolen From Weatherford Gravestone
WEATHERFORD (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
A North Texas man is looking for answers to a bizarre and hurtful crime. Someone desecrated his wife's grave and removed a piece of personal history.
"It's a real disgrace and whoever did this should suffer disgrace," Tom Covington said about the desecration of his wife's grave.
Covington admits to being bitter. His wife of 35-years died one year ago from cancer. The Memory Garden Cemetery in Weatherboard was supposed to be the final resting place for Linda Covington.
"Her family's buried out here and I'll be buried out here myself," Tom said.
Now the Covington gravestone is missing Tom's Purple Heart. "The value wouldn't get you a cup of coffee anywhere but it's significant that the dead and the wounded are awarded this medal," Tom explained. "[It's] the nation's fifth highest award."
Tom Covington was awarded two purple hearts after being wounded in Vietnam. He had one of the medals inlaid into the gravestone to honor his wife and his service to his country.
The vandal/thief pried a portion of the medal away from the gravestone. The award could now be anywhere. "[It] could be used for jewelry or the setting for a belt buckle, pawn shop, garage sale," Tom said.
Tom Covington hopes he can get the Purple Heart back - until then, his heart won't be the same. "I was in shock that such a disgrace had occurred here in Parker County."
It's a federal offense to desecrate a gravesite that has military emblems or awards.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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