This...is Wrong "Virginia denies Marine recognition because of how he died "

The story is from the Virginian-Pilot Here

Please take the time to read it, because this is a travesty, in my opinion, and I'm ashamed today to be a Virginian.

While researching more about this story, I came across an excellent posting by a USMC Veteran/fellow Virginian, that says more eloquently than I could that this policy needs to be changed

From Too Close to the Mason-Dixon We Can Do Better Than This

She includes in her post links to the Governor's website, and the websites for the Delegates to the Virginia General Assembly, and the Virginia State Senators,

and has found many of the pertinent email addresses for the
Virginia War Memorial Foundation members(and a listing of those members)

(a most Excellent job of research on her part, my Thanks to her)

She also includes the letter that she sent to as many of those people as she could.

While my own effort couldn't compare to her letter? I followed her lead, and emailed the Governor's office, and my State Delegates and Senators, and many of those on the Virginia War Memorial Foundation Board,

and if you are a Virginian?

I strongly Urge you to do the same.

This is a policy that needs to be changed. We need to honor our Fallen who died during active service in a war zone.

While doing my own research on this, I came across This Link on the Virginia General Assembly Website,
which says the Purpose of the War Memorial Foundation Board of Trustee's is:

"To honor patriotic Virginians who rendered faithful service and sacrifice in the cause of freedom and liberty for the Commonwealth and the nation in time of war. "


and on the Virginia War Memorial website itself, it say ......"the War Memorial was created by the Virginia General Assembly to honor Virginia's war dead."

(I guess I'm just missing somewhere the codicil that states "only if they died in hostile combat"??)

A great many of the folks who serve on the Board of Trustee's are veterans themselves......I should think they would be ashamed of themselves, for allowing this to happen.

Fellow Virginians......let's join together and make our voices heard....this policy needs to be changed.

Borrowing from Too Close's posting,

The Governor's Website

House of Delegates Email Listings

Senate of Virginia Membership Listings

Let's do this not only for LCPL Darrell Schumann, but also for the roughly two dozen others with Virginia ties who died in accidents or non-combat scenarios, out of the about 140 Virginia servicemembers who have died since 2003 in the wars.

As LCPL Schumann's father, Rick, said in the Virginian-Pilot article
"We want them to do it right this time."