Government Refuses to Allow Wiccan Emblem on Soldier’s Headstone

By Linda Orlando

Federal officials are refusing to grant the requests of the family of an Army National Guard soldier who was killed last September. Sgt. Patrick Stewart enlisted in the Army after he graduated from high school in Reno, NV, and served in Desert Storm and Korea. After completing his active duty, he enlisted in Nevada’s Army National Guard, and went to Afghanistan in 2005 to serve with Task Force Storm. He was killed last September when the helicopter he was in was shot down.

Stewart and his wife were followers of the Wiccan religion, whose followers worship the Earth and believe they must give to the community. Some Wiccan practitioners consider themselves witches, pagans, or neo-pagans. The religion is not a mainstream one, so it has not been "approved" by the Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration for being displayed on government memorials. The administration has approved more than 30 religious symbols through the years, including symbols for the United Moravian Church, Sikhs, and even atheists. Although Stewart was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, the government so far has refused to allow a Wiccan emblem to be placed on his memorial.

Tim Tetz, executive director of the Nevada Office of Veterans Services, is "diligently pursuing" the matter in cooperation with the Nevada’s Gov. Kenny Guinn and two members of the state legislature, Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Jim Gibbons. "Every veteran and military member deserves recognition for their contributions to our country," Tetz said. "It’s unfortunate the process is taking so long, but I am certain Sgt. Patrick will ultimately receive his marker with the Wiccan symbol."

The Rev. Selena Fox, senior minister of the Wiccan Circle Sanctuary in Barneveld, WI, is participating in efforts to convince the federal government to adopt the Wiccan emblem. The Veterans Affairs Department has been considering the requests for nearly nine years, but so far has made no decision. "While this stonewalling continues, families of soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice are still waiting for equal rights," Fox told reporters. "Sgt. Stewart was shot down by terrorists, she said. "He deserves to be recognized. I'm holding out hope that my ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War did not do so in vain and that the freedom of religion on which our country was founded will prevail."

Stewart’s widow, Roberta, is hopeful that she will receive permission to add the Wiccan pentacle—a five-pointed star inside a circle—to the memorial plaque her husband was issued by the government. "This is discrimination against our religion," she told the media. "The least his country can do is give him the symbol of faith as he would have wished."

Veterans Affairs Department spokeswoman Jo Schuda told reporters last month that the application was "being processed" but there was no information on whether it will be approved. So it seems the federal government had no problem approving the death of Sgt. Patrick Stewart, who died serving his country, but they do have a problem approving his wife’s request to honor his memory with a tiny little emblem of the faith he served. Evidently it would have been easier if he had been an atheist.