Member of Sacred Well Congregation
Served in US Army in Iraq War
Killed in action on May 11, 2006
Pentacle marker placed at family cemetery on November 6, 2007

Circle Sanctuary Press Release: November 28, 2007 - Headstone Dedication Ceremony

The latest pentacle gravestone issued by the US Department of Veterans Affairs was placed today in a family cemetery plot in rural North Carolina.

This gravestone honors the life, service, and sacrifice of eighteen year old Stephen P. Snowberger III who was killed in action in Iraq on May 11, 2006 . Stephen was a Wiccan soldier and member of the Baghdad-based Victory Base Open Circle, sponsored by the Sacred Well Congregation.

Stephen's mother and next of kin, Deborah Brown, of North Carolina, wished to honor her son with a pentacle inscribed gravestone issued by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). She also wanted to have the gravestone placed in a family plot on her land.

When Stephen was killed in action, the pentacle was not on the VA's list of emblems of belief that could be included on the gravestones it issued.

Selena Fox brought this need to properly honor Stephen and his mother's request to the attention to the head of the National Cemetery Administration of the US Department of Veterans Affairs shortly after he died and then again in her face-to-face meeting with him and other VA officials on July 5, 2006 at VA headquarters in Washington, DC.

At last, Deborah's request has been fulfilled.

On April 20, 2007, Selena and Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed Deborah's grave marker application and request with the US Department of Justice representing the US Department of Veterans Affairs just prior to signing the settlement agreement of the federal lawsuit, Circle Sanctuary vs. Nicholson. This settlement resulted in the VA finally putting the Pentacle on its list of emblems of belief that can be included on the gravestones it issues. The pentacle was added to the list on April 23, 2007.

Since Deborah wanted the gravestone placed with Stephen's cremains on private family land, additional work was needed to make this possible. Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary, Marci Drewry of the Sacred Well Congregation, and JD Walker of the House of Akasha collaborated in providing additional support to Deborah in making arrangements for this private family cemetery plot option for the gravestone placement.

These arrangements were finalized last week, and the production of the marker moved forward. In her phone call with VA staff last week, Selena requested that the production and delivery be expedited, and if possible, produced and delivered before Veterans Day. The VA did this.

Stephen's marble marker with pentacle was delived this afternoon.

Deborah, assisted by her husband and a neighbor, placed the marker in the family cemetery plot on her land just before dusk. A marker dedication service is being planned by Deborah, Selena, Marci, and JD for early December.

This coming weekend, Stephen will be among those honored in a Veterans Day parade in North Carolina and in the Veterans Day Circle at Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve near Barneveld, Wisconsin. Please remember him and the other deceased Wiccan/Pagan veterans who have received pentacle markers this year as well as honor the living Wiccan/Pagan veterans and those on active duty in your own Veterans Day observances.

A photo of Stephen's pentacle gravestone, taken by his mother shortly after the marker was delivered, is now on-line at our Veteran Pentacle Quest Success website:
http://www.circlesanctuary.org/liberty/veteranpentacle

A tribute page for Stephen is at:
http://starsoffreedom.tripod.com/fallenheroesintro.htm#pfc_stephen_snowberger_iii

Blessed Be.

Circle Times: Tuesday, November 6, 2007

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