Pentacle Gravestone Dedication & Memorialfor Stephen Snowberger III
Statement Honoring Stephen Snowberger III
by Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Stephen P. Snowberger III is celebrated today as hero of cherished American values. He died serving his country in Iraq last year. But beyond performing his duty as an American solider, Snowberger was also a courageous advocate of the Wiccan faith.
Stephen was a member of the Sacred Well Congregation that supported Circle Sanctuary and other Wiccan groups in compelling the Department of Veterans Affairs to stop discriminating against Wiccan soldiers and their family members. For many years, the VA refused the requests of family members to allow their loved-ones' memorial markers to bear the Pentacle, the Wiccan symbol of faith. Earlier this year, the VA finally chose to do the right thing by allowing the Pentacle to be engraved on the markers of fallen soldiers.
Stephen P. Snowberger served his country honorably and it is fitting that his country remembers him with a memorial that properly recognizes his sacrifice for this nation and his deeply held religious beliefs.
Barry W. Lynn
Executive Director
Americans United for Separation of Church & State
518 C St., N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002
(202) 466-3234
(202) 466-3353 (fax)
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Please click here for a .pdf version of this statement.