# Dead soldier's memorial desecrated (Trooper Darryl James Caswell )



## ENGINEERS WIFE (2 May 2009)

BRACEBRIDGE -- Darlene Cushman gathers up the singed and tattered scraps of red cloth, and clutches them to her heart. 

The blackened remnant is all that is left of the once bright red and white Canadian flag that adorned a memorial on her front lawn that she made for her soldier son who died in a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan. 

Trooper Darryl James Caswell was killed just days before his 26th birthday on June 11, 2007. 

Since then his mom has celebrated his life with a memorial, where big bright yellow ribbons and his handsome photograph adorn an old oak tree, and where a Canadian flag always flapped in the wind. 

Earlier this week Cushman got up to have her morning coffee and looked out her window to see that the flag was gone. She went for a walk down her street toward a trail and found it. 

"I thought I would find it and bring it back, but then I smelled the powerful stench of gasoline," she said. "There it was, burned and lying there with two burned cans of gasoline ... I began crying and shaking. I don't know what kind of a person would do this."  
  

A tear fell down her cheek as she held the tattered scraps. 

Police are still looking for the culprit and are asking witnesses to call Bracebridge OPP or Crime Stoppers. Cushman's sad story spread quickly and there has been an outpouring of tears and cards from her community and across the country. 

Last night, hundreds of motorcycle riders, including soldiers and members of the public left the Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealership in Barrie and made the procession to her Bracebridge home to give her a new flag for her son's memorial. 

"It's been unbelievable," said Cushman as the rumble of motorcycles came down her street. "My heart is pounding. I've been crying all week, but today my tears are happy tears." 

"We just wanted to do something good in the light of this despicable crime, said Harley-Davidson sales rep Steve Tanner, who with his associate Cory Wickham built a custom bike for Canadian soldier Jody Mitic who lost his feet in a bombing in Afghanistan just one month after Darryl was killed. 

In a strange and sad twist, Master Cpl. Jody Mitic was with Darryl when he died. 

"It's incredibly sad," said Wickham. "We want our soldiers to know that we think of them all as brothers." 

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2009/05/02/9324946-sun.html


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## ENGINEERS WIFE (2 May 2009)

The lows that some people sink boggles my mind.  Very sad.  :yellow:


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## PMedMoe (2 May 2009)

That is just despicable!  Not only to burn a Canadian flag, but to burn one that was a tribute to a fallen soldier!


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## mariomike (2 May 2009)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> That is just despicable!  Not only to burn a Canadian flag, but to burn one that was a tribute to a fallen soldier!



I've said it before, I'm not a legal expert, but I think that sort of thing should be handled as a Hate Crime.


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## jmbest (2 May 2009)

mariomike said:
			
		

> I've said it before, I'm not a legal expert, but I think that sort of thing should be handled as a Hate Crime.



I thought it _was_.

That is horrible..I cannot believe people are able to stoop that low.


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## 1feral1 (2 May 2009)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> That is just despicable!  Not only to burn a Canadian flag, but to burn one that was a tribute to a fallen soldier!



There are losers everywhere these days.

Quite frankly, I've had enough!

I really hope the locals find this POS before the cops do, and have a bit of sweet justice of their own, as once the system gets hold of him, he's bulletproof and untouchable.

This was a planned crime, not a spur of the moment thing.

Disgusted, yet not suprised.

OWDU


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## Marshall (2 May 2009)

Very disrespectful.


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## FastEddy (2 May 2009)

Overwatch Downunder said:
			
		

> There are losers everywhere these days.
> 
> Quite frankly, I've had enough!
> 
> ...




While our Judges give out Slaps on Wrists for Urinating on Nation War Memorials on Remembrance Day, there's very little doubt, that if this Scumbag is arrested he/she won't receive much more.

We have one of the finest Legal Systems in the World which seems to favour the Criminals and deny the Vitim's Justice.

The sad thing is, this Brave Young Soldier gave his life protecting it.


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## Trooper Hale (2 May 2009)

I knew Cas and this has really, really pissed me off. Its obviously a premeditated act, people dont walk around the streets with cans of petrol.
Who ever did this is a f***ing dirtbag. Its bloody disgusting.


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## fire_guy686 (2 May 2009)

It's unreal how low some people will go.  

I think what the group of bikers did was very nice though.


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## Franko (2 May 2009)

The fella was a proud member of my Regiment.

Mother fackers....I hope someone snitches on them and they get their just rewards.

Regards


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## Smirnoff123 (2 May 2009)

This is low and pitiful, but most of all it is sad :yellow:


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## benny88 (3 May 2009)

Need a sentry posted on the new flag?  :threat:


As other people have said: Disappointed, but unfortunately not surprised.


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## OldSolduer (4 May 2009)

I really do hope the OPP finds this person or persons who did this, then prosecutes to the fullest extent they can, including the very public broadcasting of the person or persons names, and likenesses.
They are pariahs in my mind. This is my logical, legal brain speaking.

The lizard brains says "Whoever did this better hope the police catch em first, because if the cops don't and concerned citizens do it ain't gonna be pretty....they need a good thrashing"

Unfortunately, they will get a smack on the wrist while the defence attorney mumbles something about "rights and free speech."

Whoever did this are not fit to live amongst us.

To the family of Trooper Caswell...hang in there. 

To those who perpetuated this vile act....what goes around...comes around.


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## TopHatCat (5 May 2009)

Wow... just wow. 

 All I can say is the people who did this better hope they don't get caught. They'd likely end up on CBC with pictures and names, a bad thing for anyone who disrespects Canada, soldiers, families of the deceased, and just honour itself.

 RIP Trooper Caswell.


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## Eye In The Sky (5 May 2009)

My heart goes out to the family.

My anger goes out to the slimeball(s) who did this.  The rest, if I posted it, wouldn't be IAW the site guidelines so I'll just sit here and think about it.


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## templeton peck (16 Jun 2009)

That's pretty tough to take for me, I can't imagine how the family feels. Not to take any severity away from the act, but more than likely it was some pimply faced child who didn't understand the implications of this action other than that he would get a harsh reaction and some attention (I would love to give him the proper sort though).
Definitely a crime that should carry more weight if caught for!


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## FormerHorseGuard (3 Jul 2009)

I do not mean to reopen any  old wounds here but this just sucks.  I cannot imagine some one so low on the food chain stealing a Canadian Flag and burning it. But to steal the flag and burn it and know it was memorial to a young person who died int he service of his country is just low.
But the thing got me most the fact people who are considered very  low BIKERS mounted up and rode to bring a new flag to replace the burned one, shows that  the ideas of what  a low life is not always the case. I think Bikers are a better class of people in some cases and this jsut proves the point not all bikers are low life but are true caring people.  I guess the paint brush used to colour most biker as something ungentleman like is not always true. Thanks to this group of bikers for making a mother smile again and for making a point.  I hope the bikers find the low life and tie them behind their bikes and drag him tot he police.


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## gaspasser (3 Jul 2009)

A truly disgusting act to perpetrate on a memorial for a Fallen Soldier.  The cops better find him first, I can only imagine the things I would do that are probably just as illegal.   :threat:
To the Bikers who came to the rescue, kudos to you for taking the time to make things right.  WE need more people like that in this country.   
I think I really upset because just today I had the honour of shaking hands with a WWII Lancaster Pilot who flew in the war.  He sticks in my mind as what an old soldier is; older than me (LOL), in a wheel chair because of a broken hip.  BUT he still wanted to climb into that Old Girl and bring back memories.  Then I come home to read something about a bunch of shatheads who would desecrate a memorial to a soldier...and then hear we've lost another brave lad.    :yellow:
Urrhhhh...1-2-3....


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## Trooper Hale (27 Aug 2009)

I really hope Darryl's parents are doing alright and have their shrine proudly showing off. I still think about the bloke and I really hope we never forget blokes like Caz. Obviously no one has been caught yet?


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## brandon_ (27 Aug 2009)

Digger Hale said:
			
		

> Obviously no one has been caught yet?


Unfortunately, nobody will be. It is sad and disrespectful, That (young?) man, gave his life protecting the freedoms and and rights that gave this bloke, the right to defile the memorial.   Although i continue to stay optimistic that they catch this sorry excuse for a Canadian.  (if we can even can consider him one?) 

R.I.P Trooper Darryl James Caswell.


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## mariomike (27 Aug 2009)

As a man, I can only imagine a mother's sense of loss. She suffered to bring him into the world, and cared for him in sickness and health. It was her blood that enriched foreign soil.


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## OldSolduer (28 Aug 2009)

mariomike said:
			
		

> As a man, I can only imagine a mother's sense of loss. She suffered to bring him into the world, and cared for him in sickness and health. It was her blood that enriched foreign soil.



Well said. And so true.


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