lritzer@observer-reporter.com

Not even the graves of veterans are exempt from thieves after metal that they can sell as scrap.

More than 100 graves at Oak Spring Cemetery, on the Canonsburg-Chartiers Township border, were desecrated by thieves who stole rods from the metal flag holders that mark those of veterans. The damage was discovered Wednesday morning by cemetery workers.

"They unscrewed the rod from the emblem that holds the flag and threw those on the ground. They took the aluminum, bronze or brass rods," said Gina Nestor, vice president of the cemetery's board of directors.

Some of the emblems, designating the war in which the veteran fought, were broken, and flags were found on the road and in mud.

Nestor said she had counted more than 100 graves from which the rods had been stolen and was still surveying the cemetery, where more than 1,400 of the 18,000 graves have military markers.

"The only reason why anyone would remove these would be for the scrap content," said Chartiers police Sgt. Chuck Harton. High scrap metal prices have been fuel-ing metal thefts.

Nestor said markers were damaged throughout the cemetery, but one entire section that contains mostly graves of Civil War veterans was desecrated. "Every one is down, and some of the stars are broken in half," she said.

The rods are 2 to 3 feet long, threaded on one end and about as thick as an index finger. "It's a substantial piece of metal," she said.

"These guys were smart enough to know not the take the emblems to the scrap dealers, because they would have known they were from a cemetery," she added.

The markers are provided by Washington County. Director of Veterans Affairs Harry Wilson said an aluminum rod cost $1.25 in 2007, but would be more now. He said the county switched to aluminum from bronze because of theft concerns.

Nestor said this is the first time that such a theft has occurred at Oak Spring, although she learned at a recent cemetery association meeting that this had happened at Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh.

Harton said he planned to take a rod to area scrap dealers to see if they had purchased any and to warn them that the items were stolen.

Nestor said the cemetery plans to set posts with chains across the entrances, which will be locked at night.

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