thedrifter
12-31-06, 10:10 AM
For Marine, thief nabs more than just things
Service - The burglary "wipes out his life for the past four years"
Sunday, December 31, 2006
The Oregonian
Mary Rust wonders what a thief would do with her son's Marine uniform. "I had high hopes of him getting married in that dress blues uniform," she said.
On the night of Dec. 18, someone broke into her son Donovan Haak's newly furnished home in Southeast Portland while he was away. The burglar left the TV and other electronics but took a $60 bottle of perfume Haak had bought as a Christmas present for his girlfriend.
More significantly, the burglar took Haak's duffel bag holding four years of memories from the Marines: expensive uniforms, equipment, medals for marksmanship and dog tags with his Social Security number.
"He was finally coming home and getting settled," Rust said. "It wipes out his life for the last four years."
Haak, 28, returned to Portland in November after twice serving as a combat engineer in Iraq for eight months designing and constructing buildings. He was promoted to sergeant.
"Money-wise, these medals probably don't cost a whole lot," Rust said. "Other than the fact that he earned them."
Rust said her son was outraged when he arrived home and discovered the break-in. He would love to see his valuables returned.
Rust has been calling memorabilia and pawn shops to ask whether any items have turned up. Each piece of her son's military attire has "Haak, D.G." stamped inside.
"It just makes me sick that somebody would steal all of that stuff," Rust said. "Because that's really the pits right before Christmas, after you've worked so hard for your country."
-- Elizabeth Suh
Ellie
Service - The burglary "wipes out his life for the past four years"
Sunday, December 31, 2006
The Oregonian
Mary Rust wonders what a thief would do with her son's Marine uniform. "I had high hopes of him getting married in that dress blues uniform," she said.
On the night of Dec. 18, someone broke into her son Donovan Haak's newly furnished home in Southeast Portland while he was away. The burglar left the TV and other electronics but took a $60 bottle of perfume Haak had bought as a Christmas present for his girlfriend.
More significantly, the burglar took Haak's duffel bag holding four years of memories from the Marines: expensive uniforms, equipment, medals for marksmanship and dog tags with his Social Security number.
"He was finally coming home and getting settled," Rust said. "It wipes out his life for the last four years."
Haak, 28, returned to Portland in November after twice serving as a combat engineer in Iraq for eight months designing and constructing buildings. He was promoted to sergeant.
"Money-wise, these medals probably don't cost a whole lot," Rust said. "Other than the fact that he earned them."
Rust said her son was outraged when he arrived home and discovered the break-in. He would love to see his valuables returned.
Rust has been calling memorabilia and pawn shops to ask whether any items have turned up. Each piece of her son's military attire has "Haak, D.G." stamped inside.
"It just makes me sick that somebody would steal all of that stuff," Rust said. "Because that's really the pits right before Christmas, after you've worked so hard for your country."
-- Elizabeth Suh
Ellie