Rescue Memory Lawn Cemetery Alliance
On Saturday, November 21st, Julie Ferguson, called Joan Park to inform her Allan Drake had begun his demolition of the Memory Lawn Cemetery. He was, in fact, in the cemetery with his backhoe pulling up shrubs and trees.
Joan called the Chaves County Sheriff and then headed to Roswell along with her sister Jery. By the time the deputies arrived on the scene, quite a few other people were at the cemetery to witness what was taking place. The Sheriff did eventually talk Drake into quitting and then Drake left the cemetery property.
Those remaining were walking around astounded, assessing the damage when they found the headstone of a World War II Veteran that was unearthed, sitting on the edge of a hole where the roots of a large shrub had been ripped out of the ground. The grave was desecrated.
Joan called Mr. Frank Ramirez , the NM State Council President of theVietnam Veterans, also a local Roswell resident. Within 15 minutes, Mr. Ramirez arrived at the cemetery.
Mr. Ramirez did speak with the Roswell Daily Record reporter - who did not print what he said. "I do not care about the water rights or the land issue. I care about this Veteran who fought for our Country (pointing down to the unearthed headstone). I care that this grave has been desecrated. It makes me feel the same way as I did when I came back from Vietnam and people spit in my face and called me a baby killer."
This man then took the time to walk over half of the cemetery, disabled, with a cane, recognizing each and every Veteran's head and/or foot stone and their service. Then he took out his cell phone, called Mr. Martinez, head of Veteran’s Affairs in Santa Fe. Mr. Martinez then contacted the County Attorney, the County Sheriff, the Attorney General and the District Attorney. He instructed that he was sending information to these agencies dictating that no more graves were to be disturbed.
While Joan, Jery and others stood listening to the reporter from the Roswell Daily Record talk to Mr. Ramirez (the Vietnam Veteran) Drake came to close the gates. Mr. Ramirez's pick-up was parked on the road inside the cemetery. (Remember - he is disabled and uses a cane.) Drake said whoever the truck belonged to needed to move it because he was going to lock the gates. Mr. Ramirez walked over to his truck, drove it out and parked along East 19th, then had to come through the fence and walk back to where we were all standing. You can only imagine the sickening feelings of disgust that overwhelmed on lookers.
The Alliance's attorney, Mr. Tandy Hunt drove to the cemetery to see the activity as it was taking place and then he sent a representative from his office to take photographs. Mr. Hunt contacted the County Sheriff, County Attorney, District Attorney, and spoke to Mr. Martinez. He is spending this weekend going through all the data the Alliance Board has gathered and the board will be meeting with him the week of November 23.
More updated information is included on the Class Action, Links and Joan's page.
Joan called the Chaves County Sheriff and then headed to Roswell along with her sister Jery. By the time the deputies arrived on the scene, quite a few other people were at the cemetery to witness what was taking place. The Sheriff did eventually talk Drake into quitting and then Drake left the cemetery property.
Those remaining were walking around astounded, assessing the damage when they found the headstone of a World War II Veteran that was unearthed, sitting on the edge of a hole where the roots of a large shrub had been ripped out of the ground. The grave was desecrated.
Joan called Mr. Frank Ramirez , the NM State Council President of theVietnam Veterans, also a local Roswell resident. Within 15 minutes, Mr. Ramirez arrived at the cemetery.
Mr. Ramirez did speak with the Roswell Daily Record reporter - who did not print what he said. "I do not care about the water rights or the land issue. I care about this Veteran who fought for our Country (pointing down to the unearthed headstone). I care that this grave has been desecrated. It makes me feel the same way as I did when I came back from Vietnam and people spit in my face and called me a baby killer."
This man then took the time to walk over half of the cemetery, disabled, with a cane, recognizing each and every Veteran's head and/or foot stone and their service. Then he took out his cell phone, called Mr. Martinez, head of Veteran’s Affairs in Santa Fe. Mr. Martinez then contacted the County Attorney, the County Sheriff, the Attorney General and the District Attorney. He instructed that he was sending information to these agencies dictating that no more graves were to be disturbed.
While Joan, Jery and others stood listening to the reporter from the Roswell Daily Record talk to Mr. Ramirez (the Vietnam Veteran) Drake came to close the gates. Mr. Ramirez's pick-up was parked on the road inside the cemetery. (Remember - he is disabled and uses a cane.) Drake said whoever the truck belonged to needed to move it because he was going to lock the gates. Mr. Ramirez walked over to his truck, drove it out and parked along East 19th, then had to come through the fence and walk back to where we were all standing. You can only imagine the sickening feelings of disgust that overwhelmed on lookers.
The Alliance's attorney, Mr. Tandy Hunt drove to the cemetery to see the activity as it was taking place and then he sent a representative from his office to take photographs. Mr. Hunt contacted the County Sheriff, County Attorney, District Attorney, and spoke to Mr. Martinez. He is spending this weekend going through all the data the Alliance Board has gathered and the board will be meeting with him the week of November 23.
More updated information is included on the Class Action, Links and Joan's page.
Below is the Alliance's account of the events at Memory Lawn Cemetery on Saturday, November 21, 2009. This is a condensed account of the day's happenings. To read the newspaper article referenced below, go to the links page and click on the headline that reads "Sheriff: no crime at cemetery."