The effort to track down those who twice vandalized the Cochranton gravesite of a soldier killed in action has received help from as far away as Iraq.
First Lt. Johnathan Susman, who is deployed in Iraq with the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 28th Combat Aviation Brigade, was one of five people who contacted the Tribune on Tuesday to increase to $2,450 the reward
offered for information leading to prosecution in the case. Susman, a military intelligence specialist who lives in Erie, has put up an additional $100. Others contributing to the reward fund include Factory Restaurant owner Jeff Kays, $500; $250 each from American Legion Post 111, Sons of American Legion Post 111 and American Legion Post 111 Auxiliary; Mike Gregg of Meadville, $500; and Frank Sampson of Meadville, $100.
The pledges to the reward fund come one day after the Tribune published the news that Cpl. Timothy J. Lauer’s gravesite in Cochranton Cemetery was vandalized for the second time in less than a week. His headstone was found marred with white paint on Veterans Day. Then, over the weekend, somebody took decorations from the grave placed there by Lauer’s widow after the stone had been cleaned.
Tuesday’s pledges are in addition to the $500 offered by Navy veteran and West Mead Township resident Ray Andel the first time the vandals struck.
In each case, the reward fund donors have a special connection that’s motivated them to come forward.
Kays, whose Saegertown restaurant is a popular gathering spot, met Valerie Lauer three years ago at a Veteran’s Day observance in Meadville — just weeks after her husband was killed on convoy duty by an improvised explosive device.
“I asked her: ‘How do you deal with it?’ And she said ‘I don’t,’ ” the Vietnam War Army veteran recalled.
Kays also knows William Runyan Sr. and William Runyan Jr., Valerie’s uncle and cousin, who cleaned the headstone. Runyan’s business is located in the same complex in Saegertown as Factory Restaurant.
Bob Donahue, vice commander of American Legion Post 111 of Meadville, spoke on behalf of all the veterans and their supporters with the post, the Sons of American Legion Post 111 and American Legion Post 111 Auxiliary. They were coming to the aid of a fellow veteran’s family.
“We figure to offer more money, then somebody will turn somebody in,” Donahue said. “We figure with more money it’s more likely to have someone come forward.”
That brotherhood also motivated Sampson. He’s a Korean War veteran of the U.S. Army. “We hang together,” Sampson said of veterans. “What was done is despicable.”
Gregg acted because he can imagine the Lauer family’s pain.
“I have a son over there in Afghanistan” in U.S. Army Special Forces, Gregg said. “I don’t like anybody fooling with cemeteries.”
First Lt. Susman learned of the vandalism as he checked out the Tribune’s Web site. He views several area media organizations’ sites regularly to keep up with news from home.
From his base in Tallil, he posted a comment to the story indicating that he was pledging $100 to the reward fund. The Tribune got his e-mail from the posting Tuesday morning and e-mailed Susman requesting an interview. He called the Tribune later in the day, at about 9:30 p.m. Iraq time, after finishing his shift on duty.
“I was quite disturbed with the acts,” he said. “I’ll do anything I can, even from here.”
“It makes you feel a little embarrassed that someone is doing this to the gravesite of a veteran who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” Susman said. “You want to be angry. If someone is doing this as part of their freedom of speech, they are going about it the wrong way.”
He’s shared the story with his buddies at the base, and “you see the reaction on their face — they are kind of disgusted.”
Susman has no direct connection to Lauer — Susman is a native of Greensburg now living in Erie with his wife and son — but he knows that his family could find itself in a similar situation as Lauer’s. “You count your blessings,” Susman said, “but you know that could happen in a blink of an eye.”
Susman joined the Army in 1998 out of high school, was stationed in Germany and saw active duty in Kosovo. He got a scholarship for the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Upon graduating in 2005, now with a family, he chose to take his commission in the National Guard.
The deployment to Iraq began in April, and Susman is hoping to get home for Christmas.
A typical daily duty shift runs 12 to 14 hours, he said. In his off hours, he has completed a master’s degree, played more than a few video games and spent time talking with buddies, often about news from home.
The story of Lauer’s gravesite is not one that will leave their minds anytime soon.
“Why would somebody do this?” Susman asked. “When someone does that there is a direct impact on everyone in the military. It’s just not right.”
Case update
State Police have recovered one of the two wreaths taken from the Cochranton Cemetery gravesite of Cpl. Timothy J. Lauer over the weekend. It was found along Creveling Road in East Fairfield Township around 9 a.m. Tuesday by a person living in area. The investigation continues. Persons with information about the two incidents of vandalism at Lauer’s gravesite are asked to contact Pennsylvania State Police at Meadville at 332-6911. A reward totaling $2,450 is offered for information leading to an arrest and prosecution in the case.
Pat Bywater can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at pbywater@meadvilletribune.com. Keith Gushard can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.
