Widow pushes for VA approval of Wiccan symbol

[icymist]

RENO, Nev. — Family and friends of a Nevada soldier killed in Afghanistan marked the anniversary of his death by praising state leaders for recognizing his Wiccan faith and pressing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to do the same.

The small group gathered in the early morning chill Tuesday at a downtown veterans memorial to remember Nevada Army National Guard Sgt. Patrick Stewart and four comrades who died Sept. 25, 2005 in Afghanistan.

“We remember them today and the sacrifices they made for us,” said Stewart’s widow, Roberta.

For her, the past year has been a mix of grief and resolve to have a Wiccan pentacle — a five-pointed star surrounded by a circle — placed on her husband’s plaque at the state Veteran’s Memorial Wall in Fernley.
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