|
Ron Swaney hugs Rick Frazier (right) shortly before he gave Frazier a Civil War cannonball to replace the stolen one. |
The space where a cannonball once sat on Marine Sgt. Joshua Frazier's headstone won't be vacant for long.
After learning about the theft of the cannonball from the King George gravesite in yesterday's Free Lance-Star, at least four people offered to replace it.
Rick Frazier accepted a replacement cannonball on behalf of his son last night from Fredericksburg policeman and retired Marine Ron Swaney at bike night at Big Daddy Leather on Caroline Street.
"I just thought the family shouldn't have to worry about it one iota," Swaney said. "This is about their son. It's not about the thieves or the vandals. It's not about that. It's about getting a cannonball back out there on that headstone where it means something."
Josh had asked that if anything happened to him, a cannonball be included as part of his memorial. His family had his headstone specially designed with a divot in the base, where a 12-pound solid-shot cannonball could sit. Frazier coated the cannonball with polyurethane and used epoxy to affix it to the stone.
Frazier went to the cemetery at Montague Baptist Church early Sunday, on what would have been Josh's 27th birthday, to find the cannonball gone.
Last night, Frazier thanked Swaney and the others who have supported his family and that of other fallen warriors in the area.
"I'm grateful," he said. "My son would be grateful."
Swaney got his cannonball from a friend, John Cox, who dug it in March 2002 from a Confederate gun emplacement at Raccoon Ford in Orange County.
"I figured the first one was locally dug, and so was mine, so I thought it was a good replacement," Swaney said.
Others also offered replacements.
Craig Bourne, who owns Comfort Heating and Cooling in Fredericksburg, called Steve Robinson first thing yesterday morning. Robinson is a friend to Bourne and Frazier.
"Steve's always helped me and I just said, 'This is something I gotta do for his friend,'" Bourne said. "I've been relic hunting with my grandfather since I was 6, so it's something real close to my heart."
Bourne said he never sells his finds.
"I give away some, and I couldn't think of a better reason to give one away than this," he said.
Charles Gallahan of Fredericksburg was at The Free Lance-Star offices early yesterday morning, offering to give a 12-pound cannonball he dug in Spotsylvania County in about 1964.
"I don't know Mr. Frazier, but his son sure did a lot for me, going over there and fighting for me so I could get up in the morning and do what I want to do," he said.
Josephine Wise's husband, Darrell, worked for Potomac Fence Company and H&S before he passed away four years ago. He found a cannonball when he was digging fence posts and gave it to her.
"I didn't have any reason to keep it other than he gave it to me," said Wise, of Spotsylvania. "I read the story and thought that would be the perfect place for it."
Frazier said he's going to work with Robinson to figure out a way to make the new cannonball impossible to remove from his son's grave-site.
"If someone wants it this time, they're going to have to take the whole damned headstone," he said with a laugh.
Laura L. Hutchison: 540/374-5485
Email: lhutchison@freelancestar.com
