Thief breaks grieving family's hearts

Tiffany Lynn Smith's life was altered forever on January 3, when her husband, Senior Airman Bradley Smith, was killed in action near Kandahar Air Field in Afghanistan. She has been left to raise their young daughter, Chloe, and has shown a lot of courage during a time of tremendous grief. Yet even the world's strongest person would be devastated by a thief's despicable actions the day before a memorial service for her beloved spouse at Fort Carson.

While dining at a local restaurant in Colorado Springs, the rental car the widow was sharing with the fallen airman's mother, Paula, was burglarized. Among the items lifted out of a smashed window was a bag that the grieving widow and mom would probably consider more valuable than a treasure chest full of gold. Inside was the dog tags Bradley wore when he was killed, along with his watch, camera, wallet, and computers. The raw emotion displayed during an interview with KKTV-TV is truly crushing to watch:



Even hardened criminals have beating hearts, and we have to hope that whoever is responsible will be compelled to repent after seeing the heartbreak caused by their actions. Anyone with information can call (719) 634-STOP. A $1,000 reward is being offered by the family, and friends, fellow troops, and even complete strangers are trying to raise more money through a Facebook tribute page in tribute to the Senior Airman. To the credit of local media outlets, TV stations like the aforementioned KKTV-TV are picking up the story as well.

Tiffany Lynn Smith, Paula Smith, and young Chloe Smith do not deserve this pain. They have already been through more than many of us have ever had to bear. This blog, which solemnly reported Smith's death and was also inspired by the hundreds of people who turned out to honor the hometown hero in Illinois, is committed to helping find these precious items. The Unknown Soldiers will continue to follow this case as police, who found fingerprints at the crime scene, close in on the suspect.

If the criminal who stole this American soldier's dog tags is reading this, there is still time for you to do the right thing. Think about what Senior Airman Bradley Smith did for your freedom in Afghanistan, and about all his family has lost. You didn't just take away a few petty items. You stole memories. You hijacked a piece of a father that a little girl won't get to see every day as she grows up. If you don't take responsibility now, you will be forced to when the police catch you. The clock is ticking.

Special thanks to reader Tonya Cooper for alerting The Unknown Soldiers to this important story.