Marine Corps veterans fume over theft of World War I machine gun from roof of their Long Island building
BAY SHORE, N.Y. -- A group of Marine veterans on Long Island is angry and saddened over the brazen theft of a valuable piece of military history.
A World War I machine gun was stolen from the roof of the veterans' group building.
Marine veterans were stunned when they checked their roof over the weekend and saw their German machine gun -- a fixture atop their Bay Shore building -- was gone.
"We did our job. We served our country and now here comes somebody to steal something that belongs to us," said Carmine Raineri, commandant of the Suffolk Marine Corps League Detachment.
The battle-used German antique, which was donated to the League Detachment in the 1940s, was placed on the roof so it would never be stolen.
It was a proud symbol of victory in World War I and sacrifice.
"We were furious. It's pretty low. It has been here a long time, a long, long time, because I remember it as a little boy," pay master Tom McBride said.
"We pride ourselves on what we have here and that was stolen from us. They took a part of our history," Raineri added.
The veterans said they believe the heist was planned and executed by more than one person and that they used rope cut from the League Detachment's flagpole.
"An extension ladder and they had to bring it down," Raineri said. "It wasn't a toy. It was heavy piece of machinery."
Just days earlier, a shed was broken into.
"They must have had a pry bar or something like that and got in there and pried it open," Raineri said.
The incidents have caused a small group of veterans to now have to spend limited funds on security cameras. They say monetary support from the community is dwindling, adding aging halls upkeep is rising, compounded by this expense.
Suffolk County police are offering a reward for information leading to an arrest. The veterans are asking the thieves to bring the weapon back, no questions asked.
The antique machine gun is not operational, and is valued at more than $20,000.
If you have information, please call 1-800-220-TIPS.