Alicia Knadler
Indian Valley Editor
12/03/08
Instead of seasonal thankfulness, local veterans and their families are feeling violated and insulted after a break-in and vandalism at the Greenville American Legion Hall overnight Saturday, Nov. 22. Post 568 Commander Terry Schillinger walked into the hall and found utter chaos.

At first glance, he saw a mess of chairs and wheelchairs in the middle of the hall.

Then he saw all of the strewn and smeared butter, candy and sugar.

Upstairs it was worse.

He saw booze bottles set out on a makeshift bar, a nest-like pile of bedding and a pair of girl’s panties.

Then he saw other scary signs.

Broken doors and padlocks, melted votive candles that had burnt themselves out on cardboard boxes and wood tables, scattered decorations – wanton destruction greeted his glances in every direction.

It seems the burglars had illuminated their night’s work with candlelight.

“Thank God it didn’t catch fire,” said Margaret Mitchell, First Vice Commander of the Post 568 Ladies Auxiliary.

“I was shocked that anybody would break in there,” Mitchell said. “There’s not much in there.”

Apparently there was enough in there to interest a group of teens, three of whom were arrested for burglary after being caught on video surveillance equipment at Evergreen market, where another break-in attempt occurred, according to Deputy Phil Shannon.

Apparently they also tried to break in Mohawk Trading Company, Shannon added, before their return to the Legion Hall, where they spent the rest of the night.

The next afternoon, Sunday, is when nearby residents witnessed the exodus of a few teens and then their later return with Dep. Shannon.

Schillinger accompanied Shannon and the teen suspects on a walk-through of the building.

“Two of the boys admitted to breaking into the building but not junking the place, Shannon said. “One kid had a bad attitude… didn’t care what was going to happen.”

“Two boys had total don’t-give-a-crap attitudes,” Schillinger said. “It really hurt.”

He wants something “major” to happen in their young lives, before they become habitual criminals – if it’s not too late already.

He observed an exchange between one of the boys and Shannon that made it seem as if they knew each other already from at least one previous incident.

“They need to be taken to task for their actions,” Schillinger continued. “It’s too bad their parents have to pay for their bad attitudes.”

To him, it seemed as if they knew the place already – they brought food with them to microwave.

And it seemed as if they thought they would return, because they had stocked the refrigerator with soda pops that were stored in the hall for future events.

Schillinger’s wife, Vicky, Beverly Hiles, Mitchell and her husband, Warren, spent a good part of the day Tuesday, Nov. 25, in massive clean-up efforts.

A few days after the shock wore off, Mitchell said what hurt the most was the destruction of gift boxes for the troops.

At least 20 boxes were ruined. They had been filled with an assortment of things, like gum, candy and little games for when soldiers were bored.

Those who would like to donate things to restore those gift boxes may drop off donations at the Legion Hall Tuesday, Dec. 9, between 7-8 p.m., or call 284-7580 or 284-7328.