Accolades of killed soldier are taken in burglary

Family members of a Hawaii National Guard soldier killed in a surveillance aircraft in Afghanistan are asking the public’s help to recover his military medals that were stolen Wednesday in a Kailua burglary.

Karen Tao, mother of the late Sgt. Drew Scobie, 25, said, "Those are very special to us."

She added, "Those are memories that we have of him because he lost his life earning them."

Tao’s voice quivered as she spoke to the news media at her home Thursday about the seven medals, including the Bronze Star and the Hawaii Medal of Valor, as well as a military ribbon stolen from Tao’s Kailua home sometime between 8 a.m and 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Each medal was in a small blue case. Military certificates that accompanied the medals also were taken.

"You feel very violated. Knowing that someone would take something that’s so personal like that, it’s heartbreaking to me," Tao said. "All of our family are shocked that someone would stoop to doing something like this."

All the family wants is the return of the medals and certificates, no questions asked.

Within the last month, Tao had set up a display atop a living-room cabinet with photos of Scobie. The medals were tucked inside one of the cabinet drawers as Tao had yet to add the medals to the display.

The burglar or burglars also stole an Acer computer that contained photos of Scobie before he deployed to Afghanistan, a Nikon digital camera that contained photos of Scobie’s funeral service and the birth of his daughter who was named after him, jewelry and other items.

Scobie’s family said the thieves may have fled when a package was delivered to Tao’s home that day.

Scobie was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 487th Field Artillery Regiment, in Wahiawa as a fire direction operator. He volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan with Detachment 55 to provide reconnaissance and surveillance for ground forces.

He served as an aerial sensor observer technician while in Afghanistan.

Scobie, another soldier and a civilian were killed when an MC-12 surveillance aircraft they were aboard crashed during a night mission Jan. 10. It was Scobie’s first deployment.

His wife was pregnant with their daughter when he was killed. She is now 3 months old. They also have a son.

Born in San Francisco, Scobie moved to Kailua at age 3. He attended Kalaheo High School.

Hawaii National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Chuck Anthony said the stolen medals can be dropped off at any National Guard facility on Oahu, no questions asked. Individuals also can call 733-4258 to anonymously arrange to leave the medals somewhere.

"You can say, ‘They can be found at such and such location.’ We’ll go there and pick it up," Anthony said.