Vandals Repeatedly Desecrate Grave of Country Music Legend Charlie Daniels

Vandals Repeatedly Desecrate Grave of Country Music Legend Charlie Daniels


The gravesite of country music legend Charlie Daniels has been repeatedly desecrated by vandals, the latest incident occurring last week, according to reports.

Family members and Daniels’ former bandmates report that someone recently dug up a freshly planted dogwood tree, while someone else glued a spouse’s military ID to the marble his grave marker.

It was at least the third time people have disturbed the final resting place of the “Devil Went Down to Georgia” singer, according to his surviving bandmates, who go by Team CDB and include Charlie Daniels Jr., The Daily Wire reported.

“Thanks to someone stealing a dogwood sapling & watering bag this weekend (seriously!) & someone gluing a spouse’s military ID on the marble of Charlie’s marker a few months ago, [Mount Juliet Police Department] will be increasing patrols near his grave & video surveillance will soon be installed,” the band members noted on their Instagram site.

The outlet added:

No police reports were filed on the tree theft or military ID, Mt. Juliet Police Department Capt. Tyler Chandler said. But the department was asked to increase patrol because of the incidents, and police are complying with the request. In addition to stepped up police patrols, the late singer’s family has installed surveillance equipment at the grave in hopes of deterring ghoulish vandals.

“I hope Charlie Daniels haunted that person,” tweeted a fan named Ashley.

“What is wrong with people who disrespect the dead by vandalizing graves?” Mary Marks tweeted. “I just don’t understand it! Sad that you have to put security cameras by final resting places.”

 

Daniels had literally millions of fans but that said, he was very popular among members of the U.S. military and veteran community, his family said. Following his death some two years ago, fans have regularly left mementos at his grave site, but obviously, not all who have visited have been respectful.

“CD (Charlie Daniels) meant a lot to a lot of Vets,” @jazz.aktion writes. “The MID (military ID) thing doesn’t seem like such an act of vandalism as they’re probably rocking in heaven together.”

“[Recently] an expired military dependent (spouse’s) ID of a woman who has since been divorced from her military spouse was superglued to the marble on the marker,” Team CDB wrote in response to a TasteofCountry.com article about the continuing vandalism. “The family welcomes anyone leaving items, what they do not want is to have items glued to the marker, or have any trees that the family planted nearby (with the full consent of the cemetery owner) dug up and stolen.”

Daniels died July 6, 2020, at the age of 83 in Nashville following a large stroke. He was known far and wide for his amazing fiddle playing and being a staunch conservative and patriot.

He was also very religious; his grave marker includes a Biblical passage from Psalm 91, said to be his favorite.


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