FORT HOOD — A GoFundMe page is making its way through social media about a soldier whose vehicle was vandalized just days before Christmas.
According to the page, the vehicle was spray-painted Dec. 23 with a racial epithet against African-Americans, telling him to “die.” All four of the soldier’s tires were slashed, and the vehicle was broken into; gasoline was poured over the interior.
The event happened on Fort Hood at the 3rd Cavalry Regiment’s headquarters parking lot, said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Charlot, the soldier who owns the vehicle, a 2009 Nissan Sentra.
“It’s disheartening, if you will,” Charlot said of the incident. “It’s an older car and was having some issues, so it had been sitting there for a while.”
Charlot said he had been getting ready to leave for his hometown of Houston for the Christmas holiday when he received the call about his car. He had originally thought the vandalism would be something simple — juvenile humor such as drawing body parts all over — until he saw what was written on the vehicle.
“It makes me feel disgruntled, unwanted — that the America I love isn’t the same anymore,” he said.
Fort Hood’s Criminal Investigation Division still has the vehicle while the incident is under investigation, he said. The GoFundMe page has comments from people offering to refurbish the vehicle for free.
John Miller, a spokesman for III Corps and Fort Hood, confirmed that CID is investigating the case.
The page was started by one of the soldier’s friends and has already raised nearly $4,000 of a $10,000 goal since it launched Dec. 26.
“My best friend is a soldier in the U.S. Army and has worked extremely hard to protect our freedom,” posted John Martinez on the page. “My best friend is one of the kindest and most generous people you will ever meet.”
Martinez, who started the page, said his friend has deployed to the Middle East and uses his time to raise money for orphanages and homeless shelters to buy presents during Christmas.
“Although racism still exists in this country, I never thought I would realize this kind of hatred personally,” Martinez said. “I can’t imagine the emotions my best friend is experiencing, but my hope is to raise enough money for him to purchase a new vehicle since his insurance will not cover such an incident.”
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