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(Mail Tribune / Jim Craven) Burglars steal reservist's prized sword collection Other possessions also taken from the Rogue River home of man serving in Iraq By paul fattig Mail Tribune If you see a medieval broadsword being brandished by someone who mysteriously acquired it in the past six weeks, Kristin Sollee wants to know about it. Better yet, she wants you to contact the Jackson County Sheriff's Department. "They took my husband's collection of medieval broadswords," she said of burglars who broke into her family's rural Rogue River rental home on Sept. 16. "Some are really unique. Some are worth quite a bit of money. My husband really liked that collection." Her husband is James Sollee, 43, a Navy Seabee reservist serving in Iraq. Equipment Operator 2nd Class Sollee is a member of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 18, which was activated in mid-July. Based in Fort Lewis, Wash., it provides construction support to the Navy, Marine Corps and other forces. He is stationed at al Asad, a community near Baghdad. James Sollee, who has been employed by the city of Central Point for about three years, works with the water department crew, where he is the shop steward. Advertisement "For someone to do something like this to them . . . it broke my heart to hear about it," said Rick Bartlett, field operations manager for Central Point's public works department. "James is a heck of a nice guy — everybody likes him," added Bartlett, himself a veteran. The burglary occurred in a small house they had rented near Rogue River on the grounds of St. Innocent's Russian Orthodox Church. James Sollee is of the Russian Orthodox faith. The church had offered the house to the family to help them out while he was in Iraq, explained the Rev. Seraphim Cardoza, a former Marine. "It's sad that anyone would do this," he said. Kristin Sollee, who is now staying at her mother's house in Medford, noted that the priest has been very kind to her family. The Sollees had previously been living on his father's 40-acre parcel near Central Point. Kristin Sollee said they had to move quickly because the property was being sold, and the house on the church grounds was ideal for their needs. However, after her husband was deployed, she was diagnosed with diabetes. She had to stay with her mother in Medford while she adjusted to the medication she was taking. It was while the family was in Medford the burglary occurred, she said. The collection of swords, about 30, began with a Civil War sword that had been in her husband's family for a long time, she said. That sword was also stolen along with the others. Some of the swords are newer replicas while others are antiques, she said, adding she has helped increase the collection since they were married four years ago on Valentine's Day. "One of the swords is a hunting sword from Afghanistan," she said. "Another is a shorter broadsword with fish carvings on the end. One sword was long and silver with a cameo in the middle. That was an antique." Her husband also had a dagger from Iraq that a friend serving in Iraq had sent him, she said. In addition to the swords, the thieves also stole her 8 mm Tarus semiautomatic pistol, three stereos and other items. "They stole some real weird stuff — clothes, medicines, our dogs' heartworm pills," she said. "They even stole my little girl's guitar and her wallet. There was nothing in her wallet." Her daughter, Katy, is nine. In addition, the burglars stole Kristin's jewelry box, which contained her daughter's baby teeth. "They even took the American flag that was given to my father-in-law when he retired from the Seabees," she said. "And they took medals he received as well as medals James had been given in the Seabees. I don't understand. We don't have much, but these things meant something to us." Friends have since helped her move the family's furniture and other items to a storage unit. While most of what was taken can be replaced, that's not the case with her husband's will and their marriage license, she said. "They took our lives," she said of the burglars. "I've had to change all our banking accounts. The bank was very nice about it. But talking to the credit card companies, that was a nightmare." She said her husband took the loss of his swords philosophically when she told him about the burglary during one of their periodic telephone conversations, but he was concerned about the crime. He is expected to return home in six months. Meanwhile, she hopes to recover as much of the sword collection as possible before he returns. She has followed law enforcement officers' suggestions to check out local pawn shops, but nothing has turned up. "I hope someone who knows who did this will call the sheriff's department," she said. "You feel awful when something like this happens, particularly when your husband is in Iraq." The police department's general number is 774-6800. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing GMAT Prep Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com