The oldest park ranger in the USA suffered a violent home invasion in which the suspect stole a commemorative coin Barack Obama gave to the 94-year-old woman, according to California police. But most importantly, he stole the special coin President Obama had given her at a ceremony at Christmas.
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“If I can get that coin back I think I can forgive anything”, Soskin told local news station KTVU earlier this week.
Soskin works at the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front national historic park in northern California, where she is known for her talks and tours where she tells her perspective as a black woman working in the ship yards at the time. “This is my space and it was invaded and I need to reclaim it so I’m going to stay here”, she told KTVU. But earlier this week, an intruder broke into Soskin’s home, beating and robbing her of several valuables, including a commemorative coin given to her by President Obama.
According to Richmond Police Lt. Felix Tan, the incident started around midnight.
“To watch the social changes that had to happen in order for that series of events to occur is something she reflects on on a regular basis”, he said, adding that within the park service, Soskin is seen as a “model of how we can use our own experiences to connect with people and provide some insights into the stories we’re telling”. He snatched the phone away and began punching her. The suspect continued the assault, dragging her from the bedroom into the hallway. “I wish I’d had [the] confidence when the young Betty needed it to navigate through the hazards of everyday life on the planet”, Soskin wrote on her personal blog previous year. She did so in 1945, with the help of her husband at the time, Mel Reid. It specialized in Gospel Music.
Soskin herself stresses that she’s not a victim, because ultimately she took care of herself, so she has no plans of relocating. They had built a house in an all-white suburb, and their surrounding neighbors issued death threats towards the couple due to their disdain at having an African-American family in the area.
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Anyone who spots the coin or has any information on the other items should call Richmond police Detective Florencio Rivera at 510-621-1755.
