Carpentersville may give gun to VFW post

One of the weapons on the list of guns Carpentersville intends to destroy could be donated to a local VFW post.

Trustees will authorize the donation of an Iver Johnson M1 Carbine at Wednesday's board meeting.

The semi-automatic rifle is the type of weapon the West Dundee VFW Post displays during parades and other ceremonies, said post commander Pat Green.

"This will complete our color guard and what we need," Green said. "We use them in parades and in funerals when we fire our 21 gun salute."

Green said the post typically acquires weapons from the national VFW armory, a slow process that can take up to six months.

"This one is in perfect shape and exactly what we use," Green said. "We are fortunate that the village might donate this one."

Village President Bill Sarto said he would support giving the gun to the VFW post.

"They have always been helpful with us when we have dedications or ceremonies like Flag Day, Veterans Day Memorial Day -- all of those patriotic holidays when we honor our war veterans and war dead and days we honor the flag," Sarto said. "This is something we can do to help them."

Green said the weapon would be modified to shoot blanks only.

Sarto said that customization would be required if the board were to support the donation, given the board's recent decision regarding the dozens of guns.

In November, the village board voted to sell a cache of 30 weapons to a federally licensed gun dealer for $3,000.

But the board changed its vote at a subsequent board meeting after Tom Roeser, president of Otto Engineering, offered the village $3,000 in exchange for the destruction of the weapons.

Roeser said he was concerned the former police-issued weapons and others that had been turned in to police could end up in the hands of criminals.

Though trustees were hesitant in taking up the offer, the board voted 5-1 in favor of the deal.

Trustee Judy Sigwalt, who had supported the gun sale as a source of revenue, dissented.

Meanwhile, Trustee Paul Humpfer who initially supported the sale but later asked for the board's reconsideration in light of Roeser's offer, was absent from the meeting.