Ohio soldier made 2 calls to mom telling of abuse (before committing suicide)

[sabra]

Source: AP

WILLARD, Ohio — The mother of a soldier whose suicide in Iraq led to cruelty charges against four men says her son made two final phone calls to tell her of abuses he was suffering in his platoon.

Kathe Wilhelm has told The Associated Press that her son, Pvt. Keiffer Wilhelm, called her the day before he died and said he was being forced to run for miles with rocks in his pockets that smashed against his knees.

She says he also said his belongings were disappearing and he had no one to turn to for help.

Wilhelm grew up in Ohio. He had been in Iraq with a new unit for 10 days when he killed himself Aug. 4.

Four soldiers have been charged with cruelty and maltreatment of subordinates.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hr8D_2lS7m0nOqt_62jITCIPxICgD9AC1GO00

[lapfog_1]

1. I wonder who ordered the "code red"

This guy???

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. I'm not clear. Was this poor kid in the Army or Marines? And yeah, that could have been the guy.

[bertman]

32. Soldier = Army. Marine = Marine Corps. Unless, of course, the writer does not make

the not-so-subtle distinction.

[GreenPartyVoter]

38. That's what I thought. Thank you.

[JAbuchan08]

53. although technically a marine is a soldier because he fights on foot in war.

but according to the proprieties of military jargon you are correct.

[24601]

62. One of the connecting stories ID'd him as Army n/t

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Cleita]

3. Were the soldiers our military or Xe mercenaries? n/t

[Zodiak]

4. I just wanted to point out that this kid was targeted because he was "overweight"

The unbelievable inhumanity people display towards larger Americans is put on full display in the death of this boy.

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. That reminds me a bit of "Full Metal Jacket." :^(

[Zodiak]

6. Another good example

Americans need to get off of the "judge others" bandwagon when each of us is a flawed human being anyways. Until we start to be kind to our brothers and sisters, our society will degenerate further and further into madness (indeed, our society has become mad years ago).

[taggline]

13. Exactly...

A "Private Pyle" is always a target...Fuck the Military Mind/Fuck War...period. I'm a combat vet from a "strac" unit...from another fucked up US war...

[Laelth]

57. Welcome to DU.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Rozlee]

8. Overweight soldier

Riiight. It's just fine to get "morality" waivers for guys that have questionable backgrounds, including gang affiliations and white supremacists, but being overweight just can't be done and even the military will state that there is "no evidence" of wrong doing on the part of the dooshes who did this. That poor kid. Bad enough to die under friendly fire. These *uc*tards must have graduated from Gitmo in the tenth percentile.

[KansDem]

9. I thought the same thing...

I wonder if this kid was so overweight that he was being hounded about it, how did he pass the induction physical? Are the armed services so hard up for new recruits that they'll take anyone not fit, mentally or physically, for combat?

I feel sorry for this kid's family. I can envision a scenario in which this kid gets the royal treatment from the recruiting office; all smiles and "howya doin's," even though the recruiter knew he was unfit, then getting him to sign on the line afterwhich his life turns into complete hell when he reports for duty.

What a waste of a life...:(

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[msanthrope]

12. Welcome to DU!

[ZombieHorde]

42. Welcome to DU! nt

[katkat]

10. NYTimes article - New Orleans hospital deaths, overweight, elderly

The Times had an article a day or so ago that gives a very different view of what happened in the New Orleans hospital where some patients were put to death during the aftermath of Katrina than has been floating around in the news before. (It also noted that the accused doctor had hired a major PR firm early on.)

Instead of a noble doctor saving them from an agonizing death, it looks like another looney tune doctor decided that elderly and overweight patients should be offed, and some of the other medical personnel went along with him.

At least a couple of patients marked for death managed to avoid that fate. One was in too public a place for them to do it, and is still living. Another was rescued only because her son and his wife forced his way past hospital personnel who tried to prevent them from rescuing his mom. It didn't say if she is alive or how long she survived.

They just decided that overweight people were too heavy to carry down the stairs, even though the guys doing the actual evacuation said that would have been no problem.

The looney tune doctor was incredibly arrogant about this even now. I thank God I am not in the hands of doctors like that.

[AuntPatsy]

11. and what is going to happen to this umm good doc?

[classics]

91. Yawn

Unfortunately hating fat people is a real staple among a lot of people who are otherwise socially liberal... you probably wont get much sympathy here.

Guess everyone needs someone to look down on.

[Lance_Boyle]

93. you should edit again to hide your ignorance

and the smears against the lone brave doctor who STAYED at the hospital. Not that your diatribe here has jack happy shit to do with the topic at hand. Lame.

[earcandle]

20. Don't they have to be fit to join the Armed Services?

This is horrible. Another reason to get our sons and daughters
out of this killing machinery.

[GreenPartyVoter]

66. I think they have really loosened the standards in order to make their enlistment quotas.

[Joey Liberal]

27. Very sad

Being overweight in the U.S. Army is NOT fun, especially in Basic Training.

[midnight]

43. I agree. Discrimination needs to end!

[Solly Mack]

7. K&R

[timeforpeace]

14. Bet mom was behind him enlisting when she should have let him stay in the basement

harmlessly posting on an internet forum. "Go enlist, make a man out of yourself!"

[comrade snarky]

22. What a lovely little fantasy

Care to spin some more? Maybe his uncle did something too? Grandmother?


Disgusting thing to say.

Edited to add:
Love the way you got in the fat kid in the basement dig too. Too bad you couldn't say that to his face before he killed himself.

[Joey Liberal]

28. What kind of crap is that?

Sounds like you never had the guts to enlist.

[comrade snarky]

33. Don't you know everyone who enlists is a republican?

And they and their families deserve to be mocked even if they commit suicide.




I hope I don't need this but: :sarcasm:

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

35. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[xxqqqzme]

44. Should have read the article......

He lost 20 pounds so he could enlist. His mom says he was in great shape after boot camp.

[AlbertCat]

49. Bet mom was behind him enlisting

What? Now it's his mom's fault?

Do you know something about her that we don't, because I couldn't have gleaned this from what was written here.

Or are you just projecting your own home life.


I mean...where did you come up with this stuff?

[llmart]

50. Besides, if that in any way was the case......

I'd be more inclined to believe it was his father who pushed him -you know, the "The military will make a man out of you." Blah, blah, blah.

Always blaming the mother for everything. That post is ridiculous.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

92. I bet you're speaking from experience. Does your mom let you out often? nt

[Deep13]

15. War sure brings out the best in people.

:sarcasm:

[xchrom]

16. war will bring this horrible behavior out in people.nt

[chrisa]

17. I think this is commonplace

For the military. It's full of angry bullies who have the mob mentality combined with hyper-machismo attitudes. It's like the stereotypical angry, roid-rage policeman X100.

[keepCAblue]

18. And when they're done berating, bashing and bullying...

...they get together for their prayer meeting.

[WestSeattle2]

54. No truer words have been spoken..... n/t

[Joey Liberal]

29. It depends

I saw some bullying while I was in and I didn't tolerate it. But there are CO's, First Sergeants and Platoon Sergeants out there who wont stop it.

[Critters2]

83. When your job is to kill people,

it's not a huge leap to beating them up. And hard to make the case that violence is unethical, when you're paying them to be violent.


Maybe it's time to try something new.

[Triana]

19. Same thing the Army did years ago to my step-bro - who was a "big" kid...

...they ran him till he dropped, then bashed his chest in with the butt of a rifle when he couldn't get back up. They got away with it because my step-dad was too heartbroken to go through with even trying to press charges. We couldn't even mention it to him without his eyes welling up.

They claimed he died of 'respiratory failure' or 'pneumonia' or some such bullshit.

However, those things don't cause broken ribs, collapsed lungs, and bruises/lacerations on the chest in the shape of a rifle butt . . .

This type of shit, along with their disdainful treatment of many women, too, is why I'd NEVER - E V E R consider going into the military.

F*ck them.

[Joey Liberal]

31. Wrong

You act as though anyone who served was a bully. Not so. Yes, there are jerks in all walks of life, and it does seem as though the military attracts more than their fair share. But, come on now, When you say "fuck them", you are saying it to everyone on this board who served in the military.

[Triana]

56. Do not TELL me what I said or what I meant...

...I refer specifically to bully Staff / Drill Sargeants. I'm sure most of those who served can figure that out. Jeeeze.

Let me clue you in on something, Mr. - FEELINGS are not wrong - they just ARE. You either understand/empathize or you do not. I'm sorry you do not. That does not however, make MY feelings WRONG.

Don't define me by your limitations. They don't fit. Understand or don't - that's your choice - but whatever you decide doesn't make everyone else WRONG.

[Joey Liberal]

63. You are still wrong

Mrs. Hate the military lady.

[Joe Chi Minh]

71. Why "Mrs Hate the military?" If she does, I expect it's a similar fear

and bitterness many innocent citizens feel towards your police, presumably, on the basis of a small minority of officers who shouldn't be put in charge of a whelk stall, never mind a Taser.

But, if anyone is entitled to be bitterly bigoted against the military, surely it is this lady. It might speak far more tellingly against her if she had not been so adversely affected by the sadistic treatment her step-brother suffered. Some things warrant emotional reactions, and who's to say in a case like that, that it was an over-reaction?

Personally, I'm a docile character, but I would never have let it get to that stage with an NCO, without hitting him, but I have more self-confidence in relation to authority figures. My brother, on the other hand, never sought to avoid a fight, and punched a petty-officer, who'd simply been picking on him verbally. He went to the military prison for it, and swore he'd never do it again, but he surely would have if it had turned physical.

I saw one or two cases of bullying during my peace-time spell in the artillery, neither made any sense at all. Both victims were utterly inoffensive. It just takes one sociopath or "psycho" to take into his head and it starts (one of the bullies was actually a "lunatic" in the technical sense. Some of the lads saw him kick an elderly German civilian, after a drinking bout, very badly, apparently, for no reason other than his normal badness and the configuration of the moon).

I told the lad to tell the CO he was picked on by the culprit, not because he was simple-headed but because he was simple-hearted. He ended up staying in the clothing store billet with me and a bloke who's now a well-known English folk-singer, as I had suggested to him. I think he was moved to another regiment eventually. The other case I only witnessed fleetingly while on guard duty. It made no sense to me at all, either. Once it starts, I think it will always end in tears if not much worse, if officers and NCOs don't watch out for it conscientiously and stamp it out there and then.

I was sent to Coventry by the whole regiment for saying I'd have "bubbled" one character who'd attacked another lad in our troop while he was in bed, i.e. helpless, if I'd witnessed it. The funny thing was, he waited until I was on guard duty and out of the way, before he did it! The victim wasn't even a nice kind of bloke and was kicked out of the army soon after for not paying his tailor's bill.

I was brought up never to hit someone unless they hit you first. It ended up with the farcical situation of me crying my eyes out because the lad upstairs who was a year older, and bigger than me anyway, wouldn't hit me first, so I could hit him back! Fortunately for my brother, he had much more common-sense than me and took such advice from our mother with a pinch of salt. From what I heard about the film, The Jerk, I remind myself quite a lot of him. Perhaps we were separated at birth?

On the hand, what teeth I've lost are due to natural attrition, my nose is intact and my rather thin cranium has not suffered notable harm, up to now. Being of a volatile disposition, it's probably afforded me a longevity I might not have enjoyed otherwise. Not that I don't regret not having my brother's common sense.

[Triana]

89. Thank you for understanding...

...I appreciate that. R.I.P. Paul (step-brother) - and my step-father who went to his grave with a broken heart over what was done to his son by the U.S. Army. It was SO damn unnecessary.

[PassingFair]

76. You're NOT wrong. My dad was a Drill Instructor in the Marine Corp.

I didn't even KNOW it until I was in college myself.

After I found out about it (a story in itself), I
asked him how he liked it.

He told me that he loved the POWER, and that one
day, he smacked a kid in the head because he wasn't
listening to him (repeatedly), and that fluid drained
out of the kid's head (he had a massive ear infection,
and that's why he didn't appear to be listening.)

It changed my dad's attitude in an INSTANT.
He was so filled with remorse and disgust with
himself, that he never wanted to talk about his
"job" there.

He raised 5 of us kids, and he ALWAYS told us
to NEVER join the military, or ANY organization or job
where we had to follow orders with no chance to opt out.

We are, all of us, responsible for our choices. Going
against the dictates your conscience, even if you are
only "following orders" or have been made complicit by
the system, will not excuse or defray the costs of
betraying your self.

Woe to the man who is drafted.

:cry:

[Triana]

88. Thank you. If you watch the film "The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib" - it addresses that same

addiction to POWER that happens to people sometimes (all too often) who are in these positions.

It's REAL.

[Chemisse]

51. That is tragic - I'm so sorry. - nt

[ro1942]

21. military

there is really something wrong with our much praised military. they are not liked any where they go. the winter soldiers were swept under the rug. the brass seems untouchable.

[Mixopterus]

26. Well, the truth is...

Our military isn't that great as far as training and morale goes, even our technological edge is starting to fade.

Probably the result of beating up on too many third worlders; God help us when we go to war with a capable opponent, it will be a rude awakening.

[road2000]

23. Why, why?

This is the first thread that made me cry since Ted Kennedy. Good God, what have we come to?

[barbtries]

24. gawd this makes me so sad

that poor man. his poor mother! no way to help so far away. my heart aches for them both.

why WAR?! :cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:

[Joey Liberal]

25. Rednecks in the fucking Army nt

[frylock]

30. fucking heartwrenching

jeez

[bertman]

36. Very sad story. It does not say what type of unit he was in. Gives no other details

except what his mom said he said. I hope the Army does a thorough investigation of this and deals with it harshly.

There are so many questions about this that it's hard to know where to start. But the bottom line is somebody should have stepped in and stopped this before it reached this point--or even when it got to the point of serious harassment.

[SaveOurDemocracy]

37. Photo and links with further info:

:cry:


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hr8D_2lS7m0nOqt_62jITCIPxICgD9AC38580

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2009/08/28/story_wilhelm.html?sid=102

[Boxerfan]

41. Don't forget our so called military has been overtaken with RW sociopath "christian warriors"

Thank you for posting a photo...Very sad. You can see kindness in his face. He was not a killer. Thats why they hated him.

They are always threatened by those truly stronger than them.

What has become of our beloved country dear lord...what has become.

[way_brilliant]

45. to those that are blaming the Army as a causation

Grow Up.

All institutions where a modicum of discipline is required and
a have a set hierarchy, seem to generate a hazing behavior in
some individuals.  Schools (at every level) The Military, Most
Sports, The Police, Business, etc all have this problem. So
get real and quit using the illogical argument of gross
generalization to paint the Army as a big bad thing to let
this happen.

Rather, Look at the tragedy of someone who felt in over his
head.

Suicide is a waste, but if you look at it carefully, its
individual.  Truthfully, it is better to address how to help
those with problems, than it is to attack the environment that
they find themselves on.  (And yes the environments can be
improved too).

http://psychcentral.com/news/2008/10/21/us-suicide-rate-rises-5-percent/3168.html

[Laelth]

58. Welcome to DU.

:dem:

-Laelth

[saigon68]

61. Enjoy your stay

[Joey Liberal]

64. Thank you, WB

The military, specifically the Army and the Marines, is a harsh environment. I was a Army basic combat training rifle marksmanship instructor, and I made it a point to NEVER harass the trainees. But they were treated harshly. The Army has made basic training softer/easier and I feel that in doing so, many young people who otherwise would never have made it through basic training in the past are now running into situations that they cannot handle. It's sad. It bothers me that this stuff is happening. And soldiers are killing themselves at record rates. There is a leadership problem from the generals on down. The Army is not a good place to be right now.

[newspeak]

72. excuseeeeee me

but our family is facing this up close and personal. My daughter has been put in a unit that is "intentionally" attempting to drag her over the edge. And, I can say that with a certainty. We've already lost a family member in the Army, from alleged "suicide." Don't even go there, cause I could tell you some stories, and there are some who should not be put in a position of leadership as COs or NCOs.

[Critters2]

84. Sorry, but the Army is a big, bad thing to have let this happen.

And calling it "the tragedy of someone who felt in over his head" is blaming the victim.

[radhika]

46. Sadism, Bullies and Thugs - Oh My!

The idea of his being 'overweight' is a BS excuse. They did it because they are sick f*cks, sadists and pigs. And because in the new RW, theocratic, fresh-from-gangland military, you can get away with it.

The only way to deal with bullies is right up, in their face, promising to respond with consequences. I wish Democrats realized that too.

[MISSDem]

47. All of these "heros" make me sick.

I read an article in The Commercial Appeal last week written by a man who was in the marines and he was talking about how they make the people in "killers". They would find bird's nests and stomp on them. He said that was the last straw for him. He became a buddhist and is a chaplain now.

[Joe Chi Minh]

78. I once read the Nazi SS had to kill the dogs they'd train (presumably having to train another

afterwards for proper military use) to show their machismo!

[sulphurdunn]

48. Serious incongruities

in this story: First, if this poor kid was fit enough to run miles with rocks in his pockets he was fit enough to deploy. Also, if this was supposed to a toughening up regime (which doesn't add up), why were people stealing from him? If this was going on for any length of time, it most certainly required the tacit complicity of NCOs and most likely officers in his unit. There can be no doubt of that.

The armed forces are a tough place. You always have to be willing to stand up for yourself and fight anybody who tries to push you around. It's always been that way. However, some things have changed.

I read a post earlier decrying how the Army and Marines have lowered their recruitment standards to accept gang bangers, skinheads and other assorted violence prone felons. Just maybe, these are actually the very people these services seek to attract. Fighting dirty wars with conscripts didn't work so well in Vietnam. Not because they weren't good soldiers but maybe because they were. When killing defenseless people indiscriminately at close quarters is your business, and while normal people can be induced to this, sadistic psychopaths are definitely to be preferred. You get more bang for the buck that way. Maybe this kid fell victim to that. Even with a large percentage of such people, it should be noted that the post traumatic rates of violence and suicide are higher now than since records have been kept for such things.

If there is a solution, I posit that it is this: abandon the empire. bring the military home and reinstate universal conscription. A democracy should have a citizen's army whose members represent all the people. Sorry for the long post. Semper Fi.

[Mixopterus]

55. Hm

I actually wouldn't mind a universal conscription as long as EVERYONE was eligible and the macho bullshit was entirely removed from the process, as well as reasonable spans of time for service.

However, there is an institutional sickness in the military and I really doubt you could remove such just by universal conscription alone. Considering how abusive the military is and the utterly callous attitude they have towards servicemen, I would hate to be a conscript in such an organization.

[Laelth]

59. Welcome to DU.

:dem:

-Laelth

[chrisa]

67. The problem with the draft is that...

It feeds the empire mentality, with an endless supply of soldiers, to have more resources at their disposal. It will take nothing short of driving people away from the military and into other careers to end their practices.

[Joe Chi Minh]

79. True. Another problem with conscription in the British army was that

the married men were paid so little, in terms of their needs. The way things have gone in the meantime, their pay would presumably be even less.

[Name removed]

75. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Critters2]

85. The need for conscription demonstrates a lack of support for the military's

goals. If people support a war, they send their kids to fight it. If they don't, they don't. It's pure democracy. If the military can only maintain the numbers it wants through conscription, then it is not doing the will of the people it's supposed to serve.

There should never be a draft. If you can't fight a war without conscription, you shouldn't be fighting the war.

[Chemisse]

52. This is one of the saddest stories I have heard in a long time

The poor mother, worrying about her son so far away and suffering so much and not being able to do anything to help him.

And then for him to kill himself. I can't fathom her pain.

[musicblind]

60. All this "macho" bullshit has no place in the military n/t

[Critters2]

86. LOL!

:rofl:

Then, who ya gonna get?

[newspeak]

65. my MIL showed me this article

my daughter, who is disabled (she's in pain every damn day) is supposed to get out of the Army. When her hubby was transferred to Iraq, they transferred her to a unit for disabled soldiers. She's had nothing but grief since. So far, they've changed her profile to an unrealistic profile, they've busted her in rank for failure to meet her new profile and are harassing the crap out of her. The commander told her he could make her life a living hell and threatened to take her children away and put her in the barracks. All done after her hubby deployed. She filed a congressional and some of those NCO's did nothing but laugh--they've pulled a friend aside and told them that there could be repercussions for being seen with my daughter. They punished a soldier for talking to my daughter. All because she stood her ground--all because they want her out without the benefits--all because she knows military regulations.

Her NCO called and I told him that it seems to me that they are attempting to take every support she has away and break up her family. That they are using a threat to take her children to push her over the edge. There are some real sadistic bastards in this unit--her friends have told her that after she's broken down in front of these asshole NCO's, that after, they've laughed and made jokes. The Army needs a thorough cleaning--the bases and units with the most Article 15's and congressionals should be investigated thoroughly and those who do not deserve their position, those that have no honor or for the care and well being of ALL their soldiers, should be kicked out. Because, I wouldn't even trust sending them overseas with the care of other soldiers.

[winyanstaz]

68. I am saddened for your daughter and I agree with your post.

To threaten her with the loss of her children is criminal.
The military is out of control and full of criminals, sadists, psychos and mass murderers along with the right-wing religious nut cases.
They have been giving criminals a get out of jail card free for signing up, taking nazis, street gangs, skinheads and illegal aliens (who get a green card and citizenship if they serve) and putting them in third world countries and letting them go wild. No wonder they hate us.
How will America fare when these people come home?
The good guys who also joined the service, believing the lies of the right wing war machine are the ones killing themselves after they find out that they were used to be terrorists to people that never were a threat to America.
I just want to say to the good guys and gals serving...please, please, please....don't kill yourself because we do need you and we want you to come home safe. You are important to us and we love you.
There will be no lack of soldiers willing to turn on Americans when the time comes (if it does) at this rate and we will need the good American soldiers to stand strong with the American people.
Perhaps we all need to join the military so we too can be trained and have the guns and be on the inside if the shit hits the fan.

[newspeak]

70. thanks for the response

I'm wondering though if he really killed himself? My hubby's cousin was in the Army, I believe stationed in Korea. She had a relationship with a very abusive soldier-she broke up with him. She had called her parents and told them she was very afraid of him, especially after they broke up. I know it was stupid, but she had put him on her life insurance before they broke up, she had no time to change beneficiaries. She was on duty one night and the base was on lock down--she had to go to this one bar and tell the soldiers that the base was on lock down--the next thing that happened, they found her in her military vehicle shot to death. The Army said it was suicide. Our family believes otherwise. I'm just wondering how much is swept under the rug or if these investigations are haphazardly investigated because they have no real criminal justice experience.

And after what has happened to my daughter and what has happened to hubby's cousin, I will talk any family member from joining. Now if the Army cleans up its act, maybe it would be different, but not as it is now.

[Rozlee]

77. The Army I was in was bad enough

what they're putting your daughter through sounds like Gitmo Lite. To cut off all your avenues of help and all your resources of aid is beyond belief. Is it that the Iraqi Army has taken over all the duties that the U.S. soldiers used to do and that now, the only thing left is for the troops to sit around taking out their learned kill-or-be-killed instincts on each other? If so, then they need to be bought home NOW and start the long process of deprogramming. This "them or us" stuff sounds like a switch that didn't get turned off somewhere. That switch is probably the reason some of these guys come back home and commit homicides. And I so totally agree with your observation on that young lady's suspicious suicide. The military hates messy things like scandal, murder by it's troops and such. Not only that, but military investigators suck. Do you live in Texas? I live in Boerne, TX. We had an Air Force Colonel here in town back in 2003 that made national headlines with his "suicide". He crashed his car into a tree while his arms and legs were tied and his nipples had been gouged out. Pretty neat trick, huh? The Air Force's criminal investigative arm, the OSI (Office of Stupid Instigators), and the hickville Boerne Police Dept. so compromised the crime scene that it was a complete mess. Recently, a tentative ruling of "homicide" was made in his case, by Bexar County and the San Antonio Police Dept. The Kendall County Courthouse, where Boerne is situated, is actually fighting the ruling. You might want to google Philip Michael Shue and read about the case. It is fascinating reading. Makes you wonder if the military was pushing a suicide ruling just so that they wouldn't have to investigate what might have been a messy homicide with it's share of scandal, passions and un-military behavior. It sounds like something they would do. Or, more likely, they're just plain shitty investigators. In any event, I'm very worried about your daughter and all our kids over there. It sounds like some of these higher ups are on a power trip and looking for literal whipping boys. I hope your daughter can just persevere until she comes home. I know you're suffering for her, too.

[PufPuf23]

87. You are describing reality, alas.

The sicknesses in our society are what put us at risk. Transactions of honor are rare and on paper are subject to wishy-washy interpretation.

I have become very picky about my day-to-day associates and treasure old friends and their imperfections.

There is a mean and raw reality at large.

I am anti-war and think mercs should be against the law and also believe in a fair draft rather than volunteerism or incentives.

But I do not support being a global military Empire -- reality check folks, a violent pirate Empire that puts us at major risk of blowback -- cut the military budget 80% and damn the short term economic consequences. Bring ALL the military home and sell or abandon the foreign bases. We are in no danger but blowback; we are the aggressors and no military Empire has been infinite.

My Dad unspokenly wore WWII and a majority of my rural childhood friends are dead, disabled, or or otherwise wear Vietnam. I was #319 in the Draft lottery as the war (without objective, only ideology) wore down.

The War Machine makes me angry like few things do: we should be watching Latin American and Africa and the arc from Georgia to Pakistan in the media but get mostly silence: but new bases in Columbia, the re-invention of the 4th Fleet, neck deep in sh*t in the Honduras coup and "pirates" in context of the base in Dijbouti and other FOLs in the region and the new military command AFRICOM.

An Empire of virtue and intelligence is just fine with me; what is going on with our military and foreign policy is stupid and EPIC fail. A breeding ground for psychopaths and bullies based on unsustainable violence and turning one's vision from reality and innocent victims. The rot runs deep and again alas may just be human or base animal nature.

here is nothing that makes me so angry and sad.

[Rozlee]

73. Your daughter

needs to stick to her guns. Tell her NOT to do any activity out of her claimed disability profile. Tell her to make duplicates, even triplicates, of all her medical records and send a copy home to you. It's going to be hell while she's there and I wish I could say it would be better once she's back, but it might be worse. I was a nurse in the first Gulf War, the Mother of all Keg Parties. I started having eye problems when I was there and multiple ulcerations in my mouth like canker sores, only worse. When I got back, I became deaf in one ear after a suspected stroke, and then the seizures started. I had contracted Behcet's Disease, an illness that is extremely rare in the U.S. but endemic to the Middle East. I applied for VA benefits for 8 YEARS before I was given 100% service connection disability. By then, I had become unable to work for several years and life was hell. Do you know the biggest hold up? I HAD TO FUCKIN' PROVE I GOT THE DISEASE WHILE I WAS STATIONED IN THE MIDDLE EAST!!!! The biggest resource your daughter can have when she gets back to help her get disablity is the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). But, they do have a backlog and she'll have to be extremely patient. And she'll need a great deal of help, emotional and financial, from her loved ones. My daughter came back from Iraq in 2005. She had a miscarriage soon afterward, and then gave birth to my granddaughter, who has Goldenhars Syndrome. Google Goldenhars and Gulf War. Big correlation. When I came back from Desert Storm, I worked at BAMC as a civilian nurse and all my buds are still there. They've told me that a great deal of kids are coming in with all kinds of health problems, such as cancer, unusual blood counts, metabolic abnomalities, all on top of the PTSD, brain trauma, and the injuries of war. Tell your daughter it's not going to be easy. The war is over there, but I'm afraid she's going to have another one waiting over here. Bush and Pol Pot should be bunk buddies in Hell. If I believed in a Diety, I'd pray for you all. Instead, I'll wish you the best and hope Obama sends all our kids home ASAP. This shit ain't worth it and never was.

[newspeak]

74. she's in contact with DAV

they had a sergeant major come and talk to the soldiers who are disabled---mainly to air their grievances without retribution. The command had their little weasels in the group to report back on who said anything negative. One soldier that my daughter knows said that one NCO told him "you're either with them or us?" Now what was that suppose to mean? To me, it means that the "throwaways" (no longer can be used) are the "thems." I believe the Army at this time is not one big happy organism--it's bad enough you're supposed to be fighting the "enemy", but the division within is fracturing instead of strengthening some units.

[Joe Chi Minh]

80. Sound to me like the scum of the earth. They'd have been like gold-dust in Iraq, for the Neocons'

purposes.

Unfortunately, the malignancy and incompetence of the Neocons was, itself, prejudicial to the interests of the country on an even grander scale than the afore-mentioned scum.

[Joe Chi Minh]

81. I think either daughter or mother should get in touch with John Kerry, asap.

[winyanstaz]

69. It also pisses me off that more people are responding to the post....

of a mom trying to feed her baby at the olive garden than to the death of this young man.
While I do sympathize with the mom trying to feed the baby...I cannot imagine the grief and anguish of the mom who lost her son. My heart goes out to her.
I also have to wonder if it was indeed "suicide" since so many soldiers are being murdered and/or raped by their fellow soldiers now.

[Critters2]

82. Even military minds can't be so stupid as to believe this:

"The military has said there's no direct evidence the alleged misconduct caused Wilhelm's death."

[Algorem]

90. Family seeks donations to travel to Iraq for military proceedings on men accused of mistreating him

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/09/family_of_suicide_victim_priva.html

Family of suicide victim Private Keiffer Wilhelm of Plymouth, Ohio, seeks donations to travel to Iraq for military proceedings on 4 men accused of mistreating him

Posted by Plain Dealer staff September 07, 2009 20:29PM


Family members of a 19-year-old soldier from Plymouth, Ohio, who killed himself in Iraq last month, are seeking the public's help so they can travel overseas and witness military court proceedings involving the four men accused of mistreating him.


Pvt. Keiffer Wilhelm's father, Shane Wilhelm, and his grandfather, Marvin, plan to travel to Iraq via Kuwait to be in the courtroom for the military hearing this fall, in hopes of learning details of the teen's death.

Two weeks after Wilhelm shot himself Aug. 4, four members of his platoon, all superiors, were charged by the Army with several counts of cruelty and maltreatment of subordinates...

The Memorial Fund for Keiffer Wilhelm has been established at the FirstMerit Bank in Willard to help raise the money. Donations can be made through any FirstMerit Bank branch or mailed to FirstMerit Bank, 501 Fort Ball Road, Willard, Ohio 44890.