"Jessica's Comrades: Untold Stories from the 507th"

[DeepModem Mom]

http://www.msnbc.com/news/991152.asp

THE U.S. GOVERNMENT tried to portray POW Lynch as a hero of the attack. It didn’t publicize Sgt. Donald Walters. The 33-year-old cook and mechanic was killed in the ambush, apparently while fighting bravely, suggests a military report. But his parents, Arlene and Norman, got so few questions answered by the Army they finally filed a Freedom of Information request. “I am angry,” says his mother, who wants the government to give her son a hero’s due. Walters left a wife and three daughters. His 27-year-old widow, Stacie, says: “It seems like after a soldier is dead, they’re forgotten.”
Some of the living don’t get their due, either. Fellow soldiers say Pat Miller, a lanky 23-year-old private, acted heroically in battle, killing eight Iraqis. Despite his valor, Miller, the father of two, is still waiting for his next promotion. “I get paid to be a soldier,” he says with a shrug. “That’s what I’m supposed to do.”

Also, discusses Shoshana Johnson's benefits and condition.

[leetrisck]

1. The stories about Walter's and Miller

are beginning to come out and all the others - slowly

[Noordam]

2. Both covered in sunday's 60 minutes.

They interviewed Miller and he did get a Silver Star but Silver Stars do not pay the bills. I remember in Vietnam rank came FAST. Miller is only a E-3. IMHO I would have expected him to be a E-4 or E-5 after being a POW and winning the Silver Star.

And they talked to Miller and Walters female Col boss. One thing she pointed out on Walters is the initial reports of "Jessica" being stabbed and fighting so hard, were probably him. The Army and media got a translation of the fight from the Iraqis and the problem was Walters was a BLOND and stabbed and the Iraq report refer to SHE was BLOND and stabbed and fought hard. OK I will give the military the benefit here.


BUT one problem I had with the report was all members of the "transportation group", had problems with their (looks like) M-16. They all jammed. Miller in killing the 7/8 Iraqis had to fire his rife one shot at a time and jam the receiver home between shots. Because they were "transporation" people did they have sub-standard rifes?????????

[Man_in_the_Moon]

3. I doubt it

Because they were "transporation" people did they have sub-standard rifes?????????

I would say it was more a matter of maintence and cleaning.

In a dusty environment if you fail to clean your weapon, or even worse if you clean it incorrectly by using liquid lubricants, it will do nothing but collect dust/sand.

[Noordam]

4. I am not a gun person

So maybe that is true. I do know in Nam as a Computer Geek, I would still pay a lot of attention to my rife. All I know is they talked to three of Jessica buds and all had jammed rifes.

[TahitiNut]

5. Me too. (USARV HQ/DSC '69)

Stories of M16 jams were common; it was more than enough motivation to keep it clean and not 'top off' the magazines. Our HQ unit was very diligent with them. It paid off, too.

[Noordam]

6. What I do not know is since Desert Storm I did

they make any changes to the rife because of sand and if so did all units have the updates....... Myself I have not had a gun/rife in my hand since 1969 LOL

[saigon68]

7. TRAINING--TRAINING--TRAINING

I fault the Captains, Lts and NCO's who allowed these people into a combat situation, with apparently no rifle skills. One does not have to be an 11B to know how to clean a rifle.

That would have been the first thing I would have stessed--- no not stessed POUNDED INTO THEIR HEADS.

Remmber Full Metal Jacket---

This is my rifle---- this is my gun--- Etc Etc.

[underpants]

8. How often should someone clean there weapon?

As often as possible.

This is from leadership, they should have had more range time and kept those rifles clean. To just go around as if nothing was going to happen to you is plain dumb. Pray for the best and prepare for the worst.

[0007]

9. .......and heaven forbid they must have had a lot of time to do.....

these simple chores.

[Noordam]

14. Miller did very well taking out a Mortar crew ONE shot at a time.

He was across the street from them and they were just trying to get ONE mortar off. He picked off the crew one at a time as they got up to load the mortar.....

[coralrf]

13. I wonder how long he has been at it..

I made E-6 in less than 4 years. I was promoted right after I was involved in a CH-47 downing..(eerie).

They have the same weapon in so far as the carbine is concerned. Its a m-16 much like they have been for years. I doubt they have the night vision gear and chicken plates that the infantry has.

I do not buy the M-16 jammed crap. I toted one of those for a year and it never jammed. I did not ever see a squad mates M-16 jam. That is a very good weapon. It will jam if it is funky from neglect but we all know they are issued with a cleaning kit.

I think this entire story is bullshit. All of it. It seems to have started with a serious command and control error. The brass sent them right into the enemies trap. Many young people were killed. Rather than address the incompetence of leadership the Military, Rove and the Press (working together you can bet on it) opted to promote the 'heroism angle'. Forget the incompetence: bring on the heroes!!! The Jessica crap is exactly that. Amnesia my ass. She has blown that lie a few times with comments that suggest she knew what was going on all along. The M-16's jamming? All of them? Bullshit. They got their asses kicked in a firefight and it seems from testimony of late, Lynch and a few other "heroes" never even attempted to fire their weapons. They prayed instead. Now any of you that have been in a fire fight know that if one among you fails to rise to the occasion you all stand a chance at being wiped out. That was always the goal of our enemy in Vietnam and in Iraq as well I am sure.

So we have a story! We offered little resistance, not due to fear but ALL our M-16's jammed. Sure the Captain and his cronies signaled a wrong turn that placed us right in the kill zone of an ambush but Jessica Jessica Jessica..and the reason that nothing adds up is Jessica has amnesia.

And how do I back up this allegation. The voice of the dead. Do you hear it? No you don’t. The current story mongers don’t even want you to know their names. They are of no use in a scam, as the dead only speak the truth, so you will not see them. If these kids were ambushed via a crafty enemy that out fought them you would know all the names. There would be no amnesia, jamming M-16’s or Blonde Hero. It’s all bullshit. All of it.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

15. Couple of comments for you. First, the Bushies reactions to Flight 93...

...and to the ambush of the 507th follow the same basic pattern.

Let's start with the 507th:

In the case of the 507th, they either got confused as to what direction to take, or they were sent in the wrong direction. Once the mess became common knowledge, the Bushies decided to turn one or more of the participants into heroes to divert attention from what really happened.

I don't agree with your commentary on Lynch...I think she's been resisting the "official" story all along, but it's gotten drowned out until recently by the manistream press. Even today, after all of the recent comments made by Lynch indicating that the "official" version is not true, CNN is still trying to sell the "official" version. Additionally, I would think that an injury to the head combined with two broken legs and a broken arm just might impair anyone's ability to fire ANY weapon, much less an M-16.

Speaking of "official" versions, which "official" version is the correct version...or have they all been made up on the fly? The Iraqi lawyer's version is the basis for the movie and that's been proven to be incorrect by Lynch herself.

How about the Rick Bragg "authorized biography" version? How much of his book has been authorized by the Army as opposed to Lynch herself? Lynch states that she was not unconscious following the wreck of her vehicle because she attempted to fire her rifle.

She also states that she has no recollection of a rape taking place in the short time it took to transport her to an Iraqi hospital. The Iraqi doctors stated yesterday that although they weren't looking for evidence of rape, her uniform was still in place with no tears in the fabric, and no missing buttons. Lynch also says that the Iraqi doctors and staff treated her very well. Lynch also questions why the cameras were necessary during her alleged "rescue".

Even the alleged "rescue" has come under fire because it apparently took place several hours after the hospital was abandoned by Iraqi military personnel. It also apparently took place AFTER the hospital had become part of friendly occupied territory. As a side note, three of Lynch's "rescuers" are now dead and another member of the 507th recently committed suicide after returning to the States.

Now let's look at Flight 93:

We have been told that Flight 93 crashed straight down into the Pennsylvania countryside. The major problem with this story is the eight-mile trail of debris leading to the main impact crater, to include an engine that fell 2000 yards away. Witnesses on the ground reported seeing flames from Flight 93 as it flew overhead. A couple of additional witnesses reported seeing a small unmarked jet in the vicinity.

We also know that Cheney gave the order to shoot down any airliners refusing to land as previously instructed. He gave that not once, but three different times on the morning of 9-11.

How better to divert attention from shooting down of an airliner than by creating heroes from the passengers of Flight 93? I find it extremely interesting that the Bushies are still refusing to release the actual audio tapes of what happened aboard Flight 93 and have chosen to provide printed copies instead. The Bushies are claiming that the audio tape has to be maintained as possible evidence in the event of a trial. Excuse me, but who would the Bushies be trying for the hijacking of Flight 93? Aren't they all dead? Did any escape in midair?? Why are the Bushies keeping that audio tape secret???

[sam sarrha]

10. it seems that the regular army refered to as the "armor" left the national

guard cooks and clerks behind.... and they got lost out of radio contact..? how far do the radios work. sorry but i would not leave my little brother behind on hostile ground.. no matter how obnoxious he was.!!

[NNN0LHI]

11. Not to sound too dumb here but how does one keep a gun clean...

...during a sandstorm? Lets assume one follows all of the gun cleaning protocol to the book. And then lets say after you get that baby all clean and mean and ready to rock a sandstorm begins. Now what? Got to start cleaning that motherscratcher again or what? And then what do you do if while you are cleaning the damn thing the enemy attacks because they know you fancy guns don't work in a dirty environment? In Iraq you might as well have your pecker in your hand if this is the case. I think we had better shitcan this piece of shit and buy a bunch of AK-47's just as fast as we can.

Don

[0007]

12. The cover-up has begun......

and coming from MSNBC I don't trust their account.

For one thing MSNBC doesn't talk about the Army or the highers up's training and putting words in Jessica's head. Thinking that being gracious with money and media attention would be enough to make her go along with the PR program.

It apears the Army has a real live one. I'm talking about the soldier that was on 60 minutes last night telling his version of the story. Where was this soldier when the Jessica story was being born? This soldier was freed a few days after Jessica was saved from the hospital.

The full court press is on now!!