Army War Objector Returns to Base

[Breeze54]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAQ_OBJECTOR?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

Army War Objector Returns to Base

Aug 12, 12:05 AM EDT

By MELANTHIA MITCHELL
Associated Press Writer

AP Photo/TED S. WARREN

SEATTLE (AP) --

Shortly after returning from Iraq last year, Army Sgt. Ricky Clousing gathered a few belongings
and sneaked out of Fort Bragg, leaving only a note quoting Martin Luther King.
After six months spent seeing the "daily physical, psychological and emotional harassment of civilians,"
the 24-year-old said he was confused and disenchanted with the United States' role in the war.
On Friday, he turned himself in to military officials at Fort Lewis around 6:30 p.m.,
said attorney David Miner, who accompanied Clousing.



"I stand here before you today about to surrender myself, which was always my intention,"
Clousing told several dozen friends, family members and war veterans who gathered earlier
at the University of Washington campus.
If military police find that Clousing is either a deserter or absent without leave,
he will be sent back to Fort Bragg in North Carolina, the post he walked away from,
Fort Lewis spokesman Joseph Hitt said.
Officials at Fort Bragg did not return an Associated Press call for comment Friday.
Speaking earlier from a friend's home in Seattle, Clousing said he won't participate
in what he considers to be a "war of aggression" that has "no legal basis to be fought."

Clousing sneaked out of Fort Bragg in June 2005. Beginning last fall, his lawyers said,
they contacted Fort Bragg and later Fort Lewis to try to negotiate a discharge.
But neither installation claims responsibility for him, attorney Lawrence Hildes said.
Finally, Clousing decided to just show up at Fort Lewis.

More.....

[Breeze54]

1. He left a note on his door when he left that said:

He sneaked out of Fort Bragg in the middle of the night, taking books, clothes and a surfboard.

He left a note on his door, with King's quote:

"Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?'
Expediency asks the question, 'Is it politic?'
But conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?'
And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither
safe, nor politic, nor popular but because conscience tells one it is right."


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This guy is really hurting.....

[patrice]

2. God bless Ricky Clousing.

Make us an instrument of Thy Peace.

[Breeze54]

5. It sounds like they

might not prosecute him. I think he's suffering from PTSD.
Poor guy....

[gula]

3. My best wishes to him.

May there be many more.

[Breeze54]

4. Let's hope there won't have to be anymore!

I want them all home .....NOW!!!

Have you heard about this? http://www.campdemocracy.org/