Army: 7 Families Misled On War Deaths

Review Finds Soldiers' Families Given Incorrect Information On Their Deaths

(AP)  The families of seven soldiers who died in Iraq or Afghanistan were given incorrect or misleading information about the deaths, the Army has concluded after a review of war casualty reports.

The review, which began last summer, covered hundreds of casualty reports and marked the first step in a new process ordered by Army Secretary Francis Harvey to ensure that families receive accurate information.

An Army spokesman, Lt. Col. Kevin Arata, said Monday the review found seven cases in which families were given erroneous information. The best-known was Cpl. Patrick Tillman, the former star player in the National Football League whose family initially was told he had died a hero's death, killed by enemy forces in Afghanistan. After Tillman's memorial service the family was told the truth: He was killed unintentionally by gunfire from his fellow soldiers.

The Tillman case triggered a series of highly publicized Army investigations, which led to Harvey's decision last April to begin a unit-level investigation of every soldier's death, rather than only under certain circumstances.

The Army has not released final results from the Tillman and some other death investigations, but in general it has said misunderstandings and miscommunication, not criminal negligence, are to blame for incorrect casualty reporting.

More than 1,800 Army soldiers have died in Iraq since the war began in March 2003; about 240 have died in Afghanistan. Overall, more than 2,800 U.S. military members have died since the start of the Iraq war.

The issue of inaccurate casualty information resurfaced last summer when Army officials revealed that two California National Guardsmen, Lt. Andre Tyson and Spc. Patrick McCaffrey, were murdered in June 2004 by the Iraqi civil-defense soldiers they were training. The Army initially told the men's families they were killed in an enemy ambush.

It was two years before the guardsmen's families were told the truth.

In another case, in September 2005, the Army acknowledged publicly that it had known for more than a year after 1st Lt. Kenneth Ballard's death in Iraq in May 2004 that he was not killed in action, as it initially told his family. The family was not told the truth — that he died of wounds from the accidental discharge of a U.S. machine gun after a firefight in the city of Najaf — until that public acknowledgment.

The Army did not release the names of all seven soldiers whose cases were initially reported incorrectly.

[marcelde]

B USH AND R USH BOTH LOVE TO G USH

THEIR NAMES THE SAME
WE SPELL IT %u201CLAME%u201D

THEY PREACH AND SCOLD
THEIR LIES ARE OLD
WE DON%u2019T BELIEVE
ONE THING THEY%u2019VE TOLD

ITS UP TO USH
TO MAKE THEM SHUSH

CAUSE WHAT THEY GUSH
SHOULD MAKE THEM BLUSH

BUT LET%u2019S NOT HUSH
THAT ONE%u2019S A LUSH

THEY%u2019LL MAKE A FUSH
AND TALK PURE MUSH

SO KISH MY TUSH,
PILL POPPIN RUSH!

[teddebare]

one_american: You couldn't wear John Kerry's jockstrap around your nose or maybe you could since you seem to among the lying republican's.

Go tell Junebug to apologize for dodging his duties during Viet Nam. Go find those professional students who utilized their student deferments to remain out of the military.

John Kerry owes no one an apology especially all of the deferment/draft dodgers in this administration.

Non-shooter Cheney was quoted as saying: "Viet Nam. I got more important things to do that go to Viet Nam." This chickenhawk promoted this war vehemently. He should apologize to all of the current military, all of the parents and loved ones who lost a person in Iraq, all who served during Viet Nam and all of the American people for living such a transparent lie.

But some of this shame should be shared by the American people who are DUMB/STUPID enough to have supported these bums..

Go John Kerry, Go Cong. Murtha, and all the other veterans who served when the chickenhawks were busy researching for deferments or road maps to Canada.

xenalily:

Thanks for posting the link regarding Kevin and Pat Tillman. It was a good read.

[jebediah76]

Xenalily -

Thank you for the Kevin Tillman piece. As the husband of a Gulf War Veteran I can assure that a great many Military servicmen and women certainly know the difference between supporting the troops and supporting the war. The two do not go hand in hand.

Kevin Tillman's piece should be printed on every Op-Ed page in the country.

[xenalily]

Please check out this link everyone-


http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/200601019_after_pats_birthday/

this is a great commentary by Kevin Tillman, Pat Tillman's brother. I hope you will take the time to read it because no matter what side of the fence you are on it really does deserve your attention.

[squiz2]

I find it amusing that One_American had nothing at all to say about the article at hand, but just jumped into the "Kerry is the devil" speech. Trying to take the attention away from the fact that you oh-so-wonderful Republican-run government is lying to the families of soldiers murdered in an unjust war? Seems that's just what the government does..."Don't look at the ugly scandals...look at the pretty new fence!"

[fatzone]

What the whole world knew as the truth was a flat out lie from the start' and all who continue to inforce a lie should be ashame of themselves.
Our President and all of his folks fed this lie to the American peolpe and the world' and the media should be ashamed for not reporting the truth about this shameless lie that is, and will continue to cost us our most valueble assets' Young American Lives.

[bluestardad]

Bush knew the real reason he was sending our troops to Iraq and he kept changing this reason. When the Democrats get in office I hope they put his hind end in Jail for Treason.

[bluestardad]

That is not new. a friend of mine was sent home from Vietnam original cause of death listed as heart attack but his brother said his body was full of bullet holes. the COD was later changed to KIA.

[delta5243]

can anyone honestly say that this is a suprise to them...................

[one_american]

gentryfunk:

What you are calling a lie, the whole world knew as truth before the war.

Shame on you.

[gentryfunk-2009]

The worst insult to American troops is to have been sent to Iraq in the first place based on the lies of a President.

[one_american]

And it is a published fact that John Kerry's cumulative grades at Yale were lower than George Bush's grades.

[one_american]

bunzzee:

A little education for you. Just the basics.

"The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government. Comprised of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the Congress brings together 435 representatives of the people, 100 Senators from 50 states, and 5 delegates from the territories of the United States -- an assembly of 540 to make the laws that govern the nation."

http://www.congresslink.org/print_basics_bicameralism.htm

[one_american]

Shame on any liberal who defends John Kerry, the troop-basher!

THROW THE BUM OUT!

THROW ALL THE LIBERAL BUMS OUT!

[bunzzee]

One_American ..perhaps you could use some of the education SENATOR Kerry talks about...he's a senator not in Congress...I am a Vietnam veteran who served in the southern deltas on a swift boat, not with Kerry but in the same unit...I agree, he's not one of my favorites but he is right when saying...if you have enough money to buy an education, you have a good chance of staying out of the war...just like many of our politicans both Democrats and Republicans...you can't deny that...

[mac2499-2009]

One_American
Can you please explain how the best educated army in the world let the events at the most famous prison in Iraq go on for such a long time?

[one_american]

From www.drudgereport.com:

McCain Calls On Kerry To Apologize
Tue Oct 31 2006 11:43:14 ET

"Senator Kerry owes an apology to the many thousands of Americans serving in Iraq, who answered their country's call because they are patriots and not because of any deficiencies in their education. Americans from all backgrounds, well off and less fortunate, with high school diplomas and graduate degrees, take seriously their duty to our country, and risk their lives today to defend the rest of us in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.

They all deserve our respect and deepest gratitude for their service. The suggestion that only the least educated Americans would agree to serve in the military and fight in Iraq, is an insult to every soldier serving in combat, and should deeply offend any American with an ounce of appreciation for what they suffer and risk so that the rest of us can sleep more comfortably at night. Without them, we wouldn't live in a country where people securely possess all their God-given rights, including the right to express insensitive, ill-considered and uninformed remarks."

[one_american]

John Kerry sez:

%u201CYou know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you, you can do well. If you don%u2019t, you get stuck in Iraq.%u201D

What a grave insult to America's brave and honorable men and women in the Armed Forces, who are the most educated Armed Forces in the world's history.

And this guy wanted to be President and lead our troops????

This worthless bum Kerry needs to apologize NOW or be censured and removed from Congress immediately.

But I have to ask; how many of you Bush-bashers on this website condone what Kerry says?

I dare you to defend this idiot!