TEXAS CITY, Texas, Sept. 13, 2007
War Critic Dies In Iraq, Mom Wants Answers
Mother Seeks Details Of Soldier's Death Weeks After He Co-Authored Op-Ed Criticizing War
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Olga Capetillo, right, mourns the death of her son, Sgt. Omar Mora, with her cousin Bertha Oaks, on Sept. 12, 2007 in Texas City, Texas. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)
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Sgt. Omar L. Mora (left) of Texas City, Tx., died of wounds sustained when the truck he was traveling in crashed near Baghdad on Monday. Six others soldiers were killed, including Sgt. Yance T. Gray (right), of Ismay, Mont., who with Mora helped write a New York Times op-ed article sharply critical of the Pentagon's assessment of the Iraq War. (AP/U.S. Army/Stevenson and Sons)
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"I want to know all the details of how he died. I want to know the truth," said Olga Capetillo, whose 28-year-old son, Sgt. Omar Mora, died Monday. "I don't understand how so many people could die in that accident. How could it be so bad?"
Capetillo, who emigrated from Ecuador when Mora was 2, agonized about her son in Iraq. But after Mora co-wrote the sharply critical op-ed, new worries overlapped the old.
Capetillo feared that the article, which ran Aug. 19 in the New York Times, could damage her son's military career or cause him other problems. She said that in the weeks since writing the piece with six other active duty U.S. soldiers, Mora had seemed increasingly depressed and withdrawn.
"I said to him: "Son, I don't want you to have problems because of this. Hopefully, nothing will happen," said Capetillo, speaking in Spanish in the midst of grief so raw and inconsolable it seemed to reverberate around her.
Mora and one of his co-authors, Sgt. Yance T. Gray, 26, of Ismay, Mont., were killed Monday in a vehicle accident along with five other U.S. soldiers and two detainees. The single-vehicle accident also wounded 11 other soldiers and one detainee.
The military did not mention hostile fire and did not specify the neighborhood in western Baghdad.
The controversial Times column, called "The War As We Saw It," expressed doubts about American gains in Iraq. "To believe that Americans, with an occupying force that long ago outlived its reluctant welcome, can win over a recalcitrant local population and win this counterinsurgency is far-fetched," the group wrote.
In the last line, the authors reaffirmed their own commitment: "We need not talk about our morale. As committed soldiers, we will see this mission through."
Another author of the Times piece, Staff Sgt. Jeremy Murphy, an Army Ranger and reconnaissance team leader, was shot in the head while the article was being written. He was expected to survive after being flown to a military hospital in the United States.
Mora and Gray, members of the 82nd Airborne Division, joined the military out of a sense of duty and selflessness, people who knew them said. Both were married and leave behind small daughters.
Mora grew up in Texas City, about 40 miles south of Houston. A high school soccer player and car aficionado, Mora also taught Sunday school at St. Mary of the Miraculous Medal church.
He enlisted after 9-11, driven by a need to act, said his mother. Within three years, he was a sergeant.
But Mora, a permanent legal resident, longed to join the Special Forces, which requires citizenship. He received his citizenship papers two weeks ago and was waiting to be sworn in when his deployment ended in November.
"My son gave his life for this country. He was proud of this country, even though he was not an American yet," said Capetillo. "I want people to know that we Hispanics love this country, too."
Despite his patriotism, Capetillo said Mora seemed to grow disturbed by the poverty and pain afflicting the country's children. He often asked his family to send cookies and candies for the children, said his mother, a beautician.
In April, Mora came home on a two-week leave. His ears were injured by a roadside bomb and a friend lost his arm. In August, another friend died in Mora's arms.
That death seemed to leave a grim imprint, Capetillo said.
On Friday, an unusually subdued Mora called his mother, and the two spoke for what would be the last time.
"He was so quiet, as if he did not want anyone to hear him," said Capetillo, as family and friends encircled her in her Texas City kitchen. "I told him that I was counting the days until he would come home, that I would give him a big hug."
Mora told his mother that he was very tired.
"Maybe he had a premonition that something was going to happen to him, that he was not going to come back," said Capetillo, as tears moistened her face. "My son escaped death two times before. But this time, no."
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 80 Comments[Posted by arnoldbowers at 02:34 PM : Sep 13, 2007]
so what''s this ... an immigration gripe ... or maybe it''s a ''you did it for money'' thing ... or they bashed bush so their evil ... or is it you made your own bed so now sleep in it?
they have every right ... to speak what is the truth for them ... cause what''s truth for everyone whether they know it or not ... is they have a completely incompetent individual serving as president ... w/ an extremely dangerous circle of myopic radicals around him ... and they are the reasons that all 150k + are there.
Official reaction to Capetillo''s most reasonable request, its commitment in pursuit of the (maybe)investigation and the extent of whatever credibility gap that arises from the conclusions of that investigation will be the most telling indicators of whether or not we should suspect foul play.
But the main reason for my post is to express my profound sympathy for the relatives of these two soldiers. Even having survived a child myself I can barely imagine the grief they must suffer; if I had a magic wand to wave over them and take that all away, I would.
"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State."
- Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler''s Propaganda Minister
[Posted by cbscrash07 at 03:18 PM : Sep 13, 2007]
are those your only options?
Posted by cbscrash07 at 03:18 PM : Sep 13, 2007
Who would you like to determine what news we common people hear of see there Swastika Hugger? Do you have anyone in mind? I know you loser''s hate liberals, especially those who wrote all those rights you hate do much but isn''t 200 years a bit to long to carry on your hatred for the freedom of the press. Sieg Heil Bush!! By the way who needs to slander the Little Nazi? All you have to do is pull up a tape of him and he''ll do the job just fine! Sieg Heil and Mission Accomplished! ROFLMAO Don''t like that one... how about Sieg Heil and Stay the Course? See what I mean you poor moron?
Posted by cbscrash07 at 03:18 PM : Sep 13, 2007
Who would you like to determine what news we common people hear of see there Swastika Hugger? Do you have anyone in mind? I know you loser''s hate liberals, especially those who wrote all those rights you hate do much but isn''t 200 years a bit to long to carry on your hatred for the freedom of the press. Sieg Heil Bush!! By the way who needs to slander the Little Nazi? All you have to do is pull up a tape of him and he''ll do the job just fine! Sieg Heil and Mission Accomplished! ROFLMAO Don''t like that one... how about Sieg Heil and Stay the Course? See what I mean you poor moron?
Posted by cbscrash07 at 03:18 PM : Sep 13, 2007
Who would you like to determine what news we common people hear of see there Swastika Hugger? Do you have anyone in mind? I know you loser''s hate liberals, especially those who wrote all those rights you hate do much but isn''t 200 years a bit to long to carry on your hatred for the freedom of the press. Sieg Heil Bush!! By the way who needs to slander the Little Nazi? All you have to do is pull up a tape of him and he''ll do the job just fine! Sieg Heil and Mission Accomplished! ROFLMAO Don''t like that one... how about Sieg Heil and Stay the Course? See what I mean you poor moron?
you cannot conduct warfare without dying..
we cannot stop terrorism without warfare..
sad but true..
Posted by arnoldbowers at 02:34 PM : Sep 13, 2007
+ report abuse
And we wonder why this nation is so divided. You know this man supported Bush how? Because, you say, 85% of the Military did THEN, we ignore the pain of them now. I sure hope not because as low as these Southern Fascist are, that would be even lower. We do NOT need that right now. Any Combat Vet will tell you that Politics is the LAST thing you are concerned with when you are in a firefight... In Nam the guy who had my back was a black Muslim from Chi Town... think I cared? Sieg Heil Bush!!
you cannot conduct warfare without dying..
we cannot stop terrorism without warfare..
sad but true..
Posted by xzavierbrown at 03:59 PM : Sep 13, 2007
+ report abuse
So no matter how INCOMPETENT the leader is we just "Stay the Course"? No matter what the troops say we just ignore the TRUTH? Iraq was NOT involved in the attack on us, Iraq does NOT contain the Real Enemy who planned and Carried out those attacks against us AND Iraq has been used by our enemy to Recruit Young Arabs to the point that he''s completely rebuilt his Organization stronger than before. Just how bad do you think we should be losing before we start LISTENING? Sieg Heil Bush
Exactly right. Although Americans have been doing a lot less dying in this war than any other war that came before, except for, of course, the Persian Gulf war.
Too many of the far left think that war is a video game, or some kind of TV show that they can simply turn off, or walk away from without any consequences.
I think that comes from having too much in their life handed to them, without working hard for it.
Posted by One_American at 03:57 PM : Sep 13, 2007
It is so sad to hear of brave young men dying for slime like this. It was disgusting in my day and it still is. When a NAZI, and folks MCVet is right this is PURE FASCISM and HARD CORE FASCISM, insults our system of Government and attacks our neighbors and fellow citizens in this manner, we all, every last one of us LOSE!! It has always been our strength, our different points of view. Ms. Polosi and Mr. Reed were elected by American''s just like you and me. People like this God Awlful Fascist imply''s that this brave Man died because he agreed with those American''s. How low can any human sink? Combat Vet, USMC, 1968
Exactly right. Although Americans have been doing a lot less dying in this war than any other war that came before, except for, of course, the Persian Gulf war.
Too many of the far left think that war is a video game, or some kind of TV show that they can simply turn off, or walk away from without any consequences.
I think that comes from having too much in their life handed to them, without working hard for it.
Posted by One_American at 04:07 PM : Sep 13, 2007
Sounds like the shrub - slinked out of the TANG (AWOL) and ran everything else into the ground - just look at the National Debt and our Armed Forces !!
Posted by skyk at 04:10 PM : Sep 13, 2007
Hey Bro! Semper Fi! Been looking for you all day. I''m been thinking about your buddy, the one that was blown up by the C-4. I can''t picture in my mind exactly what you were talking about. In my memory the PX at Americal was off the road wasn''t it?
Posted by MCVet at 04:13 PM : Sep 13, 2007
Semper Fi Sarge! Well no... the PX at MAG 13 was but in was inside the base. If you remember the building was back but the rest was parking lot. If you remember when the NCO Club was at Mag 13, the PX was right up from it. Gotta run but think about it.
The story has a familiar "ring" to it when you hear about soldiers getting killed when they speak out about what they see is wrong which is why soldiers in any army keep their mouths shut.
"Friendly fire" can happen in the strangest places at the strangest times!
In the story about King David, God learns of the truth which comes out, and punishes David for it. Unfortunately, in these times, the only punishment the real killers will get is a slap on the wrist, if that, and maybe a medal for being such "patriotic Americans"!
LONG LIVE MILITARY JUSTICE!!!
SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!
Too many of the far left think that war is a video game, or some kind of TV show that they can simply turn off, or walk away from without any consequences.
I think that comes from having too much in their life handed to them, without working hard for it.
Posted by One_American at 04:07 PM : Sep 13, 2007
I don''t know who is "far left" but if you mean those opposed to continuing the War started by Bush you are WRONG you pathetic piece of Fascist Lint. Some of us have actually walked into combat, unlike you who can only hate your fellow American''s because they won''t follow your fuhrer. You people are simple minded and without honor. You''ve never served a day in combat yet YOU think you know about it. Go suck on your fuhrers slong and leave the debate to real men. Sieg Heil Bush!!
My sympathies go out to all families that have lost loved ones in this fight, and I thank you for your and their sacrifices. They are all honorable and courageous people regardless of how they might have felt about their mission. Again, as an American, I thank you.
Our troops are not fighting this war for money, oil, or anything so materialistic, as much as many of you want to believe. This is a war of self-preservation, from an enemy who wants nothing less than for all people and all lands worldwide to be under radical Islamic rule. It cannot be stated any clearer than that.
Too many posters on this site would rather engage in personal attacks and over-exaggerations than to really focus on the issues. No war is perfectly executed or drawn up, and none will ever be, especially against an enemy that has no home. We fight them where they show themselves, and we must try to do everything we can to prevent them from showing up here again. We cannot let them have Iraq.
Posted by skyk at 04:16 PM : Sep 13, 2007
Oh do I remember that NCO club... A sgt. from the HMS unit there taught me how to shoot a beer. By the time the band got around to singing "We got to get out of this place", we had a stack of Blue Ribbon Can''s 10 high and 10 around. LOL I still have one of the old beer openers we used.
Posted by MCVet at 04:24 PM : Sep 13, 2007
Oh Yeah do I remember that... the band was so bad you could hardly make out the words to the song but the girls usually looked good and danced real hot. The last time I was in there we had to go to Marble Mount the next day.... That was one LONG ride and the 6 bi driver hit EVERY hole on the way. We lost 6 that night. :)
Posted by s1ckd09 at 04:22 PM : Sep 13, 2007
True and they WERE NOT in Iraq when we invaded and Occupied that Country. They came there ONLY after we made human targets out of our guys. It''s one thing for things to not go according to plan''s, having been involved in MANY military operations I''m fully aware of that but that IS NOT the case here. As a Vet, with 15 very good friends on that wall in Washington, you can bet I have watched and listened VERY carefully. No my friend, we''re talking about COLD BLOODED LIES and outright INCOMPETENCE!!
Posted by skyk at 04:27 PM : Sep 13, 2007
+ report abuse
Wow, 6 huh? Well like I told you before pal, you guys sure saved our bacon that september day. I had just about given up hope when those gunships came up over the tree line. I think we''d have been overrun in 30 minutes. I''d fired my 16 until the barrel was glowing. LOL
Great, then fight it without money - specifically the $500 billion price tag EACH YEAR we pay for the soldiers of the dead-end regime of war machine America.
If they are so altruistic why don''t they volunteer for the peace corps, give me a break, those soldiers are over there because they needed a job and we''re paying them bazillions of dollars, just like the 100,000 mercenaries we are also bankrolling with little kid''s health care and our bridge maintenance funds and by borrowing trillions from our real enemies like China.
If you want to play soldier, I suggest a video game.
Iraq was never our enemy, they are a small and almost meaningless country, and this is just Bush playing war, and all the little dumb Bush wannabes playing war with him.
We chose D.
Posted by MCVet at 04:05 PM : Sep 13, 2007"
A couple of questions for you then. Where did Al-Qaeda get all of it''s recruits before 9/11? If you think they weren''t growing back then, you obviously don''t know your history. So we can''t be blamed for the bastardized teachings of those radical Islamists. They don''t real events as an excuse to recruit people. They create the reality and force feed it to the people. They start at the earliest ages. Read the story about the Mickey Mouse type character on the Hezbollah children''s show.
Second question, if he''s rebuilt his organization stronger than before, that means that his organization was weakened dramatically before, right? So how strong would they be now if we had never gone after them? Do you think they have recruitment goals and think they stop when they reach their goal?
[Posted by s1ckd09 at 04:22 PM : Sep 13, 2007]
looks like your suffering from some of the overexaggeration problem yourself.
*** Cheney is no fool, far from it, he would never have greenlighted the invasion of Iraq, with all its apparent risks, if the reward was not something greater than "bringing democracy to the Middle East." (FYI: Iran is a democracy.)
We invaded Iraq only after the inspectors determined it did not have WMDs.
And why else are Cheney and Bush so relaxed about the trillions of dollars lost and Iraqi sectarian violence...because it was never the goal to overturn Saddam and leave. This is an investment folks. We bought Iraq.
ISGZ-2004-009247
Posted by bobnjersey at 05:14 PM : Sep 13, 2007
Iran-Afghanistan-Ahmadinejad
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Tuesday that rule of Islam on mankind is the only way for salvation of human beings.
"There is no truth on earth but monotheism and following tenets of Islam and there is no way for salvation of mankind but rule of Islam over mankind," said Ahmadinejad in a meeting with Afghan Sunni and Shiite ulama at Iranian Embassy in Kabul.
Care to tell me how I am exagerrating?
Posted by s1ckd09 at 04:22 PM : Sep 13, 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Obviously you are insinuating that the 911 terrorists were from Iraq.
The whole world knows that Iraq had nothing to do with 911.
The few actual terrorists that may be in Iraq now came there after, and because of, our invasion.
Most of the fighting is by Iraqis, against Iraqis and I believe it is called CIVIL WAR.
Some are obviously striking out against the invaders of their country (us).
Even if the terrorists which you are so afraid will strike here again, are in Iraq, exactly how is our fighting them there preventing them from leaving anytime they please and striking here, again?
I know you won%u2019t answer the above question because I have asked the same question of others who use that ridiculous line and none have, as yet, answered.
Money makes people do strange things.
Regards
Posted by Nancy_Naive
Sure.
and you are a pink elephant!!
weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
My son gave his life for this country. He was proud of this country, even though he was not an American yet," said Capetillo. "I want people to know that we Hispanics love this country, too."
Sorry for your loss, Mrs.Capetillo, If Hispanics love this country so much, why then, don''t you learn ENGLISH! Thats the heritage of your new country!
As a customer service rep, I''ve dealt with lots of people who enjoy bringing as much pain and misery to others as they are able. They are bullies and incognito, what a great spot to be in if you want to
shoot arrows while hiding behind a tree.
The point I''m talking about is that comment boards seem to bring out the worst in many people. In fact, unless the same people are on each message board, there are hundreds. It seems a whole lot of people would rather be degrading and demeaning than to make intelligent comments. That leaves another question which I won''t go into. This is why I spoke about people who''s purpose in life seems to be to sprinkle misery and bile wherever they go.
How do you know she isn''t learning English ***!
If you love this country why don''t you honor the families who''ve sacrificed loved ones for our freedoms?
This guy gave his life for our freedoms in more ways than one!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8mGvFzvwFM
Posted by s1ckd09 at 04:47 PM : Sep 13, 2007"
You are right to mention that. 20 % of the alledged hijackers were not saoudis, afer all !!!
(from Jon Stewart).
The few actual terrorists that may be in Iraq now came there after, and because of, our invasion.
Most of the fighting is by Iraqis, against Iraqis and I believe it is called CIVIL WAR.
Even if the terrorists which you are so afraid will strike here again, are in Iraq, exactly how is our fighting them there preventing them from leaving anytime they please and striking here, again?
Posted by jn122736 at 08:08 PM : Sep 13, 2007
First, no I''m not insinuating that the 9/11 terrorists were from Iraq. I have never even hinted at that. I said what I meant, or can''t you read? We fight the terrorists where they show themselves. And they are showing themselves in Iraq, like I said.
Second, you say "the few actual terrorists"??? You don''t pay any attention whatsover to what''s going on over there, do you? Have you ever heard of suicide bombers?
Third, yes most of the fighting is by Iraqis against Iraqis. That is called sectarian violence, not a civil war. There is a difference.
Fourth, as an obvious answer to your question "exactly how is our fighting them there preventing them from leaving anytime they please and striking here, again?" Well, this seems obvious to most people I guess, but I have yet to see a dead man walk. If the terrorists are dead, they can''t hurt us. How many of the 9/11 attackers were dead before they got on that plane?
Is that why Bush looks drawn and depressed?
If you love this country why don''''t you honor the families who''''ve sacrificed loved ones for our freedoms?
This guy gave his life for our freedoms in more ways than one!
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Posted by realpatriot1 at 09:28 AM : Sep 14, 2007
Didn''t say she wasn''t trying to learn. But most Hispanics don''t want to learn English. And yes HE did give his life for our freedom, just like others before him. And we are poorer as a nation in this family''s loss.
I think the military Command structure is WAY OVerpaid. And i think conversely the military combat troops are WAY Underpaid. Most PFCs and NonCommissioned officers make way less of salary than civilian Police and Firefighters, and on top of the near guarentee of being in combat, they are also spending months if not years away from their families and homes. Big Difference and hardship.
I think when combat troops go to combat their pay should double and their insurance policies should be 10 times that value.
Theres an inherent lack of value placed on our troops that are put in place to die by the military command and federal government. Why should a disingenuous politician that spends his career *** people while getting 5 deferrments from military draft and sends troops to die in a lie of a war, get paid as much as *** Cheney does? while the parents/sisters/brothers/cousins/sons/daughters/friends that die in combat make 1/10th what he does?
You are right to mention that. 20 % of the alleged hijackers were not saudis, after all !!!
(from Jon Stewart).
Posted by abbe91 at 09:37 AM : Sep 14, 2007
"Alleged" hijackers... I love it.
Anyway, you prove the point that many people fail to notice. The nationality of these terrorists don''t matter. WE have no reason to blame the Saudi govt. for the attacks of 9/11, but we did blame the Taliban controlled govt of Afghanistan for giving aid and shelter to Al-Qaeda.
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