War Critic Dies In Iraq, Mom Wants Answers
The mother of an Army sergeant who died in a Baghdad vehicle accident weeks after writing a New York Times op-ed critical of the Pentagon's positive assessment of the Iraq war said Wednesday she wants the Army to explain his death.
"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the weeks since writing the piece with six other active duty U.S. soldiers, Mora had seemed increasingly depressed and withdrawn.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."
© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "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."
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As was Bill Clinton the previous eight.
It comes with the job.
Posted by Iceman_1960
Iceman you are correct. My comment was directed at the Bush''s "free ride" comment from another poster
Each person enlisting in an armed force shall take the following oath: ''''I, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.''''
So that does not mean that they cannot disagree in private with the orders that they are given. But any public display of that disagreement should not be allowed. It only puts all of the soldiers in jeopardy. Do they think that they are the only 6 military members in history to ever disagree with an action that they were ordered to be a part of? I think not.
I appreciate their service to our country and am so very sorry they paid for it with their lives. My condolences go to each of the family members and their friends.
If you want to play soldier, I suggest a video game."
Sharncedar
You are kidding me right? Those soldiers make *** for money. Many of the foot soldiers struggle to make ends meet. Do not confuse the power/money hungry makers of war with those that are left to carry it out.
Bush has a responsibility to the military and to the public to uphold the Constitution, the lessons of the past, and to basic human dignity and rights. In his war on "terror", he has caused an entire nation of civilians, who were given no rights or decisions into our takeover of their country, to live a life of terror. They have no electricity, running water, or basic human needs that we take for granted, even by just turning on our computer. Entire families are massacred. Generations wiped out. They bury their dead by the hundreds to thousands every month.
We suffered greatly on 9/11, but the people of Iraq suffer 9/11 every day of their lives. In our grief, Bush used our fear, horror and growing anger to take on a war that was for personal and political agenda and had no real care for the people that lived there.
Bush has been vilified and rightly so. He abused the power, responsibility, trust, and moral obligation to Americans, and the people of other nations around the world. Bush is the terrorist for disregarding basic human rights in his rush to exploit the people of Iraq for what? Not a *** thing other than power and money.
The war in Iraq has killed many more civilians than 9/11 did. We should never, ever forget 9/11, nor should we forget Pearl Harbor, Iwo Jima or any other important military or civilian battle ever fought.
But how quickly you forget that we went to war to search for weapons of mass destruction, which were never found, and to stop the mastermind behind 9/11, which we still haven''t done.
The USA has the largest number of WMD in the world. We are the only country to have ever used WMD in wartime...not once, but twice. We killed over 200,000 civilians..not militants...in our use of WMD.
Part 1 of note.
As was Bill Clinton the previous eight.
It comes with the job.
Some troops set to testify about atrocities committed by Americans in Iraq were also killed recently.
Of course this should be fully investigated by impartial and disinterested investigators.
We don''t want any lingering suspicions about this,
Did you really say "slander Bush"? I can''''''''t believe it. Are you really that dumb? He''''''''s been given a free ride for 7 years. Those who even criticize him don''''''''t last long, much less "slander" him!
Posted by twylacrat
There has been no free ride for George Bush. George Bush has been villified by his enemies every moment for the past seven years. The remarks, the accusations, and the name calling has been constant. Perhaps George Bush should have treated the presideny as a popularity contest instead of trying to combat world terrorism. People seem to forget that 9/11 killed as many Americans (in America) as the war in Iraq in six years. No war is pretty yet our govenment has kept war related deaths far lower than any major war we have fought.
Posted by twylacrat
There has been no free ride for George Bush. George Bush has been villified by his enemies every moment for the past seven years. The remarks, the accusations, and the name calling has been constant. Perhaps George Bush should have treated the presideny as a popularity contest instead of trying to combat world terrorism. People seem to forget that 9/11 killed as many Americans (in America) as the war in Iraq in four years. No war is pretty yet our govenment has kept war related deaths far lower than any major war we have fought.