War Critic Dies In Iraq, Mom Wants Answers

Mother Seeks Details Of Soldier's Death Weeks After He Co-Authored Op-Ed Criticizing War

(AP)  Gray, who grew up on a horse and cattle ranch outside the town of 25 residents, graduated with a class of just 18 from Plevna High School. He and four fellow students joined the military, and news of his death spread quickly through the 138-person town, said school secretary Lynette O'Connor.

An avid hunter and member of the school's basketball team, Gray was known to be helpful and quick with a smile.

Gray's relatives said the soldier felt so strongly about the Army that he reenlisted two or three years ago, despite the war. He loved being in uniform, they said, noting that writing the op-ed piece must have been a difficult decision.

"I thought it was pretty brave of them to do that," said Marge Griebel, who is married to Gray's grandfather. "It is good that some of us people back here can hear some of those things. They must have put a lot of thought and time into that letter before they put it out."

Griebel called Gray a hero and said the family was grief-stricken.

"It was something they knew could happen, but they just kept praying that it won't," she said.

Gray, who went by the name Tell, wrote on his MySpace page that he would like to meet past leaders, including Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.

"I have so many questions for those leaders in our time of need," Gray wrote.

But, Gray wrote that his wife was his hero, calling her "the strongest woman I know." He also talked his infant daughter, Ava Madison Gray, and his dreams for the future: "Being a good person who others can turn too in times of need. Becoming a great father."

By Associated Press Writer Monica Rohr. The AP's Matt Gouras in Helena, Mont., contributed to this report.


Update: (September 16)

The U.S. command released more details on the deadly Sept. 10 accident in Baghdad that killed seven soldiers, including two sergeants who helped write a New York Times op-ed article sharply critical of the Pentagon's assessment of the Iraq war.

Sgt. Omar Mora and Sgt. Yance T. Gray were among seven NCOs who wrote the Aug. 19 piece entitled "The War As We Saw It" expressing doubts about American gains in Iraq.

Another co-author, Staff Sgt. Jeremy Murphy, was shot in the head while the article was being written. The Army Ranger and reconnaissance team leader flown to a military hospital in the United States and expected to survive.

The U.S. command said the accident occurred in the Baghdad suburb of Shula when soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade were in an armored transport truck on their way back from a raid in which they had captured three insurgents suspected of attacks on U.S. and Iraqi soldiers.

"The unit was returning to base after the raid when their vehicle apparently lost control and fell approximately 50 feet from a highway overpass," the military said in a statement.

[rhs648]

"George Bush has been villified by his enemies every moment for the past seven years."

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

[retmilspouse]

I feel sympathy for this soldiers mom. I have been there and know how it feels to fear for your child who is in battle. But these soldiers take an oath as follows:
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.

[me4prezz]

"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."
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.

[me4prezz]

Bush, as Commander-in-Chief has the power and responsibility to give our military a clear, concise and achievable goal when sending them to war. He wanted only power.

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.

[me4prezz]

RHS648:
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.

[iluvdisney51]

Julie...I am so disappointed in your handling of BB this year. I thought you had more morals than this. Shame on you!!!

[iceman_1960]

"George Bush has been villified by his enemies every moment for the past seven years."

As was Bill Clinton the previous eight.

It comes with the job.

[iceman_1960]

Shades of Pat Tillman....

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,

[rhs648]

Correction
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.

[rhs648]

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 four years. No war is pretty yet our govenment has kept war related deaths far lower than any major war we have fought.

[rhs648]

he was murdered by our own - happens all the time. Think of all the reporters that died under mysterious circumstances... ''''you''''re either with us or against us'''' saith GWB...

Posted by jthomas12345

Do you know this for certain or are you making this up? To pass around gossip or something you made-up is wrong. There is already plenty of misinformation out there. If you can prove your accusations, we would like to see the proof.

[jthomas12345]

he was murdered by our own - happens all the time. Think of all the reporters that died under mysterious circumstances... ''you''re either with us or against us'' saith GWB...

[jthomas12345]

he was murdered by our own - happens all the time. Think of all the reporters that died under mysterious circumstances... ''you''re either with us or against us'' saith GWB...

[jthomas12345]

he was murdered by our own - happens all the time. Think of all the reporters that died under mysterious circumstances... ''you''re either with us or against us'' saith GWB...

[missingamerica]

Greenspan''s words in his new memoir: %u201CI am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil.%u201D.

[starleo146]

The best way to get our troops home would be for the Iraqi government to nationalize the oil industry. We would start pulling out promptly if that happened.

It won''''t happen because Cheney''''s boy Chalabi is in charge of the oil.

Posted by realpatriot1 at 02:22 PM : Sep 14, 2007


I just heard that Hunt oil of Texas signed a contract with the Kurds and Hunt is a close buddy to Bush and is on Bushs'' advisary board, also gave million to his campaign, has some connection to Haliburton wonder what Bush and Cheneys cut are? Oh well so much with Maliki get that oil benchmark where you all can share equally. Is all this legal?

[grazinggoat]

Very coincidental coincidence. So coincidental... What are Private Security contractors doin'' in Iraq? Who is controllin'' dem? whom do they report to? What kinda weapons do they have? ...

[twylacrat]

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!

[Krazcarl]

realpatriot1 Knew Cheney had the old crew over there for pay back but did not know they were heading up the oil side. Though it figures.

[libsluvsuvs]

uuuuhhhhhhhhhhhh I love conspiracies...

when is Micheal Moore coming out with the film version.

The liberal media loves making these allegations and conspiracies..ITS A PROFITABLE APPROACH lacking responsibility and accountability..

it is time to demand responsible news reporting and not some tabloid cra p