Posted on 09/09/2007 2:55:08 PM PDT by RedRover
We are the proud parents of an Army Ranger. We are Curtis G. Carnahan and Anna Vela of St. Anthony, Idaho. Our son, Evan, has been wrongly accused of the murder of a military-age Iraqi male in Iraq.
Of our four children, two serve in the US Armed Forces. Evan is in the Army, and Cory is an active six-year veteran in the Navy.
Evan has served for three years and is currently a Sergeant. He is married with a family. Evan and his wife, Alyssa have two children, a son, Jarom, who is four years old, and a daughter, Blair, who is 5 months old. His unit, the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, based at Fort Richardson, Alaska, has served tough assignments in Iraq.
On or about June 23rd of 2007, our son, Sergeant Evan Vela, was engaged in combat action in Iskandariyah, one of the most dangerous areas in Iraq known as the “Triangle of Death.” Evan was a member of a sniper scout squad that operated for nearly nine continuous months behind enemy lines.
Evan has been charged with one count of premeditated murder of a military-age Iraqi male, planting weapons, false official statement, and obstruction of justice. The charges against Evan carry the possibility of confinement for life without parole.
These charges are the result of our son being put into an impossible and untenable situation in Iraq. Evan is being held in a Field Confinement Facility in Kuwait, and the Army is trying to rush him to trial in Baghdad. The Army intends to hold Evan’s trial in Iraq, even if his unit redeploys to Alaska before the trial is conducted.
We know and believe in our son. He is no murderer. For the last year, Evan has been fighting for our country and our way of life. Evan has served our country with honor, pride and distinction. Evan has proven his bravery by volunteering for the Army, becoming a paratrooper, a Ranger, an expert infantryman, and for service in Iraq.
Our son is a patriot and a hero. Evan needs help.
Our son is represented by the law firm of Gary Myers, James Culp, and Associates. Gary Myers is a former JAG Officer, and James Culp is a former JAG Officer, paratrooper and infantry sergeant. Mr. Myers and Mr. Culp only practice military law, and do so worldwide.
Mr. Myers and Mr. Culp have extended themselves greatly for our family, and are doing everything possible in defense of Evan. Though they are attempting to get Evan’s trial moved to the United States, Mr. Culp is willing to put himself in harm’s way by flying into Baghdad where the hearings are currently scheduled to be held.
We are proud Americans. We fly our country’s flag with pride at our home. We are a hard working, blue-collar family who has always believed that we could take care of our own problems, as well as those of our children. Yet in this instance, our family has exhausted all of our resources.
We have mortgaged our home, drained our savings accounts, and gotten as much help from family and friends as possible. We have given our children and our financial security to this war. What lies ahead is beyond the scope of our abilities. We have nothing more to give and desperately need your help.
We have established a trust fund for Evan. Mr. William R. Forsberg, Attorney at Law, Rexburg, Idaho has set up the fund, and Mr. Brad Smith, CPA, also of Rexburg is the fund’s Trustee.
We are appealing to our fellow Americans to help our son by contributing to the Sergeant Evan Vela Defense Fund. Your contributions can be made in person at any Key Bank office across the country, by Paypal at Sgt. Evan Vela Defense Fund or by mail at:
Evan Vela Defense Fund
Key Bank
C/O Ann Marie Chaffin
1625 Northgate Mile
Idaho Falls, ID 83401
For more information go to: Sgt. Evan Vela Defense Fund.
For more information about Gary Myers, James Culp & Associates click at the link.
Thank you.
May God bless America and our troops,
Curtis G. Carnahan & Anna Vela
There is a story on our local NBC station, KPVI Channel 6 http://www.kpvi.com/Global/story.asp?S=7043955, sorry, but i don’t know how to link this.
I take that last part back
The most likely source of weapons in a battle area are the weapons of those who’ve fled or those who’ve died.
If they’ve died, then weapons lying around probably belonged to them before they died.
Assigning weapons to bodies is NOT planting weapons on those bodies. It’s an attempt to re-create the battle.
Now, so far as a Ranger sniper mission, all I can say is that there are such things. Classified sniper missions are also reality.
If the government is willing to prosecute a classified mission, then the government should have to reveal the classified mission so decisions about it can be based on fact. Just my humble opinion.
If they claim revealing information would compromise ongoing
missions then they might get around that.
Prosecutors also love to throw the book at people, possibly to make a plea agreement more appealing.
There's got to be a way for the actual facts to be discussed. I've searched all over for info on this Iskandariyah case, and all you get from the military websites, news reports, etc. is "charged with." No info on who,what,when,where,why,how. It's frustrating.
If someone is charged there's got to be some way for his lawyers and others to ponder the facts so they can respond in defense of the soldier.
btt
Anybody out there want some flyers?
Check out Posts #21 and #22
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