Whistleblower soldier faces possible court martial

washington post ^ | Nov. 1, 2004 | Lynn Duke

[epluribus unum1]

Haunted by Memories of War, A Soldier Battles The Army The strain and fear stalked him through one war, through the years that followed, then into a second war. Each dangerous convoy in Iraq -- "suicide missions," the troops called them, because they were so poorly equipped -- fueled his secret panic, his fear that one of his soldiers would die. And then one of his men did die.

His stress became a beast that grew and grew -- especially after he was turned away from an Army medical clinic last fall when he sought help in the midst of a mental collapse. The beast just overwhelmed him, just mauled him as he slept.

[FairOpinion]

Is he related to John Kerry?

[CWOJackson]

My God...talk about overly dramatic. It reads like the short description from a cheap novel.

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

Other times, on other nights that Goodrum himself describes, he'd relive those bleak seconds aboard the USS Missouri when he was in the Navy during the Persian Gulf War and an Iraqi missile drew a bead on his ship. "Brace for shock," a voice bellowed over the ship's PA. Then the countdown to impact. "Sixty yards. Fifty yards. Forty yards . . ." Goodrum, a gunner's mate, bowed his head, expecting to die. "Dear God, forgive my sins. Please watch over my mother and my brothers." A nearby British vessel saved the day, shooting the missile down 30 yards from the Missouri. Goodrum still sees the huge explosion, its yellow light, in his dreams. He cannot shake that image, or the seconds he thought were his last

Oh, Laugh Out F'n Loud. This story smells. Iraqi missiles drawing a bead on the USS Missouri, huh? Funny, but I was there on a Leahy class cruiser. Iraqi missiles weren't even on the top ten list of things we worried about. I suspect we may have our first Iraq War case of Stolen Valor.

[okie01]

Poor Lt. Goodrum.

Because he might be useful in their war against the President, the Washington Post sprays his fractured psyche over five pages.

They're using the poor soul. In the most cynical fashion...

[CWOJackson]

"This story smells. Iraqi missiles drawing a bead on the USS Missouri, huh?"

Despite it smelling I'd take the threat of a missile stike on Missouri seriously. Some members of the deck force would have gotten awfully cranky about cleaning off the scorch mark.

[CWOJackson]

It reads like a cheap romance novel. All they need is a photo of Fabio on the front cover and they are there.

[Howlin]

"It was a dark and dreary night..."

[Cold Heat]

Yeah, I did not think they measure the distance of a incomming high speed impact in "yards" either.

They would have been reading them off pretty quick.

[CWOJackson]

"His stress became a beast that grew and grew -- especially after he was turned away from an Army medical clinic last fall when he sought help in the midst of a mental collapse. The beast just overwhelmed him, just mauled him as he slept."

You could change just a few words in these two sentences and get an "R" rating.

His lust became a beast that grew and grew -- especially after he was turned away from Monica last fall when he sought help in the midst of a marital collapse. The lust just overwhelmed him, just mauled him as he slept.

[Howlin]

Get a look at that guy. He looks like he could play the Brando role in Apacolypse Now.

[CWOJackson]

How appropriate. Brando's dead also.

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

Army kept whistle-blower in locked ward By Mark Benjamin United Press International Published 5/25/2004 4:37 PM

WASHINGTON, May 25 (UPI) -- The Army kept a soldier whistle-blower in a locked psychiatric ward at its top medical center for nearly two weeks despite concern from some medical staff that he be released, according to medical records.

The Army then charged him nearly $6,000 for the stay at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, billing records show.

"They are definitely retaliating against me," said Army Reserve Lt. Jullian Goodrum, a 16-year veteran of the Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

This guy has been out there for about six months, and the Washington Post just gets around to doing a five page feature spread on him on the day before the election. Uh, huh. No bias here, folks.

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

Don't forget the cost of 5 gallons of 151 and another 5 gallons of haze gray.

[Texasforever]

This just has to be the grandson of the coward Patton slapped.

[Poodlebrain]

That had to be the slowest traveling missile in recorded history. Any countdown in ten yard increments would be indecipherable. And hasn't the Navy gone metric yet?

And how fortunate that the British were on hand to shoot down said missile only 30 yards from a friendly vessel. I guess if the British fire intercepted the missile 30 yards after it impacted with the Missouri no one would be in the least upset. I doubt we would return the favor and fire weapons within 30 yards of an ally's ship. How close was the British ship sailing when her Captain decided to come to the rescue?

[CWOJackson]

I remember reading an interview with the skipper of the Missouri when he was asked about the potential of an Exorcet attack on his ship (the journalist apparently confused the Stark's class with the Iowa's).

The CO explained that they would simply sweep up the debris and carry on.

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

I'm surprised this guy didn't get some facetime in Michael Moore's crockumentary.

[ProudVet77]

It's really pathetic. The lib sites usually hide behind a registration requirement. Even then the writers don't provide addresses. Do you think they want to hear any story but what they have written. That is why the MSM is going down the tank. I had hope el WaPO would replace the NYSlimes, but they are beyond help now in my book.

[CWOJackson]

I'm affraid I haven't seen any of Michael Moore's films. We did watch FarenHype 911 but we were pretty much lost having not seen the Moore movie.

I don't know, perhaps it was having to sit through Fargo with my wife once...I just can't sit through things like Moore makes.