A year ago I was charged with two counts of premeditated murder and with other war crimes related to my service in Iraq. My wife and mother sat in a Camp Lejeune courtroom for five days while prosecutors painted me as a monster; then autopsy evidence blew their case out of the water, and the Marine Corps dropped all charges against me ["Marine Officer Cleared in Killing of Two Iraqis," news story, May 27, 2005].
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/27/AR2006052700846.html
I'm very familiar with his story, and I'm very familiar with how the MSM operates. They are doing their Murtha best to spread the propaganda. Disgusting.
TG you were cleared, what a horrible experience to endure.
Sir, Thank You for your service to our country!
Peach, Thank you for your dedicated service to this country. These people should get a standard response. "Fight for your own freedom, or we will do it for you. No bitching allowed if you don't like the results." If our military won't support our boys, they aren't going to have many more that will make the sacrifice.
I remember hearing so much of your story on Savage. I have mixed feelings about Savage, but he was on top of this story and he talked about illegals long before it was a hot topic. At any rate, I was glad for your outcome.
You're Pantano?
I hope you at least got an apology. Congratulations on being cleared and thank you for your service to my country- I want you to know that I for one greatly appreciate what you did.
Thanks for posting the link to the letter from Marine Lt. Pantano, it's an excellent example of why no one should should be quick to fall in with the likes of Murtha, especially those here at FR.
Here's the entire letter, I believe it's worth posting again.
Mr. Murtha's Rush to Judgment
Sunday, May 28, 2006; B06
A year ago I was charged with two counts of premeditated murder and with other war crimes related to my service in Iraq. My wife and mother sat in a Camp Lejeune courtroom for five days while prosecutors painted me as a monster; then autopsy evidence blew their case out of the water, and the Marine Corps dropped all charges against me ["Marine Officer Cleared in Killing of Two Iraqis," news story, May 27, 2005].
So I know something about rushing to judgment, which is why I am so disturbed by the remarks of Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) regarding the Haditha incident ["Death Toll Rises in Haditha Attack, GOP Leader Says," news story, May 20]. Mr. Murtha said, "Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood."
In the United States, we have a civil and military court system that relies on an investigatory and judicial process to make determinations based on evidence. The system is not served by such grand pronouncements of horror and guilt without the accuser even having read the investigative report.
Mr. Murtha's position is particularly suspect when he is quoted by news services as saying that the strain of deployment "has caused them [the Marines] to crack in situations like this." Not only is he certain of the Marines' guilt but he claims to know the cause, which he conveniently attributes to a policy he opposes
Members of the U.S. military serving in Iraq need more than Mr. Murtha's pseudo-sympathy. They need leaders to stand with them even in the hardest of times. Let the courts decide if these Marines are guilty. They haven't even been charged with a crime yet, so it is premature to presume their guilt -- unless that presumption is tied to a political motive.
ILARIO PANTANO
Jacksonville, N.C.
The writer served as a Marine enlisted man in the Persian Gulf War and most recently as a platoon commander in Iraq.
© 2006 The Washington Post Company
Thank you for your service.
Thanks, Peach. I love the letter - he sums things up quite nicely.
Thank you for your service to your country. You have strength of character that drive small men like Murtha to bitter envy.
Words fail me. Thank you for your service and I am sorry you had to go through that.