Posted on 08/28/2007 7:48:11 PM PDT by RedRover
Ronald Perry and Bill Hesse have never met Marine Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, but they consider him a brother.
They will be watching with interest as Wuterich, a native of this small New England town, goes before a military judge in California this week charged with the unpremeditated murder of 18 Iraqi civilians...in the village of Haditha.
The two Vietnam-era Marines have donated to Wuterich's defense fund and helped convince the city's Marine Corps League to do the same.
Like many this small central Connecticut city, Perry and Hesse view Wuterich not as a killer, but as a patriot and hometown hero, caught in the political turmoil of an unpopular war.
"He was in charge of a group of men, Marines, and it was his job to protect them," said Perry, sitting in his office above the Marine Corps League's thrift shop downtown. "As the sergeant in charge, he did, I think, what he was supposed to do. I've been in situations relatively close to that in Vietnam, and we did the exact same thing."
< snip >
Jim Bancroft, with the pro-war group Gathering of Eagles, said the group approached Wuterich's parents about organizing a rally or fundraiser and were instead directed to a Web site to donate money.
"They are very private people," he said. "When push comes to shove, people do support his actions....We all regret the deaths of innocent civilians, but there is no proof that anyone meant to kill any civilians."
< snip >
Hesse said he believes Frank Wuterich is being made a scapegoat, and he said that is the real crime.
"You can hate the president or Congress, and love this country," he said. "You can hate war, and love a Marine."
On the Net: www.frankwuterich.com
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
Great comments by the two of you!
I was glad to see support of the local Marine Corps League. Overall the article is pretty good in portraying the town’s general support for our troops, and for one of their own that stands accused. There seem to be more positive articles about the Haditha Marines in the last several months. Hope this trend continues.
Great comments by the two of you!
I was glad to see support of the local Marine Corps League. Overall the article is pretty good in portraying the town’s general support for our troops, and for one of their own that stands accused. There seem to be more positive articles about the Haditha Marines in the last several months. Hope this trend continues.
Oh, no! Now I’ve got twitchy fingers! It must be catching.
If it’s worth saying once, then by gum, it’s worth saying twice!
I thinks that’s “uwake”.
Notchyet. U?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.