Hell on trial: Charges against troops keep coming

Defend Our Troops ^ | 17 January 2008 | Nathaniel R. Helms

[RedRover]

Jim Culp, from paratrooper to military attorney:

___________________________________

Nat Helms is a Contributing Editor to Defend Our Troops and its sister site, Defend Our Marines. He is a Vietnam veteran, former police officer, war correspondent, and, most recently, author of My Men Are My Heroes: The Brad Kasal Story (Meredith Books, 2007).

[RedRover]

[AliVeritas]

Heads up.

WSII in effect.

[MrEdd]

Ping

[RedRover]

Sgt Evan Vela is the nephew of Freeper bigheadfred (but don't hold that against the boy!). To help Sgt Vela, visit DefendOurTroops.org for links.

You'll also find a link for Sgt Trevino's defense fund and additional information.

[Girlene]

I thought they were dropping the charge of planting a weapon for Sgt. Vela since Hensley, his superior, admitted he planted a weapon. Anybody know?

His beef is with the officers and senior NCOs he said abandoned him when the going got tough. There is a lot of that going around in Iraq these days. The Iraq War may also be the first war in history where senior officers – the guardians of military honor – take the Fifth...

That part does seem disturbing.

[Lancey Howard]

Thank you for your integrity, honor, and leadership, President and Commander-in-Chief George W. Bush.

[A. Morgan]

These young men, these Defenders of America, are in my every prayer.

[Just A Nobody]

Political correctness applied to war gives insanity of human conflict a bad name

It's pandemic.....

"If we don't get over being politically correct, we won't be here as a country."

WAKE UP AMERICA! Defend our Troops!

[LjubivojeRadosavljevic]

"Jim Culp is a former Army paratrooper turned Berkeley-law school grad who represents the entire conservative wing of his law school class."

Oh, I see. In other words, he's representing himself. :-) /s

[wtc911]

No rest in sight for the honorable Mr. Culp.

[crazydad]

Dang if this is the standard to prosecute our brave soldiers then half the men that fought the japanese should be put on trial. We didn’t take prisoners in the pacific. Most of the time.

[lilycicero]

WAKE UP AMERICA! Defend our Troops!

I hear you.

[4woodenboats]

The defense maintains that commanders gave an order to kill all military-aged males the unit encountered on an island in Tharthar Lake, 60 miles northwest of Baghdad, a suspected Al Qaeda base. The accused claimed that Col. Michael D. Steele, gave orders to "kill all military age males" on the objective. Steele received a letter of reprimand for his actions and was granted immunity from the 101st Airborne Division Commander.

Col. Steele gets a reprimand, and the soldiers who did what he ordered them to do have already been convicted of murder and are facing the death penalty?

Talk about a mega WTF!!

[Americanexpat]

We did the same to the Germans too, just not on the scale of the Japs. But in all fairness the Japs did not want to surrender because they thought it was dishonorable. Many times they forced our soldiers and Marines to kill them because they wanted to take one of ours with them. The Germans killed a lot of American POWs and they used to kill our paratroopers without mercy and our guys returned the favor.

This same thing happened in Korea and Vietnam. They really started coming down hard on GIs in Vietnam. Now our soldiers need to retain a lawyer when they go into combat.

[bigheadfred]

The last I heard they were going to drop the planting a weapon charge. There is talk or it is an actuality that they were going to reduce from premeditated murder to a lesser charge. Been on one of my micro-vacations where I stare blankly at the ceiling dreaming of sunnier days so I’ll have to update the info.
Anxiously awaiting the motions hearing. The judge may grant the immunity to Hensley and Sandoval. That hearing is on Friday.
When Curt was in Iraq last he said there were mortars landing around on ocasion. And now Evan’s wife is slated to attend the trial. Don’t really want to see any of these people in harms way. To force civilians into a war zone is to me completely uncalled for.

[Girlene]

When Curt was in Iraq last he said there were mortars landing around on ocasion. And now Evan’s wife is slated to attend the trial. Don’t really want to see any of these people in harms way. To force civilians into a war zone is to me completely uncalled for.

I hear that. That's just one more aspect to the way this case has been handled that makes no sense.

The judge may grant the immunity to Hensley and Sandoval. That hearing is on Friday.

Well it would only make sense after Sgt. Vela was forced to testify at their trials. If they are granted immunity, is there any reason they won't testify (meaning on advice of their lawyers)?

[bigheadfred]

Hey, I can’t believe Nat would refer to Evan’s original JAG as a lousy Lawyer. I guess he didn’t refer to Captain Steel by name. If he had referred the Capt. Steel as a lousy lawyer ‘ol monkey boy bighead would probably never hear the end of it. Kinda like last time.

[Gene Eric]

I have no confidence these cases are being handled in a prudent manner.

[freema]

Nat Helms on Sgt. Evan Vela and SSgt. Raymond Girouard