Posted on 09/14/2009 6:14:30 PM PDT by kathsua
Army officials still are not releasing any information about the death of a decorated Kansas Army National Guard member nearly two months after his body was found at Fort Sill, Okla.
On his 36th birthday, 1st Lt. Jeremy Clawson was found dead July 21 along a road near one of the firing ranges at his post in Fort Sill, Okla., according to The Associated Press. His death is being investigated by the post's Criminal Investigation Division.
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After being activated by the Guard in December 2008, 1st Lt. Clawson arrived at Fort Sill in January and was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 289th Field Artillery Regiment, 479th Field Artillery Brigade.
Chris Grey, the Criminal Investigation Division's director of public affairs, could not confirm any details about Clawson's death, including whether he had been shot or even if there were any signs of trauma to his body.
The investigation into Clawson's death is ongoing, Grey said as to why he could not release any information. He did acknowledge that in other death investigations, Army investigators have released details within hours, but not in this case.
Investigators are still waiting to receive autopsy reports, Grey said, and "the family deserves to know first."
After a memorial service was held for Clawson last month in Utah, his native state, The Deseret News reported in an Aug. 7 story that Clawson's family members still had questions about his death.
All an initial autopsy was able to confirm was that none of his organs were damaged and none of his bones were broken.
Clawson is survived by his wife, Cheyla; their daughter, Quiera; parents and siblings in Utah; and a brother in Wichita. His family members could not immediately be reached for comment.
However, Jennifer Schartz, Clawson's former journalism instructor at Barton County Community College who kept in touch with him over the years, said Clawson had been missing for about four days before his body was found.
Schartz questioned where he had been during those four days and why it took so long to find him.
She even wrote a letter to U.S. senators from Kansas asking them to help look into Clawson's death. On Friday, Schartz said she'd only heard back from Sen. Sam Brownback's office. Brownback staffers told her they could not do anything, she said.
In 2003, Clawson attended Barton County Community College in Great Bend while his wife was a dance instructor there. Before being deployed to Afghanistan in 2004, he was editor of the college's student newspaper, The Interrobang.
Clawson led a team of student journalists in covering a financial aid scheme within the college's athletic department that resulted in the convictions of the athletic director and seven coaches.
In 2004, Barton County Community College chose not to renew Schartz's position, but she later filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the college and won a summary judgment in August 2006 when the school settled out of court.
In Clawson's accomplished military career, he had also been a journalist, deploying to Afghanistan in 2004 with the Kansas National Guard's 105th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment. The detachment had also aided in disaster relief efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
Born in Granger, Utah, Clawson enlisted in the Army in 1991 and was assigned to the 1-506 Infantry TOW Company at Camp Reaves, Korea. He served two years at Fort Riley with the infantry, followed by two years with the 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.
In 2006, Clawson was commissioned by the U.S. Army for the officer candidate program, where he was recognized as a distinguished military graduate. He completed Infantry Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Ga., and also was a platoon honor graduate.
After his commission, 1st Lt. Clawson was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 137th Infantry with the Kansas National Guard in Kansas City, Kan., then was deployed to Ashraf, Iraq, with the 1161st Forward Support Company.
He earned numerous awards, including the Bronze Star, six Army commendation medals, seven Army achievement medals, three Army good conduct medals, two National Defense Service medals, Expert Infantryman badge, Parachutist badge, Air Assault and Ranger Tab.
If CID is involved, then nothing will happen.
Since that can't be accurate, not sure what else can be believed from the story.
It will be like the fire fighter/guards man from NY a few years ago at Ft. Knox. Man was found with many, read bunches of stab wounds front and back. CID determined suicide. There was lots more to that case than ever came out.
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