Jessica Lynch
Ambush, explosions and caught behind enemy lines! First "access" to the Jessica Lynch TV movie and the actress who's playing Private Lynch...
(Yes, that's really what it says on their site.)
Posted on 09/17/2003 11:23:07 AM PDT by Lurker
507th weapon records gone
Laura Cruz
El Paso Times
The ambush
Killed
# Pvt. Ruben Estrella-Soto, El Paso.
# Chief Warrant Officer 2 Johnny Villareal Mata, Pecos.
# Spc. Jamaal R. Addison, Roswell, Ga.
# Pfc. Howard Johnson II, Mobile, Ala.
# Spc. James Kiehl, Comfort, Texas.
# Pvt. Brandon Sloan, Bedford Heights, Ohio.
# Pfc. Lori Piestewa, Tuba City, Ariz.
# Sgt. Donald R. Walters, Salem, Ore.
# Master Sgt. Robert J. Dowdy, Cleveland.
# Pfc. Edward Anguiano of the 3rd Forward Support Battalion.
# Sgt. George Buggs of the 3rd Forward Support Battalion.
Captured
# Spc. Edgar Hernandez, Alton, Texas.
# Spc. Joseph Hudson, Alamogordo.
# Spc. Shoshana Johnson, El Paso.
# Pfc. Patrick Miller, Walter, Kan.
# Sgt. James Joseph Riley, Pennsauken, N.J.
# Pfc. Jessica Lynch, Palestine, W.Va.
# Piestewa died while a prisoner.
The U.S. Army on Tuesday revealed that all records and documents about the weapons that jammed during the March 23 ambush that led to the death of nine Fort Bliss soldiers were destroyed in the Iraqi attack and that there is no way to trace the weapons' histories.
The Army, responding to an El Paso Times request under the Freedom of Information Act, said any official information about the weapons used by Fort Bliss' 507th Maintenance Company was lost on a supply truck taken into combat.
An official report on the ambush near Nasiriyah said that several weapons, including M-16s, M249 Squad Automatic Weapons and a .50-caliber machine gun, jammed or failed to operate properly during the firefight.
The disclosure that the records were lost shocked, bewildered and further angered relatives of soldiers who were killed in the early morning ambush, which is among the worst losses for the U.S. military during Operation Iraqi Freedom. In addition to the nine Fort Bliss soldiers killed, two from the 3rd Forward Support Battalion were killed, five soldiers were wounded, and seven soldiers were taken prisoner.
"Capt. Troy King (507th commander) stated that he does not have any historical data on weapons involved in the enemy contact," June Bates, Fort Bliss freedom of information officer, said in a written response. "He lost his motorpool truck and all documentation."
Bates said King's records, which were kept in the motor pool, were stored in his supply truck, which was also "involved in the enemy contact."
The official 507th report, which was released by the Army on July 17, suggests that the "malfunctions may have resulted from inadequate individual maintenance in a desert environment."
Nancili Mata, the widow of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Johnny Villareal Mata, who was killed in the ambush, said she was shocked to learn that no duplicate records were kept on the weapons.
"They should have copies here. It doesn't sound right," she said. "They are blaming the soldiers for not keeping their weapons clean, but my husband knew better than that. He did everything right."
Arlene Walters, mother of Sgt. Donald R. Walters, who died in the attack and would have celebrated his 34th birthday Tuesday, said her son was dedicated to his job and to details. She said she finds it hard to believe that her son's weapon wasn't kept clean.
"He kept his guns as clean as can be," she said. "He even talked to his dad about it."
Because the circumstances surrounding the death of Walters are unclear, his parents continue to ask questions about anything involving their son, including the history of his weapon.
"Nothing surprises me anymore, but what I don't understand is why would you carry that kind of information into a battlefield," Arlene Walters asked. "It seems to me that if those weapons were issued out at Fort Bliss, then the records should have stayed at Fort Bliss."
Ruben Estrella, father of 18-year-old Pvt. Ruben Estrella-Soto, from El Paso, said he no longer believes anything the Army tells him.
"They told me that my son was shot in the head, and now they are saying that he was struck by a tank," he said. "I think the Army or the government is hiding something, but sooner or later the truth will be told."
Fort Bliss responds
The El Paso Times had requested the history of 31 weapons the soldiers carried during the ambush. The request sought information about weapon repairs, the weapons' ages, and the manufacturer and condition of each weapon assigned to the 507th soldiers involved in the attack.
Officials at the Department of Defense referred all questions to Fort Bliss officials.
Jean Offutt, Fort Bliss spokeswoman, said that taking all data regarding a company's weapons into battle is standard practice.
"When we deployed, all our active-duty soldiers had to take their documents with them because we mobilized a lot of reservists who lived in the emptied barracks," Offutt said. "So all of their personnel files as well as files on weapons were taken with them."
Because personnel files were lost in the ambush and no duplicates exist, the 507th is now trying to re-create the information. Also, Offutt said, some of the weapons the 507th used haven't been recovered.
"But shortly before the soldiers deployed, all of the weapons were certified and serviceable," Offutt said. "The weapons were fired on the firing range before they deployed."
I don't believe I have. I know that the problems we had were a combination of the MILSPEC oil and over-oiling when we cleaned the weapons. Our small arms instructors had all taught us to leave a light coating of oil on the metal parts of the weapon to prevent rust in high humidity. This doesn't work well. The oil collected fine dust and the weapons wouldn't cycle.
We started going outside the supply channels for our weapons lube and made sure we ran dry patches through them after we cleaned them until there was no oil left.
Another problem that can cause what the Army experienced is if the weapon was packed in Cosmoline (sp?) and you don't get it all off. We once got a shipment of equipment that had been used in Vietnam and it was all packed in cosmoline. That stuff was terrible to get off. Everything had to be completely broken down and cleaned with strong solvents or steam-cleaned.
Not true. Criticize the 507th for whatever you feel they deserve criticism for. No argument from me about the reason the weapons jammed, that had been settled I thought, long ago. My argument is against pointing at Lynch as the focus of the 507ths problems.
I see you assume that the question was reported just as it was asked. I am sure the ARMY means any records that would have any bearing whatever on this matter. What you asked about would give us about as much information as the heat treat numbers from the blast furnace where the steel was produced.
Maintenance records are kept at the troop/company/battery level. I'm sure that many years of records (depending on current DoD requirements) are back at their home post, but only current ones would have any meaning. Those being destroyed is not odd if the armorer's vehicle was hit.
I agree. I'm simply offering my explanation as to what I think happened. If I were in command of a rear echelon unit going into Iraq, I'd have 'em as well prepared to defend themselves as the infantry. One problem with the modern American way of war is that we move so fast that there is no longer a well defined rear area.
Jessica Lynch
Ambush, explosions and caught behind enemy lines! First "access" to the Jessica Lynch TV movie and the actress who's playing Private Lynch...
(Yes, that's really what it says on their site.)
So, when the trials of the snipers take place, every thread about the case is going to have an obligatory cheif Moose reset?
Great.
Well, no one says you have to like it, and no one says you have to read any threads on it, either, newbie. Chief Moose is probably the ONLY reason most will ever read threads about it. That, and the peripheral Islamic Whacko angle. ;0)
You may want to go back and read the report again, then come back with more accurate information. There are exactly TWO (count them. One... Two...) mentions of Lynch in the Official Army Report - here are the ONLY two mentions of PFC Lynch:
Page 18: Peistewa survived but died in captivity of injuries and PFC Lynch was captured.
Page 19: Lynch was rescued from an Iraqi hospital April 1.
Now, where, exactly, in the report does it say she was 'out cold'? Hmmm...? Try again. Thanks.
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