Army lied about how my son died in Iraq: Friendly-fire victim was 'misidentified' as enemy gunman

[RamboLiberal]

Source: NY Daily News

WASHINGTON - Army brass in Iraq whitewashed an incident of a soldier killed by his own lieutenant by blaming the dead hero, stonewalling his family and promoting his killer, the Daily News has learned.

The friendly-fire victim, Pfc. David Sharrett, 27, of Oakton, Va., was "misidentified" by 1stLt. Timothy Hanson as an enemy gunman during a botched night raid Jan. 16, 2008, against an Al Qaeda in Iraq stronghold north of Baghdad, the Army belatedly acknowledged.

Sharrett bled to death as his buddies searched frantically for him for 25 minutes after the firefight ended.

For four months after the Army knew the truth, it still insisted to Sharrett's father that he was killed by enemy fire - and gave only a temporary wrist slap to Hanson under pressure from the families of Sharrett and two other G.I.s killed in the clash.

After The News uncovered new video evidence and raised questions, a 101st Airborne Division general said the probe into Sharrett's death may reopen.


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/03/31/2009-03-31_army_lied_about_how_my_son_died_in_iraq_.html

---

Pfc. David Sharrett (l.) with his dad, David, at Fort Benning, Ga

[sakabatou]

1. Sounds A LOT like the Tillman case

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. My Marine Lt. Col. pal -

he hates GOPigs more than I do, I think - tells me that the numbers of friendly fire deaths are so high, if the information were ever made public, the American public would rise up and we'd be out of Afghanistan and Iraq in a big hurry.

Chilling, no?

Our soldiers are so poorly trained for this sort of nonsense, they're killing each other. Then the higher-ups teach them how to lie about how their brother soldiers died.

Nice, for sure................................

[Downwinder]

5. Thats what lieutenants are for,

getting you killed. Then, if they survive, they are promoted to the cover up squad.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

6. Yep .....

It's sad but true.

Horrible. And calling it that oxymoron "friendly fire" doesn't make it any less deadly.

[MadMaddie]

9. Collin Powell was one of those soldiars that got promoted

for trying to cover up Mai Li in Vietnam.

[The abyss]

11. That is correct.

Mai Li would not be exposed until the pilot of a helicopter that was requested for support into the zone was released from military service.

Mr. Powell was at the time assigned to southern command and assigned the duty of burying.

Anyone got current documentation?

[MadMaddie]

12. I remember reading a lot of material about Mai Li in a couple

of years ago. I haven't read anything recent.

[The abyss]

13. Please allow me to link a small piece of history

Mr. Hugh Thompson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lai_massacre#Helicopter_intervention

A true hero. Unlike the people that attempted to bury this debacle.

Edit: can't spell worth shit!

[MadMaddie]

14. And Powell marched all the way to the WH unscathed by his

lies. That's why I had no sympathy for him when he claims he was duped when he gave the speech about WMD.

[The abyss]

16. Acknowledged.

May Mr. Thompson’s spirit fly true!

[leftchick]

20. cheney, wolfowitz, kissinger

the list goes on and on for people being celebrated when they are in fact war criminals.

[lostnotforgotten]

2. All The Best To The Families - This Stuff Is Devastating News And The Worst Kind Of Deception

eom

[gratuitous]

4. Joining the military isn't a suicide pact

When the country has broken faith with its military volunteers, they're under no constraint to remain loyal. All that oo-rah, gung-ho serve your country and fight for freedom jazz is just so much balloon juice to keep the proles in line. There's no honor, no discipline, no esprit de corps and no integrity in episodes like this, just a bunch of guys all trying to save their own skins. "The probe into Sharrett's death may reopen." And it may very well not reopen. And in either case, justice will be a damned scarce commodity.

Sorry you got suckered, Private Sharrett. You look like a nice guy from your photo. You surely deserved better, and I wish your father nothing but the best. He looks like a nice guy, too.

[d_r]

7. David

I am so sorry to read this. I am saying a prayer and sending hope that you and your family find peace.

[Jefferson23]

8. Always worse to lie, but they do it anyway, disgraceful.

RIP Pfc. David Sharrett

[Fido Dido]

10. Someone should go to jail for that

Playing with the truth about the death of one's relatives is a crime that should be punished severely.

[DustyJoe]

15. A continued travesty

I am so sorry for your loss and so humbled by your sons service.

I am a survivor of friendly fire 41 years ago during the Tet battle south of Saigon. I was with the 199th Lt. Infantry and was hit by a rocket fired by one of our gunships at a bunker in front of my position. The telegram my family received was that it was hostile fire. While spending 3 months in a US Army hospital I asked about the discrepancy and asked that clarification be supplied for my family. I was threatened with a medical discharge if I mentioned it to anyone. Of course in 1968 a GI with a medical discharge was unemployable, so I kept my mouth shut.

I feel for you, your family and especially your son. Yes, these things happen, but full disclosure and accountability must be made. I was with the 101st before I shipped to Vietnam and I can only say to your sons memory, he was a great soldier for having served and gave his all, and deserves better from his brothers in arms.

My warmest regards RamboLiberal

[RamboLiberal]

17. That was the headline to the story per LBN rules

Sorry if it was misleading. The soldier in the story is not related to me nor do I know him.

[DustyJoe]

18. No Problem

Just struck an old buried chord inside me.

[saigon68]

19. Nothing to see move along

Meanwhile the religious war against Islam and 19 nut cases with box cutters goes on