Requesting cards for an injured soldier

[jhain]

Just received this from a good friend. It is, sadly, 100% legitimate.

You know what to do.


And, please help keep it kicked.

You are encouraged to share Kenny’s story with others who might also wish to send a note or a card or a good thought.

Thanks,
Jude


~~~~~~~~~~


About two months ago Kenny was in the middle of
his fourth tour of Iraq and his luck ran out. He was badly injured in
an explosion and the doctors say they cannot understand how he is still
alive. His left arm was raised holding his gun. The explosion entered
his body on his left side and went out his right side.

He has lost chest muscles and endured damage to his heart, liver, spleen
stomach and other organs and the force of the blast took off his right
arm. He was flown to Germany and then to Walter Reed Hospital in
Washington D C.

His father has been with him 24/7 and his brother and sister go to
visit as often as they can. His friends were good at sending
cards and notes at first but they have slowed down to very few.

I was wondering if you and your network of friends might like to drop
him a note or a card to help pass the time while he is in rehab.


His name and address:

Sgt Kenneth J. Butler
Mologne House Hotel
6900 Georgia Ave N W
Bldg 20
Washington , D C 20307 - 5001
Att: Joe

[PDJane]

1. Yep...........

will happily do so!

[Captain Hilts]

2. How's his dad holding up?

Let me know, I live near Bethesda Naval and can get to Walter Reed if there's anything I, or my friends can do for his dad.

Feel free to send me a private message.

Mook

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Willing to do sometihng better than that

we have plenty of cingular minutes, if they can be donated, at lesat some of them, they can certainly have some of them.

Oh and sure, will send him a letter

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. His FOURTH tour??

How horrid.

I will send this out to my lists. Thanks for sharing.

[Beerboy]

5. Absolutely will do, thanks for posting this jhain!

I may not agree with how and why Sgt. Butler wound up in Iraq, but he could definitely use some words of encouragement right now, if he's awake! He's one tough SOB.:wow:
Why not take a minute to send him a note if his friends are too busy right now? Maybe the Butlers will appreciate a note from a total stranger who found them on DU.
I hope Sgt. Ken is inundated with well wishes and gratitude for his sacrifice, even though one might disagree with the overall mission.
Thanks again Jude for posting this, I'll definitely send Sgt. Butler a letter tonight!

[jhain]

6. Hope to find out more...

Kenny is a friend of a friend- just getting the news tonight, myself.

Will keep everyone posted as much as possible.

Sending many magazines asap....

-Jude

keep kicking for the west coasters.

[Beerboy]

7. R and K'd

I'm gonna log off and do it now.

[Bluebear]

8. Is there more than one Kenneth J. Butler?

http://www.legacy.com/salisburypost/Soldier/Story.aspx?PersonId=15507327

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Possible,

but good question.. and after readying it, yep more than one

The Corporal you linked to is a Corporal. His friend is a sergeant

Also at 19 (damn I know the rule about young people dying) there is no way he could do four tours, since each tour is now 15 months, and he joined at 18, late 17 with parental permission

If anything this kid was killed during his first tour, not injured in his fourth

[Beerboy]

12. Not the same Ken; see Bluebear's link,

Lance Cpl. Kenneth J. Butler View/Sign Guest Book
Lance Cpl. Kenneth J. Butler

View/Sign the Guestbook




Age: 19
Hometown: Rowan, NC
Date of Death: 10/21/2005
Incident Location: Amiriyah, Iraq

Branch of Military: Marines
Rank: Lance Cpl.
Unit: 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division
Unit's Base: Camp Lejeune, N.C.
The Kenneth Butlers of the world are braver men than I, that's for sure.

[Bluebear]

13. Thanks bb....signed bb :)

[Beerboy]

18. You can also express your condolences to the family

of Lance Cpl. Kenneth J. Butler, the one who died almost 2 years ago; there's over 12 pages of decent comments from all kinds of regular people from everywhere expressing their sympathies to the family of Ken Butler from NC that didn't make it. He was only 19.
R.I.P. and get well soon, Ken Butlers.

[Beerboy]

10. OK, done and

:kick:
It's going out in tomorrow's snail-mail.
Kick so this thread don't sink!
:kick:

[jhain]

11. Many Thanks, BB

I know they will be grateful. Anything we send can be shared with the other vets, too.

-Jude

[Beerboy]

14. Kick for Sgt. Butler!

needs another kick!:kick:

[EFerrari]

15. K&R

Thanks for posting this. :)

[JeffR]

16. K & R

Thanks for posting this!:kick:

[Beerboy]

17. still kicking, because it's important...

:dem:

[The Straight Story]

19. I'll see your kick and raise it one

:)

[Beerboy]

21. All right, I'll see that, but I'm not gonna call yet...

:kick:

[The Straight Story]

22. I got beer and smokes and can stay up all night kicking it

Best call now :) :rofl:

[Beerboy]

23. I picked up a whole case!

I'm living up to or down to my screen name, but this is a thread definitely worth kicking for Sgt. Butler.
Who knows?
It's worth a shot.
Keepin it kicked.

[The Straight Story]

24. Got a 12 pack, two 32 oz ones, and a few shots of whiskey

and the wife and daughter are asleep, so I am loading my 'shot gun' and ready to roll! :rofl:

[Beerboy]

25. I'll keep this kicked until day shift.

Some idiots type ridiculous crap @ DU regarding military history, and I might've even done so myself in the past, but you can't take away anything from Sgt. Butler. He's someone that could use everyone's vibes of good wishes for recovery and strength. Thanks Straight Story for keeping this kicked, sending letters to Sgt. Butler might make all the difference in the world.
Oh yeah, call...

[The Straight Story]

26. I can kick until the beer runs dry - you got some good youtube music by chance?

I was dealt a good kicking hand tonight :)


I am listening to this right now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsK90GWBVLY

Looking for another favorite and will update you when I find it...

[Beerboy]

27. The Goo-Goo Dolls? Ya gotta be kiddin me.

When the Goo-Goo Dolls first made a name for themselves is right about the time my TV died and never replaced it.
The world was innocent back when the Goo-Goo Dolls were topping the charts, but I'm sure the Butlers could re-apprise the slackers!:beer:

[nadinbrzezinski]

28. No worries then boys

beer's on me

:toast: :donut:

And coffee too

[The Straight Story]

29. Ok let's try something else, some country :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcqQ-wxq3h4

Chokes me up every time :)

[Beerboy]

31. Nah, country ain't it either.

If anything, the roots of propagandistic hate films should be studied back to the roots of their technology in the West.
We're the ones with the technology, but a lot of people seem to want to conflate the USA with nazi Deutschland. As if American power is a direct result of the Third Reich.
This might be heresy, so if you think so, flame on:beer:
I could be entirely wrong too.

[The Straight Story]

32. Nothing wrong with propaganda

If it is getting your ideas out there :)

And the other thing with propaganda - it takes a willing ear to hear it. People have to want what it is saying. And that is what is scary to me about it all.

No flames here from me, it could turn into an interesting discussion...

[Beerboy]

34. The only thing I can see wrong with propaganda

is that it's a governmentally funded by the taxpayers p.o.v., and the Government/IRS has monopoly of legal use of force, these are the reasons I distrust certain agencies of the Federal government. I think my definition of propaganda is when the central government pays film-makers to make pro-Government films from taxpayer funded 'investments' and 'endowments'.

[The Straight Story]

30. Or how about 2 videos I made:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGOq-M1dFHw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-10_iPus9g

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. Kick

[sanskritwarrior]

33. Hmmm

I know this will make me sound like a dick but the only Kenneth J. Butler currently in the military is in New Jersey, he is an Army Sergeant, but he is not deployed......I called the unit and asked.

There was a Kenneth J. Butler (USMC) killed in Iraq in 2005.........He was a Lance Cpl.

The Kenneth J. Butler who is alive and well right now is a mechanic for the New Jersey National Guard, the Kenneth J. Butler who died in 2005 was an Infantryman. I hope this story is case of mistaken identity and not something more nefarious.

http://www.defenselink.mil/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=8991

I checked AKO which allows me to now search all branches and there is only one Sergeant Kenneth J. Butler on Activy Duty in the Guard or the Reserves for all military branches.........He is alive and not injured, so either this story is a case of mistaken identity, 2 years old, or someone is doing something quite sick, trying to manipulate DUers feelings..........

[Beerboy]

35. Is he not currently deployed because half of his torso is missing?

I don't know, it could be that.

[sanskritwarrior]

47. Look friend

I am in the military, I used my AKO account to check, this guy is not missing anything, he is not deployed anywhere. He deployed in 2004, his only deployment. There is only one Kenneth J. Butler currently serving in the military in any branch and he is quite alive and quite unwounded.........

[Beerboy]

36. All of this is quite clear,

no one is confusing the Lance Corporal Kenneth J. Butler who died in 2005 with Sgt. Kenneth Butler who still lives.

[jhain]

43. thanks for that.

The departed Kenny seems to have been only 19 years old. Damn PNAC.

Good job with the kicking, by the way!

[sanskritwarrior]

49. The current Sgt Butler is not injured so

yes there is some serious shenaningans going on.........

[Beerboy]

37. One more kick for Sgt. Butler!

:dem:

[The Straight Story]

38. Had a few more and I am building a Tiki Bar on the back porch

and a Kick!

[Beerboy]

41. So do you think the USA will just go to default-Islam?

It could happen, however unlikely.
Let's look at the probabilities, if you got the guts.

[The Straight Story]

42. Oh I got the guts - and I think I know where it is all headed

Still up and want to discuss it?

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

39. K & R. nt.

[eridani]

40. I can't help but think of that dying kid in Britain that requested postcards from all over the world

Apparently there was such a kid years ago, but every now and then the email starts circulating again and the hospital starts getting postcards. Are you sure of the date on this request?

[jhain]

45. yes, I am sure.

It is my good friend's Mother's best friend's great- nephew.

I hope to have better details over the weekend.

[tblue37]

44. Books would be good too--perhaps especially

graphic novels. Young people really enjoy those.

Books on tape perhaps, too help pass the time--and to take him away from his pain and sadness.

If he has a TV available, DVDs and videotapes of movies, especially comedies.

[jhain]

46. I will be asking these questions asap n/t

[sanskritwarrior]

48. Guys I'm being serious

there is one Kenneth J Butler in the military right now he is an E-5 in the New Jersey National Guard, he is in an aviation unit. He is not in Iraq right now, he has not been in Iraq recently........The only Kenneth J Butler to be wounded/and or killed in Iraq is the young man from 2005.........

I would like to see a link, I would like to see someone google Kevin J. Butler, most wounded are talked about in their hometown papers, the more severly wounded the person the more likely a story about them exists. I seriously want to believe this, I am a soldier for fucks sakes and would never say a person doesn't exist, but DU has been played before about fake wounded soldiers.......I caught the last two and this one smells very very funky. I hope I am truly wrong about my suspicions.........