Soldier Not Killed in Action; Kin Not Told

[Kadie]

Soldier Not Killed in Action; Kin Not Told
By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer
6 minutes ago



WASHINGTON - The Army said Saturday it knew for more than a year after 1st Lt. Kenneth Ballard's death in Iraq in May 2004 that he was not killed in action, as it initially reported. The family was not told the truth until Friday.

Ballard's mother, Karen Meredith, of Mountain View, Calif., said in a telephone interview that she is angry and will press for a full explanation. She is a public critic of the war and has attended anti-war protests in Crawford, Texas, outside President Bush's ranch, with grieving mother and peace activist Cindy Sheehan.

Meredith said she blames the Army's error on official incompetence, not an intent to cover up the truth.

"This news is stunning to me," she said. "People in the Army knew this news for 15 months, and why they couldn't be bothered to tell me the truth when this first happened and to have me go through this pain 15 months later is unconscionable on the part of the Army. It's a betrayal to my son's service," she said.

In a letter hand-delivered to her Friday in Mountain View, she said Army Secretary Francis Harvey wrote, "I sincerely apologize to you for the unfortunate series of events that resulted in your not being informed."

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050910/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/army_accidental_death

[babylonsister]

1. They couldn't be bothered telling the truth, but they COULD be

bothered to fabricate an elaborate lie. How I detest these bastards!

"On Memorial Day in 2004, the day after Kenneth Ballard died, the Army informed his family that he had been killed by enemy fire while on a combat mission in the south-central Iraqi city of Najaf. In a casualty announcement from June 1, the Pentagon said Ballard died "during a firefight with insurgents."

The Army disclosed on Saturday that Ballard, 26, actually died of wounds from the accidental discharge of a M240 machine gun on his tank after his platoon had returned from battling insurgents in Najaf."

[berni_mccoy]

2. Something doesn't smell right

I read that too... WHY LIE if it was an accident?

I wonder if they didn't want to bring charges up on whoever may have killed him...

I find it hard to believe that one of those guns would go off by BACKING INTO A BRANCH... they have safeties just like any other gun...

[TomInTib]

3. Think it had anything to do with Mom/Cindy

"Guess what, bitch? No hero, just buzzard's luck"

Letter from SecArmy was hand-delivered.

[DeepModem Mom]

4. Army changes story about soldier's death (his mother was at Camp Casey)

CNN/AP: Army changes story about soldier's death
Army knew for a year he was not killed in action
Saturday, September 10, 2005; Posted: 1:48 p.m. EDT


WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. Army said Saturday it knew for more than a year that 1st Lt. Kenneth Ballard was not killed in action in Iraq, as it initially reported.

The family was not told the truth until Friday.

Ballard's mother, Karen Meredith, of Mountain View, California, is a public critic of the war. She traveled last month to Crawford, Texas, to participate in the protest outside President Bush's ranch by another grieving mother, peace activist Cindy Sheehan.

On Memorial Day in 2004, the day after Kenneth Ballard died, the Army informed his family that he had been killed by enemy fire while on a combat mission in the south-central Iraqi city of Najaf.

The Army disclosed Saturday that Ballard, 26, actually died of wounds from the accidental discharge of a M240 machine gun on his tank after his platoon had returned from battling insurgents in Najaf....


http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/10/iraq.armydeath.ap.ap/index.html

[truthpusher]

5. Army Kept Truth of GI's Death From Family (Mother Protested in Crawford)

http://www.idahopress.com/articles/2005/09/10/ap/headlines/d8chl4lg2.txt

Posted: 09/10/05 - 05:05:15 pm MDT
-------------------
Army Kept Truth of GI's Death From Family
By ROBERT BURNS
Associated Press
-------------------
WASHINGTON - The Army said Saturday it knew for more than a year after 1st Lt. Kenneth Ballard's death in Iraq in May 2004 that he was not killed in action, as it initially reported. The family was not told the truth until Friday.

Ballard's mother, Karen Meredith, of Mountain View, Calif., said in a telephone interview that she is angry and will press for a full explanation. She is a public critic of the war and has attended anti-war protests in Crawford, Texas, outside President Bush's ranch, with grieving mother and peace activist Cindy Sheehan.
Meredith said she blames the Army's error on official incompetence, not an intent to cover up the truth.

"This news is stunning to me," she said. "People in the Army knew this news for 15 months, and why they couldn't be bothered to tell me the truth when this first happened and to have me go through this pain 15 months later is unconscionable on the part of the Army. It's a betrayal to my son's service," she said.

(snip)

On Memorial Day in 2004, the day after Kenneth Ballard died, the Army informed his family that he had been killed by enemy fire while on a combat mission in the south-central Iraqi city of Najaf. In a casualty announcement from June 1, the Pentagon said Ballard died "during a firefight with insurgents."

The Army disclosed on Saturday that Ballard, 26, actually died of wounds from the accidental discharge of a M240 machine gun on his tank after his platoon had returned from battling insurgents in Najaf.

(snip)

On May 22, approaching the one-year anniversary of her son's death, Meredith wrote in a Web posting, "One year ago you were killed by a snipers bullet. They said you were killed instantly. There is not a minute that goes by that I do not remember answering the phone and hearing I regret to inform you."

(snip)

complete story: http://www.idahopress.com/articles/2005/09/10/ap/headlines/d8chl4lg2.txt

[6000eliot]

6. This sounds awfully fishy to me.

[napi21]

7. What prompted this new disclosure? Surely it wasn't a guilty concience!

What did this mother do to make them tell the truth?

Whatever it was, maybe every family should do the same thing. If the military is lying, it needs to be uncovered!

[FreeStateDemocrat]

8. Echo of Pat Tillman high profile cover up, Pentagon lies & propaganda

[gratuitous]

15. Yep, it's part of the liturgy

Our national myth of redemptive violence requires that every soldier go down in a life-and-death struggle with the enemy. Pat Tillman and Jessica Lynch were both initially portrayed as being killed or captured while locked in mortal combat with a remorseless, relentless enemy, an enemy that deserves only death.

The truth doesn't serve the myth that we will overcome terroristic violence with more violence, so the truth goes on furlough while the myth is pressed into full service.

[Lindacooks]

9. So he's alive? Is that what they are saying?

Very poorly written article.

[caligirl]

10. Army Kept Truth of GI's Death From Family

Another one misled.
(Tilman was the other)


http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/09/10/national/w143815D73.DTL


09-10) 19:59 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) --

The Army said Saturday it knew for more than a year after 1st Lt. Kenneth Ballard's death in Iraq in May 2004 that he was not killed in action, as it initially reported. The family was not told the truth until Friday.

Ballard's mother, Karen Meredith, of Mountain View, Calif., said in a telephone interview that she is angry and will press for a full explanation. She is a public critic of the war and has attended anti-war protests in Crawford, Texas, outside President Bush's ranch, with grieving mother and peace activist Cindy Sheehan.

Meredith said she blames the Army's error on official incompetence, not an intent to cover up the truth.>>>>>>>>>

[countmyvote4real]

11. This is a larger metaphor for this entire mess...

* is the backed-up tank with a machine gun that will be triggered by the slightest rumbling, in effect killing innocents.

[bribri16]

12. Anybody who died in Iraq was killed in action to me. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

13. Soldier Died In Accident, Army Admits A Year Later

Soldier Died In Accident, Army Admits A Year Later

Associated Press
Sunday, September 11, 2005; Page A22

The Army said yesterday it knew for more than a year after 1st Lt. Kenneth Michael Ballard's death in Iraq in May 2004 that he was not killed in action, as it initially reported. The family was not told the truth until Friday.

Ballard's mother, Karen Meredith, of Mountain View, Calif., said in a telephone interview that she is angry and will press for a full explanation. She is a public critic of the war and has attended antiwar protests in Crawford, Tex., outside President Bush's ranch, with grieving mother and peace activist Cindy Sheehan.
(snip)

"This news is stunning to me," she said. "People in the Army knew this news for 15 months, and why they couldn't be bothered to tell me the truth when this first happened and to have me go through this pain 15 months later is unconscionable on the part of the Army. It's a betrayal to my son's service," she said.
(snip)

The Army publicly disclosed on Saturday that Ballard, 26, actually died of wounds from the accidental discharge of a M240 machine gun on his tank after his platoon had returned from battling insurgents in Najaf. The tank accidentally backed into a tree, and a branch hit the mounted, unmanned machine gun, causing it to fire, said Col. Joseph Curtin, an Army spokesman. Ballard was struck at close range.
(snip/...)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/10/AR2005091001427.html?nav=rss_nation
(Free registration required)

[54anickel]

14. Is there a difference in benefits or something? This seems like some

sort of sick payback for the mother's anti-war stance. There's something more here - did they lie 15 months ago or are they lying now? This doesn't pass the smell test, that's for sure.