Slain Iraq Army Sgt said he was afraid of his own men more then the "enemy"

[1776Forever]

In the following article slain Staff Sgt. Dawson told his step-Mom in a phone call, before he was killed by a noncommissioned officer from his unit, that he was afraid of his own men more then the "enemy":

Family of U.S. soldier in dark about 'non-hostile' death
Sept. 18, 2008
By Cal Perry
CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/09/18/iraq.soldier.deaths/index.html

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Darryl Mathis waits in his Pensacola, Florida, home for the body of his 24-year-old son to return home from Iraq. Mathis, a military veteran himself, was seething with anger Thursday as he spoke about the death of Army Staff Sgt. Darris J. Dawson.

Dawson and Sgt. Wesley Durbin, 26, are said to have been shot and killed by another U.S. soldier on Sunday at a base south of Baghdad.

(snip)

Darryl Mathis (father of Darris) said Friday that he may consider hiring a lawyer, so he can "get to the bottom of this."

His wife sobs as she says her stepson's death was foreshadowed by a phone call he made to her from Iraq.

"He said that he was more shaky sometimes of the soldiers than of the enemy, because of the young guys over there."

She said she asked him, "What in the world do you mean? You're afraid of your own soldiers?"

" 'These kids are trying to fight a war they know nothing about. ... They're jumpy. ... They're more scary than the enemy,' " she said he told her.

"And I said, 'Oh, God,' " said Maxine Mathis.

Since learning about the her stepson's death, Maxine Mathis said, she has forgiven the shooter "with all of heart."

She said she knows that he and his family too must be suffering and hopes to meet him when he's ready so she can "just ask 'Why?' "

On any given day, CNN receives dozens of detailed news releases from the U.S. military, including those announcing U.S. military casualties. In the cases of Dawson and Durbin, there was no mention of their names, and the releases were terse.

............

And this article from the Sgt's hometown Pensacola, FL newspaper:

Fellow soldier accused in slaying

http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080918/NEWS01/809180326/1006

Army Staff Sgt. Darris J. Dawson, 24, an Escambia High graduate, was shot and killed by a fellow soldier Sunday in Tunnis, Iraq, military officials said.

The Army announced Tuesday that Dawson and Sgt. Wesley Durbin, 26, of Hurst, Texas, died of wounds suffered in a "non-hostile incident." The news that they were killed by a fellow soldier came Wednesday.

The alleged shooter ­— a noncommissioned officer who was not identified — was in custody in Iraq. An investigation is under way.

..............

These kind of things are occurring too many times and we are not offering the help these men need when they return home or while they are in action. I give them all my utmost regard but feel there are a lot of unanswered questions especially in this case that should be looked into.