Some telling quotes from latest Newsweek on the Haditha situation....

[Good Doctor HST]

Marine Linked To Civilian Deaths Was A Quiet Honor Student, Friends Say

By LISA CHEDEKEL, DAVE ALTIMARI And MATTHEW KAUFFMAN, Courant Staff Writers

Fox 61 WTIC-TV Connecticut

June 3, 2006

Many of Frank Wuterich's high school friends from Meriden haven't seen him since graduation, when the trumpet player, drama club president and honor student told them he had joined the Marines and had hopes of playing in the Marine Corps band.

Now, the same friends grapple with news that Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, 26, a squad leader with the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, could be a focus of the U.S. military's investigation into the killing of Iraqi civilians in Haditha.

"I never saw anything violent out of Frank. He was a nice-looking kid who was pretty quiet and never caused any trouble," said Carol Vincent of Meriden, the mother of one of Wuterich's friends at Orville H. Platt High School, from which he graduated in 1998.

"It's terrible to hear this stuff," said Joseph Corriveau, a longtime neighbor of the Wuterich family, who live on the west side of Meriden. "I find it hard to believe myself. A man has certain character traits, and this isn't Frankie. ... Of course if he was under orders, then he wouldn't have a choice for what happened. We have to wait and see what comes out in the inquiry."

[AuGmENTor]

Just look at the footage of fighter pilots returning from a mission. To them its just another day on the job when they've just killed a bunch of people. That's what I'm talking about. Soldier busting into homes and treating Iraqis like dogs, and treating them like dogs on the street. It's well documented. But yeah a lot of them are good guys, but overall my concience won't let me support them.

You were in Iraq Augmentor?

Yeah during the first campaign, 90-91. Transportation unit, (7th bat, 850th trans) which made it one of the WORST jobs you could ever hope to do there. In my opinion worse than infantry cause you were ALWAYS under fire, and you never knew where it was from. At the time I really thought we were there keeping the world safe for democracy, now I wish I had scagged a few ppl. But, like I say, I saw alot of guys I knew were good ppl do some terrible shit, and not seem to care. The few I stayed in touch with are in bad shape now. Between du (depleted uranium) and mental issues. Thank god I got none of that. Depending on who you ask, cause some ppl think my train jumped the tracks years ago!

[PhilosophyGenius]

Yeah during the first campaign, 90-91. Transportation unit, (7th bat, 850th trans) which made it one of the WORST jobs you could ever hope to do there. In my opinion worse than infantry cause you were ALWAYS under fire, and you never knew where it was from. At the time I really thought we were there keeping the world safe for democracy, now I wish I had scagged a few ppl. But, like I say, I saw alot of guys I knew were good ppl do some terrible shit, and not seem to care. The few I stayed in touch with are in bad shape now. Between du (depleted uranium) and mental issues. Thank god I got none of that. Depending on who you ask, cause some ppl think my train jumped the tracks years ago!

Thats intersting. Ya know on truthout.org or moveon.org they have some video of a former marine talking about that, how good guys do horrible stuff in a war zone, I'm pretty sure that video was posted on this site or something.

[AuGmENTor]

Thats intersting. Ya know on truthout.org or moveon.org they have some video of a former marine talking about that, how good guys do horrible stuff in a war zone, I'm pretty sure that video was posted on this site or something.

Yeah I don't dwell on it to much though. I've "movedon.org" myself. I was just a grunt drivin a truck (albeit a very young one) It just sux to know that it was all part of this big plan that I knew NOTHING about until 11/05. I never heard anything of a conspiracy or a truth movement or ANY of this shit. Guys like Gold and you just strip my gears, cause you like BREATHE the news... It's allI can do to remember where the hell I parked. I feel so useless in all of this. Anyway I think the point was to convince you not ALL those guys are bad/ there for the wrong reason. I hear stories of how your govt targets groups of kids that have no chance at life and get them to join just to have a chance... I was with alot of guys like that. Minorities that didn't want to sling rocks and go to jail, so instead they listened to the recruiter and went to the meat- grinder. Tragic, but all part of the big picture. And until your THERE, with shit blowin up all over, dark, scared, and just wantin to be home.... You have know idea what you'd do. Especially after MONTHS of it.

[PhilosophyGenius]

Thanks for the great insight Augmentor. You should post more of your experiences on some of the threads to give us a 'soldiers view', or even share some stories.

Holla at yo boy.