A "Wall of Honor" stands on my War Page to pay tribute to men like Jimmy Massey. If you encounter others, send Nell a note, so they can be recognized there.[...] self-described "good old boy" born in Texas, Massey was honorably discharged from the Corps in December 2003 after 12 years of active duty. Diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, he came home to live in Waynesville, North Carolina.
He describes the U.S. invading force invading Iraq like "a bunch of pit bulls loose on a cage full of rabbits" right from the very beginning, and that is what turned the Iraqi people against the U.S. occupiers, the killing of innocent civilians. For example he tells of receiving orders from higher command to open fire on a non-violent demonstration of Iraqis with M-16s and 50-cal. machine guns.
When he went to his superiors about his changing feelings regarding the war, he was offered a desk job away from combat, he responded to this offer by saying “Thank you sergeant major, I don’t want your money anymore. I don’t want your benefits. You killed some civilians, and you’re gonna have to live with it partner, and I’m gonna tell the truth.” Massey hired a good lawyer which meant that he was discharged rather than court-martialed. Since his discharge, he has been telling the truth.
His conviction is this: "I’m not going to kill innocent civilians for no government. ... I was taught and raised by parents and relatives that there are certain things you don’t do, and killing innocent civilians is one of them."Tom Joad article
Friday, January 14, 2005
War Hero: Jimmy Massey
Recently, I've created a few posts about Sgt. Kevin Benderman. I need to remember to post more about the real heroes of this war.
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