Father Who Believes Son is in 'Coffin' Photo Thanks 'Seattle Times…

…for Running It

NEW YORK The father of a U.S. Army soldier killed in Iraq earlier this month, who believes his son was in one of the caskets shown in the now famous Tami Silicio photograph, has written a letter to The Seattle Times thanking the newspaper for publishing the picture that broke a Pentagon ban.

"Hiding the death and destruction of this war does not make it easier on anyone except those who want to keep the truth away from the people," the father, Bill Mitchell, wrote yesterday. The letter has not yet been published.

In a postcript to the letter, he added: "I would be willing to help that poor woman in Kuwait who lost her job over the picture which she felt needed to be seen. Possibly even with enough press coverage, the other parents who lost children on the same day as my son would also feel that she did a service for us."

(snip)

From the text of his letter:

Things are getting worse in Iraq and if there is anything that I can do so that other parents can be spared the pain that is happening in my life, I will do it.

In fact, I would be willing to furnish you a picture of my son in his casket if you would like to run it in your paper. Sort of a follow-up story that would just take it one step further than the picture shown inside the airplane with a bunch of anonymous flag-draped coffins. I don't think I can be fired, as I do not have a job!!! I am currently in Germany taking care of my son's fiancee because officially, she is not recognized by the U.S. Army even though she was the reason that he re-enlisted twice; the last time being just 3 weeks prior to his death.

more…
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000498198

what a generous act from a grieving father.

It's painful to read his grief. He must be upset to share that much of his private grief. A picture of his son in his coffin? Wow. I'm almost shaking over that image.

in AWOL-Boy's illegal and immoral war on his program. Heard just a bit of it today on the radio. Anyone else hear this?

Thanks,
S_W

Friday night's show will be simply Ted Koppel reading the list of names of those killed in combat while their pictures are shown.

Can anyone mass produce these?

:cry: :cry:

I am so sorry for that man.

so much for that argument of keeping the pictures hidden to spare the parents of the fallen....

right now, we can bet that the right wing smear machine is digging up or inventing dirt on this guy to discredit him. Just like the 9/11 families. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is too low for these scum. Maybe they are sending some kiddie porn to his computer right now.

His fiance (the KIA) will get shit from the VA, he is a non-person Now.

Used up and thrown away.



He said he was "currently in Germany taking care of my son's fiancee because officially, she is not recognized by the U.S. Army even though she was the reason that he re-enlisted twice; the last time being just 3 weeks prior to his death."

Today's (and the days' before) Stripes letters bear that out.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x47666

Wish we actually saw more of that.

Poor guy. My heart goes out to him.

:hug:

Dear Greg,

I'm gratified to see this. My heart goes out to this dad, and other parents, whose beloved sons and daughters have been given, in effect, the MOST dishonorable discharge from our military that it is imaginable to give a fallen soldier. That their bodies have to be shipped back, under the cover of darkness and secrecy, so that the White House can save face, is HORRENDOUS. What a mockery it makes of their sacrifice! How it cheapens their deaths! Just because this administration is afraid of the truth!!! Because they're afraid of what voters will think if all these deaths become more glaringly public! DAMN! Is this REALLY, still, the United States of America? Sure doesn't seem like it anymore.

I grieve with this dad. I'd throw my arms around him and his family and his son's grieving fiancée, if I could. ALL OF AMERICA needs to be able to grieve, publicly, and honor these fallen troops out in the fresh air and sunshine and the full light of truth. So many of us agree on this! It's so unfortunate that our "president," who was SO anxious to get us into war, is so reluctant to publicly honor and thank the war casualties HE created.

They wouldn't be in coffins now if it weren't for george bush and dick cheney. And yes, I spelled those names correctly. Neither bush nor cheney deserve the honor of a capital letter in their names, since they refuse to honor our troops properly.

My only regret (beyond having bush as our "president" in the first place, and starting this war in the first place) is that the media took THIS LONG to do something honorable about our war dead.

Sadly, and angrily yours,


An online reader in Los Angeles, who used to be a reporter myself and who still remembers how objective coverage of elected officials SHOULD be pursued. You're supposed to hold them accountable, NOT hold them up for mindless worship.



By the way, you can email the writer, Greg Mitchell, too. His contact info is at the bottom of this story.

Thanks for posting it. You articulated everything I feel after reading this story and the whole issue surrounding it.

:thumbsup:

Powerful letter!!!

It seems like we are engaged in a duo-battle: defend against a predatory power-greedy opposition AND bring people back to their own humanity.

Your letter contains both those fronts.

I can't imagine Bush can be polling so well when I see these things.

For whatever it's worth --

When teen-ager Emmett Till was brutally murdered in Mississippi for whistling at a white woman, his mother allowed his funeral to include an open casket and television coverage in hopes of drawing attention to the violence.

It worked.

Bill Mitchell was at the March 20 protest in San Luis Obispo, holding a sign that read, "bring my son home now" I walked behind him for most of the protest...Then I read in the local paper his son had been killed two weeks later...Devastating... Such a brave man...:(

AWFUL. DISGRACEFUL! I am stunned in my disgust and revulsion. This poor dad! What a waste. Gotta light a candle for that family. I hope people all over the country hear his words. If we can stop this, and/or get bush OUT, his son will not have died in vain.

kicked the civil rights movement into high gear. That horrific tragedy got everyones attention. Mrs. Till was a very courageous woman.

I hope they don't attack him for it. Remember the very first American casualty of the war? The media rushed to his home and the grief stricken father held up his son's photo and said "take a GOOD look George Bush. You just killed my only son, my only son". The media was shocked at his anger and disrespect of our "war prez". The media were all excited about the war, were drooling about it, even had new theme music and fancy new graphics like "Mission: Iraq" and stuff. Now this father was ruining it for them by talkin' about his dead son. The father must of gotten a "phone call" from somebody, because in interviews the next day, he was very different.