September 2008

Army Staff Sgt. Darris J. Dawson

by Philip Barron on September 19, 2008 · 4 comments

Another troubling story of a “non-hostile” military death in Iraq, another military family desperate for answers from an uncommunicative Army. CNN reports on the death of Army Staff Sgt. Darris J. Dawson: 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 [...]

by Philip Barron on September 18, 2008 · 0 comments

Dilemas, a new Spanish-language online publication by journalism students in Santiago, Chile, recently published a story on the LaVena Johnson matter written by its US correspondent, Fernando A. Torres. En espa

Deaths awaiting answers

by Philip Barron on September 11, 2008 · 7 comments

The bleak refusal of Army investigators in response to the Johnsons’ call for a renewed investigation of LaVena’s death has been well-noted here and elsewhere on the Web. LaVena’s case is just one of many, however; stories of other soldiers whose deaths are shrouded in secrecy, and whose loved ones still await investigation and explanation [...]

Second Oversight hearing on military sexual assault

by Philip Barron on September 10, 2008 · 2 comments

A second hearing on sexual assault in the military is being held today by the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, a branch of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The hearing will be held in room 2154 of the Rayburn House Office Building and was to begin at 10:00 am Eastern. [...]

Message board added to LaVena website

by Philip Barron on September 9, 2008 · 7 comments

A message board has been added to the PFC LaVena Johnson website. The new forum, running on phpBB which will be familiar to many, provides space for discussion and community beyond the scope of website commenting. The style of the forum is provided by Brian Gardner, author of the Revolution theme for WordPress which the [...]

The Jim Bohannon Show visits LaVena’s case

by Philip Barron on September 4, 2008 · 3 comments

The parents of PFC LaVena Johnson, John and Linda Johnson, are scheduled to be interviewed on The Jim Bohannon Show on Monday night, September 8, during the 11 pm hour. Also scheduled, during the second half of the hour, is Coz Carson of US Talk Network, who interviewed John and Linda in August. Carson will [...]