Fort Hood’s Toxic Culture? Red Flags Raised Over Mysterious Disappearances, Sexual Assaults | Hollie McKay (January 6, 2021)

Fort Hood’s toxic culture? Red flags raised over mysterious disappearances, sexual assaults | Hollie McKay, Fox News (January 6, 2020):

The sizable military installation has long come under fire over allegations of coverups and abuse

The report also pointed to a lack of experience and high turnover within the ranks of the Criminal Investigation Department, leading to problems with launching sufficient investigations.

As it stands, there are more than 1,000 deserters wanted by the U.S. Army and it remains unclear explicitly what is being done to determine their fates. Ten months before Guillen disappeared, Pvt. Gregory Morales also vanished from Fort Hood. His body was unintentionally recovered a few miles from the base in June, during the search for Guillen. He had been listed as AWOL in August 2019 and later as a deserter.

However, for his mother, Kim Wedel, her life in Oklahoma halted as she pleaded for assistance and answers from Fort Hood’s Army Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

“If any other business had this many glaring problems, leadership would be gone. Why did it take an investigation to see that the CID was understaffed and overwhelmed? There was a lack of response from CID, and they certainly didn’t know what to do with me as a mom calling all the time,” Wedel told Fox News.

The Killeen Police Department is heading the investigation into Morales’ death, in which foul play is suspected, according to local reports. 

“The Army didn’t care enough to see there was a problem,” Wedel asserted. “I still haven’t really heard from anyone down there. My son will never be at the forefront, and it is shocking how many parents like us are out there. People don’t just disappear because they choose to.”

However, many soldiers and families connected to Fort Hood told Fox News that the personnel changes were merely cosmetic, and they feared “business as usual” when the spotlight faded.

Jennifer Norris, an Air Force veteran and military crime analyst who has focused on Fort Hood issues since 2016, said in order to look forward, one also must look back.

“The deaths ruled a suicide – they need to be investigated. Why did they take their lives? Were those deaths properly investigated? Was it really a suicide, or was it a murder? Everything needs to be questioned,” she added. “We can’t just pretend the last 20 years didn’t happen.” 

Read more from Fox News here.

Related Links:
Report of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee (November 6, 2020)
15 Things Every American Should Know About the Fort Hood Report
Fort Hood’s toxic culture? Red flags raised over mysterious disappearances, sexual assaults
Tragedies At Fort Hood Have Led The Army To Rethink Its Response When Soldiers Go Missing
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside (January 1, 2016 to Present)
Washington D.C. Veteran’s Presentation on the Current Status of the Armed Forces at Fort Hood in Texas (December 12, 2017)
Speier, Mullin Introduce Bipartisan ‘I Am Vanessa Guillén Act’ to Transform the Military’s Response to Sexual Violence & Missing Servicemembers (September 16, 2020)
Unsolved Homicide: Fort Hood Army Pvt. Gregory Wedel-Morales Reported AWOL; Based on Anonymous Tip, Remains Found in Shallow Grave in Killeen 10 Months Later (August 19, 2019)
Timeline: Army Sgt. Kelton Sphaler and Army Vet Scott Weinhold Reported Missing at Belton Lake on Fort Hood; After Search Launched, Both Recovered in Water (January 21, 2019)
Fort Hood Army Cpl. Christopher Ferguson Died of Undetermined Causes; CID Claimed Death Was Accident; CBS News Reported Suicide (March 25, 2007)
Fort Hood Army Staff Sgt. Paul Norris Fatally Shot Spc. Kamisha Block in Murder-Suicide in Iraq; Family Calls for Congressional Hearings & Independent Investigations (August 16, 2007)
Research Reveals Pattern of Violence, Suspicious Deaths, Problematic Death Investigations, and Cover-up at Fort Hood in Texas (September 11, 2020)
Stars and Stripes: Why is Fort Hood the Army’s Most Crime-Ridden Post? (August 21, 2020)
Austin American-Statesman: Vanessa Guillen’s Death Shines Light on More Tragedies at Fort Hood (July 28, 2020)
Open Letter to House of Representatives in Support of an Independent Investigation of the Murder of Vanessa Guillen at Fort Hood (July 7, 2020)
Unsolved Homicide Cases Affiliated with Fort Hood (January 1, 2016 to Present)
Never Forgotten: The Fort Hood Fallen (2016)

RT America: Grim Body Count at Fort Hood Army Base (July 29, 2020)

Yet another body was recovered near Fort Hood army base in Texas. This is the fourth dead soldier found there in a month, further adding to the compound’s robust history of violence and harassment toward personnel. -RT America (July 29, 2020)

Related Links:
Grim Body Count at Fort Hood Army Base
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside (January 1, 2016 to Present)

On This Day: Seven Sailors Died After the U.S. Navy Destroyer USS Fitzgerald Collided with the Container Ship ACX Crystal Off the Coast of Japan (June 17, 2017)

Shingo Douglass

Shingo Douglass, 25, U.S. Navy

Noe Hernandez

Noe Hernandez, 26, U.S. Navy

Ngoc Truong Huynh

Ngoc T. Truong Huynh, 25, U.S. Navy

Xavier Martin

Xavier Martin, 24, U.S. Navy

Gary Rehm Jr

Gary Rehm Jr., 37, U.S. Navy

Dakota Rigsby

Dakota Rigsby, 19, U.S. Navy

Carlos Victor Sibayan

Carlos Victor Sibayan, 23, U.S. Navy

ProPublica:
Part I: Death and Valor on an American Warship Doomed by its Own Navy
Part II: Years of Warnings, Then Death & Disaster: How the Navy Failed Its Sailors
In Navy Disasters, Neglect, Mistakes, and 17 Lost Sailors (Snapshot of Sailors)
How We Investigated the Navy’s Twin Disasters in the Pacific
Senate Committee Grills Navy Official Over 2017 Collisions, Seeking Data to Prove Conditions Have Changed
Exclusive: Footage of USS Fitzgerald After Collision w/ ACX Crystal (YouTube)
ProPublica Published ‘Death and Valor on an American Warship Doomed by Its Own Navy’ (February 6, 2019)

Army Soldier Sgt Marcus Rogers Investigated for Involvement in Drowning Death of Spc. Dhaifal Ali; Demoted One Rank for Failing to Follow Military Orders, Creek Off-Limits (2016)

marcus-rogers

Sgt. Marcus Rogers, US Army

On July 8, 2016, Fort Campbell, Kentucky Army soldier Spc. Dhaifal Ali was swept away by a current in a creek on the post. Spc. Ali was there with two other Army soldiers, one of them was Sgt. Marcus Rogers, who was baptizing him. The Emergency Management Agency reported that the creek had been swollen from heavy rains and severe storms; Dhaifal Ali’s body was recovered several days later. On September 6, 2016, Fort Campbell reported that they were investigating the circumstances surrounding Ali’s ‘accidental death.’ MJFA received notification this month that Sgt. Marcus Rogers had a hearing and an Instagram update on December 15, 2016 verified that Sgt. Rogers reports that he was demoted one rank from SSG to SGT as a result of his involvement in the accidental drowning of Spc. Ali. Sources reveal on YouTube that Sgt. Roger’s failed to follow military orders when he took Spc. Ali to the creek which was off limits. No further information is available at this time.

Related Links:
Soldier in viral video: ISIS is a distraction from Satan, Jesus coming soon
U.S. Soldier Exposes The Real Motive Behind ISIS Paris Attack [VIDEO]
Army Sergeant Delivers Fiery Message About Spiritual Forces Behind the Paris Terror Attacks and the ‘Chaos Going on All Over the World’
Paris Attacks: United States Army Sergeant Marcus Rogers Goes Viral With The ‘Real Truth’ Behind ISIS and Terrorism
Army Sergeant Has a Simple but Powerful Message for Those Rioting in Baltimore
Army Sergeant Posts Powerful Message to Baltimore Thugs (Now He’s Under Attack!)
Army Sergeant Receives Threats After Recording Brutal Takedown Of Baltimore Rioters
Black Army Sgt Receives Threats After Saying This About Race Rioters
Marcus Rogers and Anti-Intellectualism
Search continues for Fort Campbell soldier swept away in creek
Fort Campbell Soldier Drowns
Soldier Drowns After Baptism Goes Bad At Fort Campbell
Soldier said to have been killed in flood may have been drowned by a Staff Sergeant
Fort Campbell Soldier, Muslim Convert Drowns After Baptism by Popular Internet Christian Preacher
United States Staff Sergeant Marcus Rogers: Army of God
The Death of Dhaifal Ali ….by Marcus Rogers (YouTube)
JUSTICE for Spec.Dhaifal Ali (YouTube)

JUSTICE for Spec.Dhaifal Ali died due to another Soldiers ego..Marcus Rogers done a unauthorised Baptism at a creek which was off limits to all Military personal …..

Fort Campbell Army Spc. Dhaifal Ali Swept Away by Creek Current During Baptism with Sgt. Marcus Rogers; Cause of Death Ruled Accidental Drowning (July 8, 2016)

ali

Spc. Dhaifal Ali, U.S. Army

On July 8, 2016, Army soldier Spc. Dhaifal Ali of Fort Campbell, Kentucky was swept away by a creek current on the post. Spc. Ali was at the creek with two other Army soldiers, one of them was Sgt. Marcus Rogers, who was baptizing him. The Emergency Management Agency reported that the creek had been swollen from heavy rains and severe storms; Dhaifal Ali’s body was recovered several days later and his obituary lists the date of his death on July 12, 2016. On September 6, 2016, Fort Campbell reported that they were investigating the circumstances surrounding Ali’s ‘accidental death.’ MJFA received notification this month that Sgt. Marcus Rogers had an Army hearing to determine his culpability in Ali’s death. An Instagram update on December 15, 2016 revealed that Sgt. Rogers was demoted one rank from SSG to SGT as a result of his involvement in the accidental drowning of Spc. Ali. Sources reveal on YouTube that Sgt. Roger’s failed to follow military orders when he took Spc. Ali to the creek which was off limits.

In the News:

Pictures posted on Facebook by a fellow soldier show he was there to be baptized. -News Channel 5 (September 6, 2016)

Pictures posted on Facebook by a fellow soldier show he was at there to be baptized. -News Channel 5 (September 13, 2016)

Related Links:
Obituary: Dhaifal Ali
Spc. Dhaifal Ali, 34, US Army – Remembrance
Army identifies 101st Airborne soldier who was swept away in creek
Search continues for Fort Campbell soldier swept away in creek
Fort Campbell soldier’s body found after being swept away in creek
Fort Campbell Soldier Drowns
Soldier Swept Away in Severe Weather Is Identified
Fort Campbell soldier who died in creek identified
Fort Campbell soldier swept away by current identified
Fort Campbell soldier whose body was found in creek identified
Soldier Drowns After Baptism Goes Bad At Fort Campbell
Soldier said to have been killed in flood may have been drowned by a Staff Sergeant
Fort Campbell Soldier, Muslim Convert Drowns After Baptism by Popular Internet Christian Preacher
The Death of Dhaifal Ali ….by Marcus Rogers (YouTube)
JUSTICE for Spec.Dhaifal Ali (YouTube)
Fort Campbell Soldier Drowns After Baptism
Fort Campbell Soldier Drowns After Baptism

On This Day, Army Pvt. Eddy Gates Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016)

Screen Shot 2018-06-05 at 2.58.29 PM

Pvt. Eddy Gates, US Army

Army Pvt. Eddy Raelaurin Gates, 20, whose home of record is listed as Dunn, North Carolina, entered active-duty military service in December 2015 as a motor transport operator and was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas since April 2016. Gates’s awards and decorations include a National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

Learn more from III Corps and Fort Hood Facebook page here.

For more information: On This Day, Eight Army Soldiers & One West Point Cadet Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016)

Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX):

Mr. Speaker, Texas has been hammered by historic torrential rain and flooding. As the Texas floodwaters rose, 12 soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, were crossing Owl Creek in a 21⁄2-ton Light Medium Tactical Vehicle when it became stuck in the Owl Creek low water crossing.

Suddenly, the vehicle was swept over and sent downstream by fast-moving water. Nine American soldiers drowned in the massive flood waters. Today, we remember them, and here they are: Staff Sergeant Miguel Colon Vazquez, 38, from New York.

He had just spent four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan; Specialist Christine Armstrong, 27, of California; PFC Brandon Banner, 22, of Florida; PFC Zachery Fuller, 23, of Florida; Private Isaac Deleon, 19, of Texas. He was the youngest of all of them.

He had only been in the Army for 17 months; Private Eddy Rae’Laurin Gates, 20, of North Carolina—a former homecoming queen; Private Tysheena James, 21, of New Jersey; West Point cadet Mitchell Winey, 21, of Indiana; Specialist Yingming Sun, 25, of California. These are the nine who drowned recently in the Texas floods.

The soldiers were members of the 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division. These American soldiers were volunteers who swore to protect the United States.

They were a cut above the rest and were ready to defend freedom at home and abroad. Their lives were ripped from this world and their families all too soon. We are grateful for them and their families for their service and their sacrifices.

These soldiers are the best of America. Our thoughts and prayers are with the soldiers and their families, who have been devastated by the floods of Texas this spring.

Related Links:
Eddy Rae’Laurin Gates Obituary
PV2 Eddy Rae’Laurin Gates (1995-2016)
Flash flooding kills 9 | Fort Hood Sentinel
The Faces of the Fort Hood Tragedy
Profiles of the Fort Hood Soldiers Tragically Killed By Texas Flooding
Fort Hood Flood Victims: Photos to Remember the Fallen Soldiers
Fort Hood memorial held for drowned soldiers
Community mourns soldiers killed in accident
Thousands honor Fort Hood fallen Soldiers
Congresswoman confirms soldier involved in training accident
Fort Hood soldier who died in Texas flooding identified by family
Triton High School alumna among 9 killed in Fort Hood floods
North Carolina soldier among those killed in Fort Hood floods
Fort Hood soldier’s body makes trip home to NC, family
Soldier killed in Fort Hood buried in North Charleston
Fort Hood soldier killed in flooding laid to rest in North Charleston
Thousands attend funeral for NC soldier who was an ‘extraordinary young lady’
Fallen soldiers honored with flowers on Fort Hood
1 year since 9 died at Fort Hood
9 remembered on anniversary of deaths
Fort Hood: Anniversary of deaths of 9 soldiers passes quietly
Families remember the 9 who died in 2016 training accident
Families continue to grieve one year after nine die in flooding on Fort Hood
‘They never should have been out there’: Fort Hood soldier’s father struggles to understand deadly disaster
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside
Violent Crime, Suicide, and Non Combat Death at Fort Hood, Texas (US Army)
The Fort Hood Nine | Ted Poe | Medium
The Fort Hood, Texas, Nine | Congressman Ted Poe

On This Day, Army Pvt. Tysheena James Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016)

Tysheena James

Pvt. Tysheena James, US Army

Army Pvt. Tysheena Lynette James, 21, whose home of record is listed as Jersey City, New Jersey, entered active-duty military service in November 2015 as a motor transport operator and was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas since April 2016. James’s awards and decorations include a National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

Learn more from III Corps and Fort Hood Facebook page here.

For more information: On This Day, Eight Army Soldiers & One West Point Cadet Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016)

Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX):

Mr. Speaker, Texas has been hammered by historic torrential rain and flooding. As the Texas floodwaters rose, 12 soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, were crossing Owl Creek in a 21⁄2-ton Light Medium Tactical Vehicle when it became stuck in the Owl Creek low water crossing.

Suddenly, the vehicle was swept over and sent downstream by fast-moving water. Nine American soldiers drowned in the massive flood waters. Today, we remember them, and here they are: Staff Sergeant Miguel Colon Vazquez, 38, from New York.

He had just spent four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan; Specialist Christine Armstrong, 27, of California; PFC Brandon Banner, 22, of Florida; PFC Zachery Fuller, 23, of Florida; Private Isaac Deleon, 19, of Texas. He was the youngest of all of them.

He had only been in the Army for 17 months; Private Eddy Rae’Laurin Gates, 20, of North Carolina—a former homecoming queen; Private Tysheena James, 21, of New Jersey; West Point cadet Mitchell Winey, 21, of Indiana; Specialist Yingming Sun, 25, of California. These are the nine who drowned recently in the Texas floods.

The soldiers were members of the 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division. These American soldiers were volunteers who swore to protect the United States.

They were a cut above the rest and were ready to defend freedom at home and abroad. Their lives were ripped from this world and their families all too soon. We are grateful for them and their families for their service and their sacrifices.

These soldiers are the best of America. Our thoughts and prayers are with the soldiers and their families, who have been devastated by the floods of Texas this spring.

Related Links:
Tysheena Lynette James | Jersey City, New Jersey (2016)
Flash flooding kills 9 | Fort Hood Sentinel
NJ Private Dies in Fort Hood Exercise
N.J. soldier identified as victim in Fort Hood training accident
Soldier from Jersey City among 9 dead at Fort Hood
N.J. soldier dies in Fort Hood training exercise
Jersey City soldier from Fort Hood among nine who died in Texas flooding
New Jersey Woman, 21, Among 9 Soldiers Killed At Fort Hood
2 Local Residents Among 9 Fort Hood Soldiers Killed in Training Accident : Records
Funeral held for soldier killed in training accident
Funeral held for soldier killed in training accident
Funeral Saturday for New Jersey soldier killed in Fort Hood accident
Funeral held for New Jersey soldier killed in Fort Hood training accident
Funeral held for soldier killed in Fort Hood training accident
Funeral held for Jersey City soldier killed in training accident
Funeral Held For Tysheena James, Fort Hood Soldier Killed In Texas Floods
Mother of soldier killed in Fort Hood flooding remembers daughter
Remembering the Life and Memory of… PV2 Tysheena Lynette James
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 207 | State of New Jersey
Governor Christie Orders Flags Lowered to Half-Staff in Honor of U.S. Army Private Tysheena James
New Jersey, Brooklyn families of Fort Hood soldiers killed in flood fondly recall loved ones, but still struggle with grief
The Faces of the Fort Hood Tragedy
Profiles of the Fort Hood Soldiers Tragically Killed By Texas Flooding
Fort Hood Flood Victims: Photos to Remember the Fallen Soldiers
Fort Hood memorial held for drowned soldiers
Community mourns soldiers killed in accident
Thousands honor Fort Hood fallen Soldiers
Fallen soldiers honored with flowers on Fort Hood
1 year since 9 died at Fort Hood
9 remembered on anniversary of deaths
Fort Hood: Anniversary of deaths of 9 soldiers passes quietly
Families remember the 9 who died in 2016 training accident
Families continue to grieve one year after nine die in flooding on Fort Hood
‘They never should have been out there’: Fort Hood soldier’s father struggles to understand deadly disaster
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside
Violent Crime, Suicide, and Non Combat Death at Fort Hood, Texas (US Army)
The Fort Hood Nine | Ted Poe | Medium
The Fort Hood, Texas, Nine | Congressman Ted Poe

On This Day, Army Pfc. Brandon Banner Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016)

Screen Shot 2018-06-05 at 2.59.20 PM

Pfc. Brandon Banner, US Army

Army Pfc. Brandon Austin Banner, 22, whose home of record is listed as Milton, Florida, entered active-duty military service in March 2014 as a motor transport operator and was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas since July 2014. Banner’s awards and decorations include National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon and the Marksmanship Qualification Badge-Sharpshooter with Carbine.

Learn more from III Corps and Fort Hood Facebook page here.

For more information: On This Day, Eight Army Soldiers & One West Point Cadet Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016)

Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX):

Mr. Speaker, Texas has been hammered by historic torrential rain and flooding. As the Texas floodwaters rose, 12 soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, were crossing Owl Creek in a 21⁄2-ton Light Medium Tactical Vehicle when it became stuck in the Owl Creek low water crossing.

Suddenly, the vehicle was swept over and sent downstream by fast-moving water. Nine American soldiers drowned in the massive flood waters. Today, we remember them, and here they are: Staff Sergeant Miguel Colon Vazquez, 38, from New York.

He had just spent four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan; Specialist Christine Armstrong, 27, of California; PFC Brandon Banner, 22, of Florida; PFC Zachery Fuller, 23, of Florida; Private Isaac Deleon, 19, of Texas. He was the youngest of all of them.

He had only been in the Army for 17 months; Private Eddy Rae’Laurin Gates, 20, of North Carolina—a former homecoming queen; Private Tysheena James, 21, of New Jersey; West Point cadet Mitchell Winey, 21, of Indiana; Specialist Yingming Sun, 25, of California. These are the nine who drowned recently in the Texas floods.

The soldiers were members of the 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division. These American soldiers were volunteers who swore to protect the United States.

They were a cut above the rest and were ready to defend freedom at home and abroad. Their lives were ripped from this world and their families all too soon. We are grateful for them and their families for their service and their sacrifices.

These soldiers are the best of America. Our thoughts and prayers are with the soldiers and their families, who have been devastated by the floods of Texas this spring.

Related Links:
PFC Brandon Banner, US Army
Flash flooding kills 9 | Fort Hood Sentinel
The Faces of the Fort Hood Tragedy
Profiles of the Fort Hood Soldiers Tragically Killed By Texas Flooding
Fort Hood Flood Victims: Photos to Remember the Fallen Soldiers
Milton native, Pfc. Brandon Banner, among 9 killed in Fort Hood training
PFC. Brandon Banner to be honored in Milton
Thousands honor Fort Hood fallen Soldiers
Community mourns soldiers killed in accident
The Banner family in loss of Brandon Banner | YouCaring
1 year since 9 died at Fort Hood
Fort Hood: Anniversary of deaths of 9 soldiers passes quietly
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside
Violent Crime, Suicide, and Non Combat Death at Fort Hood, Texas (US Army)
The Fort Hood, Texas, Nine | Congressman Ted Poe

On This Day, Army Specialist Yingming Sun Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016)

Yingming Sun Army

Spc. Yingming Sun, US Army

Spc. Yingming Sun, 25, of Monterey Park, California, joined the Army in October 2013. He was a motor transport operator and had been assigned to 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood since August 2014. His awards and decorations include National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and Overseas Service Ribbon.

Learn more from III Corps and Fort Hood Facebook page here.

For more information: On This Day, Eight Army Soldiers & One West Point Cadet Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016)

Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX):

Mr. Speaker, Texas has been hammered by historic torrential rain and flooding. As the Texas floodwaters rose, 12 soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, were crossing Owl Creek in a 21⁄2-ton Light Medium Tactical Vehicle when it became stuck in the Owl Creek low water crossing.

Suddenly, the vehicle was swept over and sent downstream by fast-moving water. Nine American soldiers drowned in the massive flood waters. Today, we remember them, and here they are: Staff Sergeant Miguel Colon Vazquez, 38, from New York.

He had just spent four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan; Specialist Christine Armstrong, 27, of California; PFC Brandon Banner, 22, of Florida; PFC Zachery Fuller, 23, of Florida; Private Isaac Deleon, 19, of Texas. He was the youngest of all of them.

He had only been in the Army for 17 months; Private Eddy Rae’Laurin Gates, 20, of North Carolina—a former homecoming queen; Private Tysheena James, 21, of New Jersey; West Point cadet Mitchell Winey, 21, of Indiana; Specialist Yingming Sun, 25, of California. These are the nine who drowned recently in the Texas floods.

The soldiers were members of the 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division. These American soldiers were volunteers who swore to protect the United States.

They were a cut above the rest and were ready to defend freedom at home and abroad. Their lives were ripped from this world and their families all too soon. We are grateful for them and their families for their service and their sacrifices.

These soldiers are the best of America. Our thoughts and prayers are with the soldiers and their families, who have been devastated by the floods of Texas this spring.

Related Links:
SPC Yingming Sun (1990-2016)
Yingming Sun, 25, of Copperas Cove died June 2
Officials ID 9th Soldier Killed by Flood Waters During Training Accident
Army releases names of all 9 soldiers killed in Fort Hood truck accident
9th Soldier Killed in Fort Hood Flood Identified
Soldier killed in June 2 Fort Hood accident buried in Killeen
SoCal soldiers ID’d as 2 of 9 killed in Fort Hood training accident
2 SoCal Residents Among 9 Soldiers Killed in Fort Hood Accident
Two Southern California residents among nine soldiers killed in Ft. Hood accident
2 Southern California Residents Among 9 Soldiers Killed in Fort Hood Training Accident
Flash flooding kills 9 | Fort Hood Sentinel
The Faces of the Fort Hood Tragedy
Profiles of the Fort Hood Soldiers Tragically Killed By Texas Flooding
Fort Hood Flood Victims: Photos to Remember the Fallen Soldiers
Fort Hood memorial held for drowned soldiers
Community mourns soldiers killed in accident
Thousands honor Fort Hood fallen Soldiers
Fallen soldiers honored with flowers on Fort Hood
1 year since 9 died at Fort Hood
9 remembered on anniversary of deaths
Fort Hood: Anniversary of deaths of 9 soldiers passes quietly
Families remember the 9 who died in 2016 training accident
Families continue to grieve one year after nine die in flooding on Fort Hood
‘They never should have been out there’: Fort Hood soldier’s father struggles to understand deadly disaster
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside
Violent Crime, Suicide, and Non Combat Death at Fort Hood, Texas (US Army)
The Fort Hood Nine | Ted Poe | Medium
The Fort Hood, Texas, Nine | Congressman Ted Poe

‘Black Widow’ Judy Buenoano Executed by the State of Florida for Three Homicides; First Woman to Die by Death Penalty in Florida Since 1848 (March 30, 1998)

Judy Buenoano

Judy Buenoano was executed by the State of Florida on March 30, 1998.

Air Force Sergeant James Goodyear, 37, died on September 16, 1971 in Orlando, Florida. Sergeant Goodyear died just three months after completing a year long tour of duty in Vietnam. He left behind his wife Judy Buenoano Goodyear and her son Michael Buenoano. Judy received $28,000 in military life insurance benefits and military death benefits to help support the family. When her son Michael turned eighteen, he joined the US Army. On his way to his post in Georgia, he stopped in to visit his mother Judy, she fed him, and afterwards he became ill. The illness led to a crippling condition that left him paralyzed in his lower extremities and he was subsequently discharged from the Army as a Private. Michael was disabled and Judy was taking care of him. On May 13, 1980 Judy took Michael for a canoe ride. Judy reported to local authorities that her canoe capsized and her son Michael had drowned. She collected $125,000 in military life insurance benefits for her son’s death.

In June 1983, Judy was suspected in the car bombing of her fiancé John Gentry of Pensacola, Florida. She stood to gain $500,000 in life insurance money for this death. Judy Buenoano was first convicted of the attempted murder of John Gentry. As a result of her involvement in the attempted murder of John, investigators looked into the ‘accidental deaths’ of her husband James Goodyear and her son Michael. They exhumed John’s body a decade later and an autopsy revealed he had been poisoned with arsenic. Testimony revealed long-term arsenic poisoning had actually caused her son Michael’s disability. And when Judy drowned him, he was wearing an extra 15 pounds of weighted braces. Judy reportedly admitted to being involved in the 1978 death of her boyfriend Bobby Joe Morris as well. She received $50,000 in life insurance benefits for his death. Judy Buenoano was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to death. She was executed by the electric chair in Florida on March 30, 1998. Judy Buenoano was motivated by money, profit, and greed.

Source: ‘Dark Secrets’ Deadly Women, Investigation Discovery

Related Links:
The Black Widow
Wikipedia: Judy Buenoano
Michael Buenoano Goodyear
The prosecutor in the murder trial of a woman…
New Twist In Trial Of Buenoano Daughter Says Brother Poisoned Stepfather
Jury deliberates ‘Black Widow’ case
`Black Widow` Convicted Of Murder
The Black Widow
No tears for the ‘Black Widow’ of Death Row
Supreme Court of Florida: Judy A. Buenoano (1988)
United States Court of Appeals: Judy A. Buenoano (1998)
Florida court denies appeal to killer known as ‘black widow’
‘Black Widow’ Faces Electric Chair Judy Buenoano Was Convicted Of Killing Husband And Son, And Bombing Boyfriend
Buenoano Goes To Chair Appearing Small, Scared
Florida woman dies in electric chair
`Black Widow’ Executed In Florida
Florida Executes ‘Black Widow’
Florida Puts to Death First Woman in 150 Years
Judy Buenoano was executed by electrocution
After a series of insurance fraud schemes — and several poisoned lovers — a southern con artist met her electrifying end
These 20 Lethal Ladies Will Give You The Chills. Seriously Creepy.
The Black Widows of Death Row
On Death Row, Women Want Salad for Last Meal
Women Who Murder: 10 Deadliest ‘Black Widows’
5 Super-Twisted Serial Killers You’ve Never Heard Of
12 Female Poisoners Who Killed With Arsenic
Pensacola’s most memorable crime stories
A Look Back: The Execution of Florida “Black Widow” Judy Buenoano
Air Force Sgt. James Goodyear Died of Arsenic Poisoning; Judy Buenoano Murdered Husband and Son Michael for Military Life Insurance Benefits, Executed in Florida (September 16, 1971)
Deadly Women Premiered ‘Dark Secrets’ on Investigation Discovery: Black Widow Judy Buenoano Murdered Family for Life Insurance Benefits (October 30, 2008)
Deadly Women: 30 Military and Veteran Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery
Life Insurance Fraud is a Common Motive for Murder in the Military
Judy Buenoano | Death Penalty Information Center
Judy Buenoano | The Next to Die | The Marshall Project
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