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)

On June 2, 2016May 27, 2019 By AdministratorIn Accidents, Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, ScandalsLeave a comment

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Our country often doesn’t truly realize the time and training and sacrifice that goes into preparing our Warriors for serving and protecting us all over this world. We somehow think that our sons and daughters, who were just yesterday playing basketball in the driveway or video games with friends or just worrying about assignments due at school, all of a sudden are turned into warriors without any danger or sacrifice. It is our responsibility to recognize the tremendous amount of effort that goes into making these kids down the block into men and women who stand ever ready to defend us against our enemies. Two years ago, during what we now know to be a questionable training exercise, we lost nine precious lives. Families and survivors have been forever changed, their path in life significantly altered.

These men and women died here on our soil. They woke up that morning ready to learn and ready to complete just another training mission like any other. They never knew this would be their last day here or the fear and doubt that would surround their passing. As Americans, we honor them. We honor them for signing on the dotted line, for their dedication to each other, for their passion for their country and its people and for their devotion to their mission. We remember them as regular people preparing to do amazing things…as Warriors. But we also remember them as ours, as our sons, daughter’s, mothers, sisters, brothers, fathers, and friends. We remember them in how they lived and what courage it took to do so. We pause and take note that Warriors are not born but molded and their sacrifices never ever forgotten. -The Fort Hood Fallen (June 2, 2018)

Honoring:
Spc. Christine Faith Armstrong, 27, of Twentynine Palms, California
Pfc. Brandon Austin Banner, 22, of Milton, Florida
Staff Sgt. Miguel Angel Colonvazquez, 38, of Brooklyn, New York
Pvt. Isaac Lee Deleon, 19, of San Angelo, Texas
Pfc. Zachery Nathaniel Fuller, 23, of Palmetto, Florida
Pvt. Eddy Raelaurin Gates, 20, of Dunn, North Carolina
Pvt. Tysheena Lynette James, 21, of Jersey City, New Jersey
Spc. Yingming Sun, 25, of Monterey Park, California
Cadet Mitchell Alexander Winey, 21, of Valparaiso, Indiana

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.

Training Accident & Army Response History:

2017:
‘Apathetic Safety Mentality’ Cited in Fort Hood Wreck That Killed 9
‘Apathetic Safety Mentality’ Cited In Fort Hood Wreck That Killed 9
Safety ‘Apathy’ Blamed in Accident at Texas’ Ft. Hood That Killed 9 US Soldiers
Report: Fort Hood truck crash blamed on driver
NCO blamed for accident that killed nine soldiers at Fort Hood
Army blames staff sergeant for fatal Fort Hood truck accident
Fort Hood truck crash that killed 9 blamed on staff sergeant
‘They never should have been out there’: Fort Hood soldier’s father struggles to understand deadly disaster
Widow disputes investigation results blaming husband for Fort Hood accident
Army report on fatal Fort Hood training largely redacted
Herald asks Army to reveal investigation findings withheld from public
1 year since 9 died at Fort Hood
Fort Hood: Anniversary of deaths of 9 soldiers passes quietly

2018:
Families remember the 9 who died in 2016 training accident
Reports still raise questions about Fort Hood accident two years later
Former platoon sergeant was on leave during the rollover accident, yet found at fault
Survivor of 2016 Fort Hood training accident recalls flood
Survivor of 2016 Fort Hood training accident recalls flood
2 years later: Survivor of fatal Fort Hood water training accident speaks out

Fort Hood Army Sgt. Marcus Nelson Sr. Died While in Custody at Bell County Jail in Belton, Texas; Nelson Held on Charges Stemming from 1st Cavalry Division (May 23, 2016)

On May 23, 2016June 27, 2020 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, In Their Name, Military Policy, Stateside Death, Suspicious DeathsLeave a comment

Fort Hood Army Sgt. Marcus Nelson Sr., 45, died May 23, 2016 while in custody at the Bell County Jail in Belton, Texas. Nelson was being held in pretrial confinement on behalf of the 1st Cavalry Division. According to Army Times, Nelso was charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice with departing his appointed place of duty, disobeying a lawful order from a noncommissioned officer, dereliction of duty and disobeying lawful regulation, and communicating a threat. Sgt. Nelson was from Detroit, Michigan and joined the Army in April 2005 as a petroleum supply specialist. In June 2015, Nelson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. Sgt. Nelson deployed to Iraq twice and his awards and decorations include three Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, three Army Good Conduct Medals, and the Iraq Campaign Medal with four campaign stars.

Fort Hood Army Staff Sergeant Ellsworth Allen Raup III Died After Motorcycle Crashed Into the Back of a Van on U.S. 190 in Killeen, Texas (May 9, 2016)

On May 9, 2016July 20, 2019 By AdministratorIn Accidents, Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Stateside DeathLeave a comment

Staff Sergeant Ellsworth Allen Raup III, 33, passed away suddenly on May 9th, 2016 in Killeen, Texas. According to KWTX 10, Staff Sergeant Raup was following a van too closely on U.S. 190 when it stopped suddenly and he didn’t have time to react. As a result, he slammed into the van with his motorcycle and was thrown through the rear window. Allen was born in Texas City, Texas on November 13th, 1982. He was an Eagle Scout and graduated from La Marque High School in 2001 where he was active in the ROTC program. After graduation, he married Dana Pacheco-Raup on October 29, 2001. He enlisted in the Marine Corps while still in high school and attended boot camp in November 2001. During his time in the Marines, he served two deployments, one to Iraq and one to Honduras. He transferred to the Army in 2010 and was trained as an EOD technician. Staff Sergeant Raup served as a team leader with the 797th Explosive Ordnance Division and was also attached to the 752nd Ordnance Company at Fort Hood. He was deployed twice with the Army, once to Iraq and once to Kuwait. Allen was awarded numerous medal and awards during his military career including commendations from the Army, Marines, and the Joint Services.

Source: Obituary, Carnes Funeral Home

Fort Hood Army Major Troy Wayman Found Dead at Nolanville, Texas Residence; Death Ruled Suicide by Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound (January 16, 2016)

On January 16, 2016July 20, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Stateside Death, SuicideLeave a comment

Army Major Troy Wayman, 45, died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on January 16, 2016 at his residence in Nolanville, Texas. Major Wayman’s home of record is listed as Lincoln, Nebraska; he entered military service in the Nebraska Army National Guard in August 1989 as an Armor Cannon Crewman. Major Wayman was commissioned as a second lieutenant and entered active-duty military service in May 1998; he was assigned to the First Army Division West at Fort Hood since October 2014. Major Wayman served two tours in Saudi Arabia (including Desert Shield/Desert Storm), two tours in Iraq, and one tour in Kosovo. The circumstances surrounding the incident were investigated and on January 22, the Army Times reported Major Wayman’s death was ruled a suicide by the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas, Texas.

The Denver Post Published ‘Waging Internal War’: An Examination of the Army’s Tendency to Deploy Soldiers Who Need Medication Management (August 26, 2008)

On August 26, 2008March 5, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, Non Combat Death, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Suicide, USAF, USCG, USMCLeave a comment

An event on the Auraria campus aimed to help community members understand mental health issues in returning veterans. -The Denver Post (November 17, 2011)

“Chad Barrett’s war on terror started in the hours after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, when he was called to help dig bodies out of a smoking Pentagon. It ended Feb. 2, 2008, in Mosul, Iraq, when his roommate awoke to find him gasping and gurgling, with foam coming from his mouth. Barrett had been cleared for a third combat tour in Iraq despite a recent suicide attempt, crushing headaches and a mental illness treated with medication for anxiety and depression. Two months after he arrived, he killed himself by swallowing an unknown number of pills. He was the sixth soldier from Fort Carson to commit suicide in Iraq. At least 10 others have killed themselves in the U.S., nine after returning from the war.” -David Olinger & Erin Emery, The Denver Post (August 26, 2008)

An analysis of the information showed that:

• Army suicides in Iraq tripled in three years, from 10 in 2004 to 32 in 2007.

• In 2006 and 2007, 20 of the 59 soldiers who killed themselves in Iraq were deployed from a single base — Fort Hood in Texas.

• Fourteen of the soldiers who killed themselves in Iraq were 19 years old. Nearly half were 23 or younger.

Read more ‘Waging Internal War’ from The Denver Post here.

Fort Hood Army Cpl. Christopher Ferguson Died of Undetermined Causes; CID Claimed Death Was Accident; CBS News Reported Suicide (March 25, 2007)

On March 25, 2007July 21, 2020 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Cold Cases, Felony Crime, In Their Name, Military Policy, Stateside Death, Suspicious Deaths1 Comment

Fort Hood Army Cpl. Christopher Martin Ferguson, 21, died of undetermined causes on March 25, 2007 in Killeen, Texas. Christopher was born and raised in Pataskala, Ohio and enlisted in the U.S. Army in May 2004 after graduating from high school. Cpl. Ferguson worked as a combat infantryman on behalf of the Bravo Company, 3-67 AR Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood in Texas. Cpl. Ferguson deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005; he conducted over 200 combat patrols and participated in over 30 joint operations with Iraqi counter-parts in Baghdad.

Christopher Ferguson was born on April 12, 1985, in Columbus, Ohio, the son of Theophil Ferguson of Florida, and Patty Gibson Ferguson of Pataskala. He attended the Watkins Memorial School system, and graduated from the Criminal Justice program at Licking Co JVS, Class of 2004. He was fascinated by security systems and the military since a small child. He was described as a “peacekeeper.” He entered the U.S. Army in 2004, spent one year in Iraq, and was stationed at Ft. Hood at the time of his death. Cpl. Ferguson was survived by his mother and two sisters of Pataskala, Ohio when he passed.

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July 13, 2020:

“My brother is Corporal Christopher Martin Ferguson…he passed away March 25, 2007 at Scott and White Hospital in Texas…he was stationed at Fort Hood…he had just got back from Iraq and was at a party right off of base with fellow soldiers…story was that he fell from a three-story building on his head (alcohol involved or not, you don’t fall from a balcony to your head and not fracture one other bone, not have anything broken, only have your brain bleeding)…my mom, myself and my sister were flown out to see him and he was never awake…he was on life-support for seven days…everybody that came to the hospital was not allowed to talk to us…they told us that they had been told that they were not allowed to talk about anything that happened that night…we were left with no answers…my brother’s Sergeant brought us his blazer so we had something to drive while there and my sister and myself found a grocery bag in the back of his blazer that had the clothes he was wearing that night…the paramedics had cut them off him…it was just stuffed in the back of his blazer…there was a detectives card in there that was just placed in his shoe so I called and the detective let me know that the army had taken the investigation from Killeen PD…At the same time we found his camera and his blazer, there were fellow soldiers in the pictures with him that night who claimed that they were not there…my brothers death certificate says cause unknown [undetermined]…No one would tell us what happened and it was ruled as an accident years later…One of his fellow soldiers that does surfing for veterans put my brother on national news with his picture, his name along with saying that he committed suicide, but my family was never told that…there’s a lot more to the story…it’s very fishy and there was a lot of no talking or lies and I really want to know what happened to my brother.” -Christina McDonald (sister)

Christopher Ferguson Balcony — Christopher Ferguson with two Army soldiers. Picture taken on the balcony in question in 2007.

CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell:

About 20 veterans die by suicide each day. A hotline launched in 2007 has answered more than 3.5 million calls, sending help to thousands of people. Dean Reynolds got an inside look. -CBS News with Norah O’Donnell (August 26, 2019)

Christopher Ferguson CBS News — Screenshot of the soldiers Army veteran Danny O’Neel claimed died by suicide. (CBS News)

“This is the national news episode that a fellow soldier of my brothers did! He added my brother to posters and news saying he committed suicide! If this was the case, why weren’t we told this?! The Army took the investigation from Killeen Police Department. If there was a real investigation going on, why did my sister and I find my brothers belongings, clothes, and shoes from that night…there’s blood on them, they stuffed everything in a grocery bag, and had it in the back of his blazer…they treated it like it was trash…wouldn’t you think they would need that as part of their investigation? Cpl. Christopher M. Ferguson deserves justice..please help our family find out what exactly happened to him at Fort Hood.” -Christina McDonald (sister)

Additional Photos:

Christopher Ferguson

Fort Hood Army Soldier Pfc. Melissa Hobart Collapsed and Died from an Undetermined Cause While on Guard Duty in Baghdad, Iraq (June 6, 2004)

On June 6, 2004July 5, 2018 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Medical, Military Policy, PTSD, TBI, Mental IllnessLeave a comment

Army Pfc. Melissa Hobart, 22, died after collapsing on guard duty in Baghdad, Iraq on June 6, 2004. Pfc. Hobart was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) on behalf of the Company E, 215^th Forward Support Battalion, 1^st Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, Texas. At the time of the Department of Defense press release, the incident was under investigation. Pfc. Hobart left behind a three-year-old daughter. According to Melissa’s memorial site, military officials believe Melissa suffered from a heart attack. Melissa’s mom Connie Hobart told the Hartford Courant that she was put on an anti-depressant shortly before deploying to Iraq and was still feeling depressed. Connie reported in 2006 that the official word from the military, two years later, was that she died of an undetermined cause.

Connie Hobart’s 22-year-old daughter, Army Pfc. Melissa Hobart, was put on an anti-depressant shortly before deploying and had told her mother that she remained depressed while in Baghdad. Three months into her tour, in June 2004, the East Haven native collapsed and died of a still-undetermined cause. Told of the policy changes Monday, Connie Hobart said, “I’m happy to hear about it. That’s good news.” Sobbing, she said her daughter might be alive today if the policy had been different at the time. –Hartford Courant

Fort Hood Army Soldier Gary Prokop Killed by Wife & Friends for Benefits & Life Insurance; Tyshee Prokop Sentenced to Life in Prison (June 25, 1998)

On June 25, 1998August 6, 2020 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military PolicyLeave a comment

Tyshee Prokop Deadly Women — She Had Her Gang Boyfriend Kill Her Husband In His Sleep

When some brides vowed to love and honor their husbands, they lied. These Deadly Women made a mockery of marital commitment. They only promised “To Have and To Kill”. -To Have and To Kill, Deadly Women (S8, E14)

Tyshee Prokop and her childhood friends from Killeen, Texas murdered Gary Prokop, an Army soldier stationed at Fort Hood in 1998. Tyshee married Gary shortly after meeting him and they had a child together. But Tyshee wasn’t ready for family life. About a year and a half after they were married, they filed for divorce. Gary was going to get out of the Army and move back home. Tyshee conspired with her friends to have Gary murdered before he got out of the Army so she could collect medical benefits and the $100,000 dollar life insurance policy. He was murdered on June 25th with a single gunshot wound to the head while he was sleeping. One of the co-conspirators, Rodney Barfield, felt remorse about his involvement with the crime. He confessed his full involvement in the murder and detailed everyone’s roles. In 2002, Tyshee Prokop and her friends were arrested and charged with the murder of Gary Prokop. They were sentenced as follows:

Tyshee Manik Prokop – pled guilty, sentenced to life in prison
Charles Edward Turnbull III – convicted, sentenced to life in prison
Rodney Barfield – pled guilty, sentenced to 25 years
Reuben James Salgado – pled guilty (tampering with evidence charge)
Jacob Luther Harris – pled guilty (to a conspiracy charge)

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MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL

Tag: Fort Hood Fallen

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)

Fort Hood Army Sgt. Marcus Nelson Sr. Died While in Custody at Bell County Jail in Belton, Texas; Nelson Held on Charges Stemming from 1st Cavalry Division (May 23, 2016)

Fort Hood Army Staff Sergeant Ellsworth Allen Raup III Died After Motorcycle Crashed Into the Back of a Van on U.S. 190 in Killeen, Texas (May 9, 2016)

Fort Hood Army Major Troy Wayman Found Dead at Nolanville, Texas Residence; Death Ruled Suicide by Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound (January 16, 2016)

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 Soldier Gary Prokop Killed by Wife & Friends for Benefits & Life Insurance; Tyshee Prokop Sentenced to Life in Prison (June 25, 1998)

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