Kin say soldier hinted at concerns (Gay Female Soldier Killed Afghanistan)

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Boston Globe

The Massachusetts National Guard soldier from Quincy who died Friday in Afghanistan asked her relatives to press for answers if anything happened to her while she was deployed, according to her family.

"She did say to us that she had concerns about things she was seeing when she was over there," Ciara Durkin's sister, Fiona Canavan, said in an interview with WGBH-TV. "She told us if anything happened to her, that we were to investigate it."

Questions surrounding Durkin's death prompted US Senators John F. Kerry and Edward M. Kennedy and US Representative William D. Delahunt yesterday to call for the Defense Department to thoroughly investigate the death of Durkin, a Quincy resident.

In a letter, Kerry urged Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates "to deploy your staff on this matter immediately, so that the answers and circumstances around Specialist Durkin's death are uncovered, expeditiously and thoroughly."

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"Ciara was a lesbian, and that's bound to come out," Canavan said. "It is possible that someone over there found that out, and, you know, maybe they were very homophobic."

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/03/kin_say_soldier_hinted_at_concerns/

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A family photo of Ciara Durkin, taken in the summer of 2006.

[kysrsoze]

1. I really hope it wasn't just about her being a lesbian

Somebody call Captain Obvious. Then tell me who gives a f*ck what her sexual orientation was. I sincerely hope it was something more substantial than just a bunch of stupid f*ckhead jocks who felt intimidated. Sounded to me like she found out something bad and people didn't like it.

[IndianaGreen]

2. Hard to believe that good Christian fundie GIs would harm a fellow GI

just because he or she was gay.

:eyes:

Remember the soldier that had his head smashed by a baseball bat as he slept because his fellow soldiers took issue with him dating a transgender woman? They made a movie about it, "Soldier Boy" I believe it was titled.

[cboy4]

3. Let's hope this is not the case. But that's pretty sad that

a human being has to say to her family, if anything happens to me, investigate.

But I have faith in the DOD, considering they were so honest about the Tillman inquiry.

:eyes:

[MADem]

4. How very sad.

A bullet to the head. Well, that's either murder or suicide, depending on the circumstances.

It could be accidental as well, but that's less likely, I think.

Ted and John will get answers.

[donheld]

5. It seems like our military is totally lawless

It's sad but true.

[sazemisery]

6. There may have been other reasons for this

read this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1970020

[fed-up]

7. "she had concerns about things she was seeing when she was over there"-not her sexual orientation-nt

[rodeodance]

8. "officials have told them she was found with a single bullet in her head," and the

.......The Defense Department says it is investigating Durkin's death, which it described as a "non-combat-related incident." Durkin's family says Army officials have told them she was found with a single bullet in her head, lying near the church where she worshipped on the secure Bagram Airfield.

The Army has not publicly disclosed whether a weapon was found near her body.

The Massachusetts National Guard initially reported that Durkin was killed in action, though a Guard spokesman later said the term meant only that Durkin was serving in Afghanistan at the time.

"When confusing information comes in, which is contradictory, it raises the level of anxiety during a very difficult time," Kerry said in an interview yesterday. "It's very important to know what the facts are."

[rodeodance]

10. and conflicting information given to family on how she died.

......The Defense Department says it is investigating Durkin's death, which it described as a "non-combat-related incident." Durkin's family says Army officials have told them she was found with a single bullet in her head, lying near the church where she worshipped on the secure Bagram Airfield.

The Army has not publicly disclosed whether a weapon was found near her body.

The Massachusetts National Guard initially reported that Durkin was killed in action, though a Guard spokesman later said the term meant only that Durkin was serving in Afghanistan at the time.

"When confusing information comes in, which is contradictory, it raises the level of anxiety during a very difficult time," Kerry said in an interview yesterday. "It's very important to know what the facts are."

[rodeodance]

9. umm.. abc just reported this (10 seconds--no details)

[rodeodance]

11. "Why has the Army refused to make Durkin's will and paperwork available to her family,"

Why, after not responding to the family's request for an independent autopsy, did the Army fail to contact the Durkin family with the Army's autopsy results? The family was told to be available to receive a phone call between 1 and 3 p.m. on Oct. 1, and the Army never called.

Why has the Army refused to make Durkin's will and paperwork available to her family, so they can respect her wishes as they plan her funeral and burial?

Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Withington, a Defense Department spokesman, said yesterday that Gates had not received Kerry's letter but that the Pentagon would respond.

"We do feel there's a great lack of information but we're trying to be patient with them," Canavan said of the military. "They keep telling us they're taking time so they get it right."

[lostnfound]

12. That's going to be the beginning of cover-up story #1.

"Killed for being a lesbian" is how they will change the subject. More propaganda from the Cons.

What bs.