DALLAS RESIDENT BECOMES HIGHEST-RANKING OFFICER TO DIE IN IRAQ
A Dallas resident has become the highest-ranking U.S. fatality in the Iraq War.
On CNN's American Morning show today, I heard a report that Col. Westhusing had died of a single bullet wound. The implication of the report was that he might have committed suicide. The military has promised a "thorough investigation." A professor at West Point, Westhusing had volunteered for service in Iraq, where he was training Iraqi security forces.
posted by Motherlode at 8:26 AM
5 Comments:
I personally knew COL. Westhusing, and for a man who was to come home next month to his wife and three children, i highly doubt he would commit suicide.
Several thousand rounds are fired there almost every single day before even 10 am. And again late in the day. By Iraqi's, lined up almost shoulder to shoulder, and some in front and some behind each other. There are tall places and low places to shoot from, jump onto and leap from. All with live ammo. Terrorists don't always come at you on a "level playing field". Therefore you don't train on one for too long. Due to the situation in Iraq- training is accelerated. Add to the fact that mortars land haphazardly in "one-sees and two-sees" here, never expectedly, as in other parts of "secure areas" in Iraq. These type of places are some of the most "benignly dangerous" on the planet. And this man's profession as well as others like him there are to train people in them for operations in worse conditions. It was most likely an accident. It happens at places like these - as it does at shooting ranges all over the world. Believe it or not it happens LESS in places like these than at say a public facility like these. And that is due to the professionalism of people like this man. Apologies for being vague.
I had heard that he was frustrated with the lack of trust of everyone and that the contractors were lying and killing each other as well as the Iraq po/ice who were doing the same. I think that with his insight and his disposition he became totally fed up. The closed coffin and lack of information is now seemingly even more of a possibility that suicide could have been what happened. In spite of his chances of returning home in July I think the message as to why this happened may be a summary of the whole ugly mess this War is.
He definately did commit suicide....
For those of you referring to Colonel Westhusing as Mr. Westhusing, get it right. He was and will always be a Colonel in the United States Army.
I knew the colonel presonally and he was one of the finest Soldiers I have ever known. He was, infact, an officer and a gentleman.
His suicide/murder remains a question here at West Point. All anyone ever needs to remember about Colonel Westhusing is that he was and remians a Soldier.
Rest in peace, Colonel Theodore Westhusing.
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