I go this email today, check it out:
Dear Veterans,
I am writing to you today to ask for your help. My husband, Sgt. Ryan Weemer needs your support. Ryan is one of the men who, in recent days, has come home from the war in Iraq , and is now on trial for his life.
Ryan left for Iraq in June 2004, and was with 3rd Battalion 1st Marines when the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah was brought down in November of that same year. Ryan was involved in some of the most brutal and deadly fighting to take place, where he personally was shot in the famous “Hell House” Incident, earning a Purple Heart for his injuries and a Navy Commendation with combat distinguishing device for his heroism in battle. Ryan came home recovering, and chose to return to civilian life and settle down. Leaving the Marine Corps in 2005, Ryan and I were married in 2006 and began our life together. In late 2006, after Ryan had applied and had been interviewing for a job with the Secret Service, he was approached by government agents wishing to interview him about his involvement in a particular combat incident from two years prior. That investigation today has become the trial for Ryan’s life.
Today, nearly four years after the alleged incident, Ryan has been recalled to active duty from his inactive reserve status and awaits trial on charges of murder and dereliction of duty in a Camp Pendleton court room this October.
I am writing to ask for your support in getting the word out to Marines, and Veterans from all over. Since his recall, for the sole purpose of his prosecution, we have been apart, him on the West Coast, and I back here in Kentucky , because I could not give up my job. I have moved back in with my parents, and we are doing everything we can to raise money to fund our mounting legal expenses. Ryan has been appointed a military attorney, and because of the high profile nature of this case, has retained a civilian attorney (who is a Marine Corps reservist) as well. His attorney, Paul Hackett, has agreed to work on a pro bono basis; however we are responsible for defraying travel expenses for his attorneys, expert witnesses, and other logistical and legal expenses.
We have established a website to get information out and receive donations for the “Sgt. Ryan Weemer Defense Fund” that has been established to collect what we can for these expenses. I have enclosed some fliers and information about our situation, if you could get this information out to your group, we would appreciate it more than you can imagine. We are members of the Kentuckiana Marine Corps League Detachment 729, and the corresponding auxiliary, and Ryan is a provisional life member of the VFW and DAV organizations in our area. One thing I have learned in working with these groups, is that this is an issue near and dear to the hearts of veterans. If there are any questions I can answer for you, or if you need more fliers or anything at all, please feel free to contact me. We need help getting the word out, and raising much needed funds, if you can find it in your hearts to help us, we would be eternally grateful.
Thank you for your time and donations. Please visit us on the web at www.defendingahero.org
Semper Fi,
Amanda Weemer
I was also in the Marine Corps and up until now, I have always been proud to say that I am a Marine. However, knowing that the very country that I served is doing this, I have to say that I am quite ashamed. We have civilian authorities who have never served in the military that are trying to flex their political muscules on the men and women that do serve to protect our freedom, to protect these politicians so they have the freedom to flex those political muscles (which I think are more cowards than anything.) As far as the Marine Corps goes, how dare you take this young man off of inactive duty and put him on active duty just so you can court marshal him. Sad, very sad.
DEAR AMANDA…MY HEART ACHES FOR YOU AND RYAN. I MET RYAN WHEN DEREK INVITED TO HAVE A STAY WITH US WHEN THEY WERE BOTH IN THE MARINES…DEREK PORTER IS OUR SON AND THINKS OF HIM AS A BROTHER. I PERSONALLY CALLED RYAN AND APPOLOGIZED FOR THE BEHAVIOR OF OUR COUNTRY. THIS MAN SHOULD BE CELEBRATED NOT PERSECUTED. MY FIRST IMPRESSION OF HIM WAS THAT HE WAS SOFT SPOKEN, POLITE, RESPECTFUL AND COULD SEE WHY DEREK THOUGHT OF NOT ONLY AS A FRIEND, BUT A BROTHER…MY PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS ARE WITH YOU BOTH. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO…SINCERELY, HELEN PORTER
Hey there Ryan. I heard that they are trying to hook you up for some B.S. in Fallujah. I want everyone to know that I was in the same platoon as Weemer and he is not the monster that the Marine Corps is making him out to be. In my eyes you did nothing wrong. I was in Fallujah with Ryan and no one knows what goes on in war until you have been there. It changes you as a person forever. That battle was a fight for our lives. No one will understand that but those who fought and spilled there blood. I dont care what branch of service you were in or what war you fought, its different. This battle was different than Iwo, Pusan, and even the first battle of Fullujah. Again I was there……NCIS was not, the people who are destroying Ryan were not. I think about you all the time and pray that you are doing well. I miss hangin out with you and joking around. Your a good man and you will get through this. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Hang in there Ryan.
Cpl Korey Kaufman
3rd Blt 1st Mar
1st Platoon Kilo Co.
WAR IS HELL AND YOUR RULES OF ENGAGEMENT CANNOT REFINE IT! That is my civilian perspective on the prosecutions (PERsecutions!) of our warriors fighting in Haditha, Hamdania, Fallujah and everywhere else duty calls and restraints on victory are in place!
I am a resident of Oceanside and a mother of five. After learning that I could attend these (ridiculously insane) hearings and trials of our nation’s heros, I have witnessed the NCIS using INCORRECT DATA, taped interviews TOTALLY OUT OF CONTEXT, and some of the scariest prosecution witnesses that would not pass the FAMILY DINNERTABLE DISCUSSIONS muster let alone a military trial! In trying to make sense of it, the only conclusion I have is what looks to me as A CORRUPT POLITICALLY INDUCED NEED TO FILL A QUOTA OF CHARGED AND PROSECUTED MARINES! (Remeber the hate America first politicians announcing the war is lost a few months ago?)
Indeed, this is the very context of a question I posed of a witness (annonymous here) at Ryan’s Sept. 30, 2008 hearing outside the courtroom. I was told by this witness I’d have to ask his boss…
When I told this person that the reason I was asking was because I could not understand how, after making it home ALIVE, after doing their job of KICKING IN DOORS WHERE THE ENEMY IS AND NOT HAVING THEIR FACES BLOWN OFF, that our warriors are coming home to BEING PROSECUTED! AND FOR WHAT???!!!! He told me, “This conversation is over!”
You see, we civilians CAN understand what our troops go through!!! We are the ones who would FREAK OUT under battle conditions and have HUGE ADMIRATION for our young men and women who serve so valiantly!!! That is why Sgt. Nazario was aquitted by the good people in his jury!
I wish with all my being that the RULES of ENGAGEMENT simply read: IF YOU MESS WITH U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL, THERE COULD BE DIRE CONSEQUENCES - PERIOD!!
…I wish Tucker and Menchaca could have had the benefit of the rules of the Geneva Convention applied to them…
I thank God for the Sgt. Ryan Weemers of this world and the women who love them. I thank God Ryan is alive! Hang in there young Mrs. Weemer, you are not alone — you may be broke, but do NOT allow your SPIRIT to be broken! I know you won’t, you’ve got too much support… Use all the Kleenex you need, get quiet, and feel the love from the community south of Camp Pendleton!
One last suggestion if I may… It is very helpfull that hearings and trials are posted in the newspapers so that the citizens CAN KEEP UP CONVERSATIONS!! God Bless!
There is always collateral damage in war. Especially when the enemy so easily blends in with the general populace. To prosecute a military man in this climate is preposterous. Did we prosecute all the aviators who took part in the massive bombings of Germany in World War II? How about the B-52 pilots in operation arc-lite during the Vietnam years? Same principal applies here. We were just up close and personal with surgical strikes. still collateral damage is collateral damage. To all the Politicians out there - next time, you fight your own battles.