Recent news about Al Lorentz, the true patriot

This is a follow up to A true patriot that needs support. That post discussed an editorial by a man named Al Lorentz entitled “Why We Can’t Win.” At the risk of being repetitive, here again is the opening paragraph of that editorial:

Before I begin, let me state that I am a soldier currently deployed in Iraq, I am not an armchair quarterback. Nor am I some politically idealistic and naïve young soldier, I am an old and seasoned Non-Commissioned Officer with nearly 20 years under my belt. Additionally, I am not just a soldier with a muds-eye view of the war, I am in Civil Affairs and as such, it is my job to be aware of all the events occurring in this country and specifically in my region.

“Big Al” went on to explain the mistakes that he feels have been made in Iraq. I said the following about his editorial:

Lorentz, by speaking out, is not being disloyal to anyone. He is trying to protect his fellow soldiers by getting our "leaders" to wake up, face reality, and act accordingly. He is trying to get Bush, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, etc. to stop looking after their own political interests and focus on the interests of the men and women Bush ordered to fight a war for our country.

The Army initially took a different view. As explained in A true patriot that needs support, Lorentz’s chain of command was considering charging him with a violation of 18 USC 2388, which in pertinent part says that

Whoever, when the United States is at war, willfully causes or attempts to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the military or naval forces of the United States, or willfully obstructs the recruiting or enlistment service of the United States, to the injury of the service or the United States, or attempts to do so-- Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.

So, for speaking out and trying to save American lives, Lorentz was facing the possibility of 20 years in prison...or at least he was as of October 14, 2004.

I recently received news regarding Big Al's situation. It turns out that the Army conducted an investigation and then decided to drop all charges against Lorentz. The investigators were attempting to show that Lorentz was a malcontent who was fomenting discontent and disloyalty, undermining the mission in the barracks, and encouraging soldiers not to fight. Instead, they found just the opposite, and also discovered that Lorentz would be a very credible witness. That’s when Army officials informed Lorentz they would be magnanimous and dismiss the charges. But they were not done, as they tried to pressure him into not publicly discussing his editorial. No apology for falsely accusing him–just pressure to shut up.

In spite of the lack of an apology, the fact that the charges were dropped is great news for Big Al and the rest of us. For once, justice has prevailed. Now if only someone in authority would pay attention to what Lorentz said and act on it...