G.I. paid someone to shoot him !!!
New York Daily News
July 20, 2007
Stung By Guilt And 'Hero' Label
G.I. who paid to be shot earns mistaken kudos on flight to base
By Tamer el-Ghobashy, Daily News Staff Writer
AUSTIN, Tex. - "Aponte?" the Fort Hood soldier asked.
"I'm here to pick you up."
And with that, Bronx G.I. Jonathan Aponte was back in the hands of the U.S. military - his fate uncertain.
On the flight back to his base yesterday, Aponte came clean, admitting he indeed hired someone to shoot him in the knee, hoping to get out of returning to Iraq.
The alleged gunman, Felix Padilla, charged $500.
The cost to Aponte is now much, much more.
He faces charges in the Bronx and a possible court-martial at Fort Hood.
He also is dealing with the guilt and shame of what he has done, and the fear that led to the shooting in the first place: getting sent back to Iraq.
From the moment he boarded the JetBlue flight back to Texas yesterday, he ran a gauntlet of personal pain.
"Thanks a lot, man," the driver of a shuttle bus to the gate said to Aponte. "Hang in there."
As he hobbled on crutches through Kennedy Airport, the thanks kept coming like darts to his heart. No one seemed to know his shooting secret.
"I don't feel a hero at all," he told the Daily News.
It got worse as he took his seat.
The JetBlue captain welcomed Aponte over the public address system and everyone applauded.
And again, in Austin, a boy looked at his wounded knee and up into his eyes.
"Thank you for your service," the boy said.
"I'm scared," Aponte confessed on the flight back. "I hope they don't put me in the hole."
"I was confused," he continued.
"I didn't know who could help me. Out of desperation, I felt like this would be the only way," he said of the shooting. "I didn't want anyone to get in trouble."
Aponte, his wife, Alexandra Gonzalez, 22, and Padilla are all charged in the conspiracy back home.
He said he told the truth of his turmoil to the Bronx grand jury and hopes they'll spare his wife and Padilla.
And he still hopes the Army affords him counseling rather than harsh punishment.
As for Iraq, that's still the worst possibility.
Worse than jail and the military benefits he may lose when all is said and done.
"People don't see the blood and the body parts. If people saw that they would say, 'Why are we letting our sons and daughters get killed?'" he said.
"I want to be [back] there to help out my friends," he said. "But mentally, I just can't do it."
July 20, 2007
Stung By Guilt And 'Hero' Label
G.I. who paid to be shot earns mistaken kudos on flight to base
By Tamer el-Ghobashy, Daily News Staff Writer
AUSTIN, Tex. - "Aponte?" the Fort Hood soldier asked.
"I'm here to pick you up."
And with that, Bronx G.I. Jonathan Aponte was back in the hands of the U.S. military - his fate uncertain.
On the flight back to his base yesterday, Aponte came clean, admitting he indeed hired someone to shoot him in the knee, hoping to get out of returning to Iraq.
The alleged gunman, Felix Padilla, charged $500.
The cost to Aponte is now much, much more.
He faces charges in the Bronx and a possible court-martial at Fort Hood.
He also is dealing with the guilt and shame of what he has done, and the fear that led to the shooting in the first place: getting sent back to Iraq.
From the moment he boarded the JetBlue flight back to Texas yesterday, he ran a gauntlet of personal pain.
"Thanks a lot, man," the driver of a shuttle bus to the gate said to Aponte. "Hang in there."
As he hobbled on crutches through Kennedy Airport, the thanks kept coming like darts to his heart. No one seemed to know his shooting secret.
"I don't feel a hero at all," he told the Daily News.
It got worse as he took his seat.
The JetBlue captain welcomed Aponte over the public address system and everyone applauded.
And again, in Austin, a boy looked at his wounded knee and up into his eyes.
"Thank you for your service," the boy said.
"I'm scared," Aponte confessed on the flight back. "I hope they don't put me in the hole."
"I was confused," he continued.
"I didn't know who could help me. Out of desperation, I felt like this would be the only way," he said of the shooting. "I didn't want anyone to get in trouble."
Aponte, his wife, Alexandra Gonzalez, 22, and Padilla are all charged in the conspiracy back home.
He said he told the truth of his turmoil to the Bronx grand jury and hopes they'll spare his wife and Padilla.
And he still hopes the Army affords him counseling rather than harsh punishment.
As for Iraq, that's still the worst possibility.
Worse than jail and the military benefits he may lose when all is said and done.
"People don't see the blood and the body parts. If people saw that they would say, 'Why are we letting our sons and daughters get killed?'" he said.
"I want to be [back] there to help out my friends," he said. "But mentally, I just can't do it."
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A fellow who would do that is probably not too reliable anyway - the legal system(s) get a three-fer - GOOD! 0 -
What an idiot. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by HandLoad
A fellow who would do that is probably not too reliable anyway - the legal system(s) get a three-fer - GOOD!
They'll likely just get a slap on the wrist, and they know it!! Ir's why they even try such things. Chances are they'll still be eligible for the benefits.[:(]0 -
GRRRRRR.
Angry. Too angry to respond well now. Maybe later.0 -
he will get away, watch this
http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_194162807.html0 -
I can condemn him.
He may have cost GOOD people their lives.
I hate this touchy feely crap.
Doug0 -
quote:He may have cost GOOD people their lives.
I didn't even think of that. What I thought about was Travis, who gets up and goes out every day among people who shoot at him and leave bombs for him to trip. And he just does it. When he came home on leave, there was never any question of whether he would go back. I would love for him to have been able to stay, but he had to go, so he went.0 -
I hope Uncle Sam Kicks him in the a** and makes him return to duty on a tent desk job in Iraq. He must wear a shirt that says "I tried to go home" 0 -
theyve been doing this in every generation. old practice. 0 -
Watch the Demon-crats run with this one. He'll run for President with those credentials. 0 -
All but one man died,
There at Bitter Creek,
And they say he ran away ...
Branded!
Marked with a coward's shame.
What do you do when you're branded,
Will you fight for your name?
He was innocent,
Not a charge was true,
But the world will never know ...
Branded!
Scorned as the one who ran.
What do you do when you're branded,
And you know you're a man?
And wherever you go
for the rest of your life
You must prove ...
You're a man!
Theme from "Branded"0 -
quote:Originally posted by p3skyking
All but one man died,
There at Bitter Creek,
And they say he ran away ...
Branded!
Marked with a coward's shame.
What do you do when you're branded,
Will you fight for your name?
He was innocent,
Not a charge was true,
But the world will never know ...
Branded!
Scorned as the one who ran.
What do you do when you're branded,
And you know you're a man?
And wherever you go
for the rest of your life
You must prove ...
You're a man!
Theme from "Branded"
I'm not sure this is an appropriate comparison. In "Branded", the star was actually innocent of all charges. In this case, Aponte has admitted he is guilty of the charges.0 -
Too bad the guy didn't miss and hit him in the head... 0
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