Soldier's Mom Says Deadbeat Dad Shouldn't Get Death Benefits

[kskiska]

Milan, IL-Should the biological father of a soldier killed in the line of duty receive death benefits even though he never met his daughter?

Sgt. Jessica Housby of Rock Island was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in February. The unmarried 23 year old was raised by her mother and step-father.

But the state contacted her biological father Tony Holbrook in his prison cell in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa and informed him that as the biological father of Jessica, he was entitled to survivor's benefits, and is in line to receive more than 137- thousand dollars in the coming weeks.

Jessica's mother says Holbrook never met his daughter, and should not be benefit from her death. ''He left when I was four months pregnant. He's not on the birth certificate, he never paid child support. he was never there for her when she was alive, why should he be awarded for her death, '' said Deb Bundy of Milan. ''It doesn't make any sense.''

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http://www.wqad.com/Global/story.asp?S=3706962

[CTyankee]

1. I hope the father just says, "give it all to her mother."

He certainly did squat for her!

[YellowRubberDuckie]

2. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA....

Right. Thanks for the laugh. That IS NEVER going to happen.
Duckie

[VegasWolf]

3. She's right if these facts are correct! nt

[SimpleMan]

4. There must be more to this story...

Unless they've changed it, the individual service person chooses who they want to get the survivor's benefit in the event of their death. Maybe she chose him for some reason. Stranger things have happened.

[MADem]

6. I cannot BELIEVE this story

I'm with you--unless the benefit is designated, you cannot receive it based on who you are--the benefit would go to the PNOK (primary next of kin) who in this case is the (edit) MOTHER. The servicemember determines how the money is doled out. And if the bio father is not on the certificate, how would anyone KNOW who the daddy is?

It could be that she intended it to go to her stepfather, but in that case, still, you have to phsycially spell out and name the beneficiary, and provide an address.

Also, the AMOUNT is wrong--I think she must have split the percentage amongst several family members...that's how I had mine set up, a little going to each of my family members should I have bought the farm.

I also know that they made everyone review their designations before they sent them to the sandbox--it's part of predeployment processing.

Something is UP here...

[liberalhistorian]

7. If she did, indeed, designate her biological

father as one of the beneficiaries, and IF what the mother says is true (we only have her side, so there's no real way of knowing right now), I have to wonder just what in the hell that soldier was thinking.

[Skwmom]

8. The disputed amount appears to be a state (not a federal) benefit.

Maybe the soldier didn't designate the beneficiary because the law was enacted after she went to Iraq or maybe the IL state legislators really screwed up and didn't think about having the soldier designate the beneficiary.

[Kelvin Mace]

5. Now woman, be silent

You may not scorn your betters. GOP family values trumps justice every time.

:sarcasm: