My name is Cheryl Harris. I知 the mother of Staff Sergeant Ryan Maseth, who died from electrocution

[lovuian]

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/index.php?sid=382255

My name is Cheryl Harris. I知 the mother of Staff Sergeant Ryan Maseth, who died from electrocution while taking a shower at the Radwaniyah Palace Complex in Baghdad on January 2, 2008.

Ryan was a decorated special forces Army Ranger and Green Beret and is one of several service members to have unnecessarily died by accidental electrocution during mundane daily activities in Iraq.

My son died while serving his country. His death was unnecessary; his death was preventable. His death makes me wonder who is looking out for our troops. His death leads me to ask who can the troops in Iraq count on to ensure that this same fate doesn稚 await them. I stand before you today to demand accountability, to implore that preventative measures be adopted, and to ask for your commitment that no military family will have to endure the paralyzing pain of this type of senseless tragedy.

My personal ordeal began the night of January 2, 2008 when an Army Chaplain and two Army Non-Commissioned Officers came to my door at 9:45 p.m. Both my twin sons, Ryan and Brandon, were serving tours of duty in Iraq. Ryan was on his second tour and Brandon was on his third. I knew when I came to the door that night that something very serious had happened to one of my sons. I was hoping it was simply an injury and not death. I asked who it was and I was told Ryan had been killed. I asked how it happened and they could not answer me. At that time, I was left with unanswered questions about Ryan痴 death, not to mention incredible grief.
more...

Very sad but A Reality check for the Mother ...fighting for Bush is very dangerous

[yardwork]

1. So awful. I remember Michael Moore asking in 9/11

"How will they ever forgive us?"

My heart goes out to this mother. I also have two sons. I can't imagine her grief.

[AndreaCG]

2. Words cannot express my sorrow for you

Or my anger at the waste of money and resources and callousness to soldiers and destruction of the lives of innocent Iraqis that is the Iraq War

[Maat]

3. Oh, how sad.

Blessings and healing energy to her; she is in our family's thoughts and prayers (the mom).

How have I said tonight how much I hate these people ...

Grrr

:mad:

It breaks my heart to see this stuff.

[NYC_SKP]

4. A very very sad story. I'll add this to the list of reasons that...

I've decided to put aside all my differences with other democrats and with the candidate and devote myself to his success in November.

:patriot"

[bdamomma]

5. all this death for lies, these our sons, daughters, mother's and father's

not theirs, when is this going to end? 9 soldiers died yesterday in Afghanistan, so sad and so murderous. I hope to see the day when these thugs in DC pay dearly for all the misery they have caused. They need to be in prison.

[MissDeeds]

9. I agree, Alyce

And I hope that each and every Democrat that we voted for who pledged to end this atrocity pays dearly for the the misery they have allowed to occur. Their silence and their inaction makes them complicit.

[patrice]

6. Pray for Justice and Mercy. nt

[salin]

7. The tragic reality

of war profiteers- tney are in it for the profit *only* and clearly KBR placed little monetary value on the lives of those serving the country. The multitude of examples is overwhelming. It is shameful and mournful.

[Breeze54]

8. I hope she's suing KB&R and Halliburton for their theiving incompetent criminal hand in this!!

:grr: :nuke:


:kick: & Recommended

[RamboLiberal]

10. She is suing KBR - she's from Pittsburgh area of PA

which is where I'm from also so I've been tracking coverage of this case. Her and Senator Casey are to be commended for fighting to get this story told and let the American people know how those bastards at KBR knew of this problem and did not remedy it. There were a number of electrocutions in Iraq because of the shoddy work by KBR and its minions.

[Breeze54]

11. Yeah, I've been following it too. I'm glad she has help going after those bastids! n/t

[RamboLiberal]

13. Huffington Post July 1st & another article

So some good will come from the death of Ryan Maseth after all. The Pentagon -- after Ryan's mother, and my friend, Cheryl Harris, brought his death by electrocution to national attention -- has just ordered electrical inspections of all buildings in Iraq maintained by KBR, the major military contractor.

Cheryl, as I have written here previously, has researched other electrocutions and pressed a wrongful death lawsuit against KBR.

The senator from Cheryl's state, Pennsylvania, Bob Casey made public on Monday afternoon a written statement by Gen. David Petraeus, the American commander in Iraq. Petraeus informed Congress of the new inspections -- while also disclosing that at least 13 U.S. soldiers had been electrocuted in Iraq since the war began, and many others had received electrical shocks. Until now, the Pentagon had said 12 had been electrocuted.

A New York Times article by James Risen today relates: "Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, a Green Beret from Pennsylvania, died Jan. 2 when he stepped into a shower and was electrocuted at his base in Baghdad. His death prompted investigations this spring by Congress and the Pentagon's inspector general into evidence that poor electrical work at facilities used by American personnel had led to other electrocutions.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-mitchell/death-of-my-friends-son-i_b_110129.html

KBR Inc. used employees with little electrical expertise to supervise subcontractors in Iraq and hired foreigners who couldn't speak English to do the work, former KBR electricians told a Senate panel investigating the electrocutions of 13 Americans.

Experienced electricians who raised concerns about shoddy work and its possible hazards were often dismissed and told, "This is a war zone," the electricians said.

"Time and again we heard, `This is not the states, OSHA doesn't apply here. If you don't like it you can go home,'" said Debbie Crawford, a journeyman electrician with 30 years experience.

Crawford and Jefferey Bliss, also a former KBR electrician, testified in the 17th hearing held by the Democratic Policy Committee, which has been examining waste, fraud and abuse in Iraq and the performance of the country's war contractors. Both Democrats and Republicans attended the hearing.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jxXnvR5EoxcupOyu71W_9zx6P8NwD91RRKNO0

[gateley]

12. I'm grateful she was able to testify before Congress.

I don't see how any one of them could her her story and not be outraged and ashamed.

[AwakeAtLast]

14. When my husband got to Iraq, the first thing he was asked to do

was rewire his barracks. He used to be an electrician, so his CO's knew he would do it right. Whoever wired it was, and I quote, "total idiots". This was one building on one base. How many more are there like that? Very, very sad. :(

[Pacifist Patriot]

15. As a mother I am so saddened, as a twin I can only imagine Brandon's pain.

When will this madness end?

[lynettebro440]

16. They don't care about soldiers

and they don't care about US citizens..new orleans, midwest.....they care nothing except money and power. So sad to watch this.