Re: Long, Lonely Search for Truth

Date: March 21, 2004

"Mother of fallen soldier still searching for the truth

The United States military is quietly giving some credit to an Oregon soldier for his heroism under fire a year ago in Iraq.

However, the soldier's mother says that credit does not go far enough.

The Background

Arlene Walters' son, Donald Walters, was among several soldiers with the 507th Maintenance Division serving their country in Iraq back in March of 2003.

On March 23, the army supply convoy somehow ended up taking a wrong turn and the U.S. soldiers were ambushed by Iraqi forces.

Not long after the ambush, five members of the 507th Maintenance Division showed up in Iraqi television footage being asked questions by their captors.

The video also showed bodies, apparently of U.S. soldiers, which led Pentagon officials to accuse Iraq of executing some of its POWs.

Sgt. Donald Walters, along with other soldiers from his unit, were listed as missing in action.

More than a week after the ambush, Pfc. Jessica Lynch was rescued from an Iraqi hospital by U.S. forces.

During the rescue operation, 11 bodies were recovered in and around the hospital, one of whom would be identified as Sgt. Donald Walters.

Following Lynch's rescue, the military painted her as a hero, saying she received stab wounds and returned fire on her attackers.

However, Lynch would later say those things never happened and that she believed her fellow soldiers, including Donald Walters, were not given the credit they were due.

"They deserve the attention. Yeah, they're American soldiers too," she said at the time.

Last summer, Arlene told KATU News she there was information that a U.S. soldier who could have been Walters was killed in action near where the ambush occured.

Although the report Arlene was referring to did not name Walters, she told KATU News that she believed her son was left alone in the desert and was the one who fought to his last breath.

"Don was a fighter, and I can just see him out there fighting," she said at the time.

Donald Walters was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart posthumously.

A Mother's Wish

One year after learning that her son's body was one of many found outside the hospital where Jessica Lynch was rescued, Arlene Walters finally got a letter from the military this week.

However, Arlene says that letter falls short of what she is looking for, which is to set the record straight that her son was the one who stood his ground against the attackers, not Jessica Lynch.

"I want my son to get credit for what he did," she told KATU News.

Arlene says she wants her grandchildren to read the right story in the history books and to truly understand what Donald Walters did in Iraq.

"I don't want them to read that Jessica Lynch did this. I want them to read that Donald Walters did it," she said.

"I want them to come out in the press and say that soldier was Donald Walters," she said.

Arlene says some members of her family want her to just give up trying to set the record straight, telling her that at this point, it does not matter.

But for Arlene, nothing short of the truth will bring her peace about the war that changed her life.

Note: KATU News was unsuccessful in trying to contact the author of the letter sent to Arlene Walters.

©KATU TV Portland, OR"