Re: Iraq Casualty Is Executed POW

Date: May 27, 2004

Thanks to Rod Utech at POW-MIA Freedom Radio.

"Military Says Oregon Guardsman Was Executed

By Shannon L. Cheesman

Salem, Ore. - After a long fight to get recognition for their son's actions in Iraq, the family of Sgt. Donald Walters has now learned some shocking news from the military - that their son was taken as a prisoner of war and later shot in the back.

Major Arnold Strong with the Oregon National Guard made the announcement this afternoon, saying a Defense Department representative visited with the Walters earlier this week to tell them the news.

Walters' wife was also notified this week.

Walters' status has now been changed from 'Killed in Action' to 'Captured,' and his death is now listed as a homicide.

According to Strong, Walters was killed by Fedayeen rebels who held him for a couple of hours before pulling him into a room separate from his fellow soldiers and shooting him twice in the back.

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.

Walters' mother fought to have the military recognize her son's actions in Iraq and Sgt. Donald Walters was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart posthumously, as well as a Silver Star.

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