I Sent My Son to War [Sgt John Winnick II, Marine sniper charged with murder]

JohnnyWinnick.com ^ | June 21, 2008 | Dorothy Winnick

[RedRover]

He said, "Mom I want to join the Marines, please sign these papers,
I am only 17."
I said okay.
911 happened.
Are you sure?
"Yes please let me go, I know I have to go."
I said okay. He was only 18.
They said you young Marines will go to war and some will not come back.
He said, "Don't worry; I have to fight for our country."
I said okay. He was only 19.
He marched up to Baghdad.
Sand swirled all around, the heat was extreme, water was scarce, and sleep was little.
Hungry, tired and dirty, he marched, he fought, and he saw his friends die before his eyes.
He came back thin and sick.
He said God was with him.
He rested and ate and recovered. He trained. He prepared for another deployment.
He said, "I have to go, my fellow Marines and country need me."
I said okay. He was only 20.
He fought in the biggest and deadliest battle of the war, the Battle of Fallujah.
He stormed houses, He searched for the enemy.
The explosions were tremendous, the gunfire relentless, and blood covered the streets.
He fought, he prayed, I prayed, he was hit but nothing happened, he stepped on an IED, but nothing happened.
I prayed, he prayed.
He received the letters we wrote and the ones from his sister's students.
I said, "did you read the letters?"
He said, "I passed them out to other Marines, they needed them."
I said did you get the food I sent?
He said, "I passed it out to my fellow Marines, they needed it."
I said okay.
He fought hard, he did his duty, he came back.
He rested, he ate, he slept, he trained, and he prepared for another deployment.
He said, "I have to go, my fellow Marines and country need me."
I said okay. He was only 21.
He battled the enemy, the IED's, the heat, the sand, and endured the deaths.
He caught and cooked a chicken on Thanksgiving and shared it with all around him.
I said did you get the cookies we sent?
He said, "I passed them out to the Iraqis, they needed them."
He ate with them, he sat with them, and he read his Bible with them.
They said "Thank you, please read more," he said okay.
I said, "did you get the coolpaks I sent you?"
He said, "I passed them out to my troops, they needed them."
He fought the heat, the sand, the freezing cold, fatigue, and the enemy.
He came home, he rested, he ate, he slept, and he trained. He was 22.
He prepared for another deployment.
He was told we will go on a boat around the world, don't worry it will be safe this time.
I said okay. He was only 23.
He slept in bunks stacked 3 high and side-by-side. Only inches separating each Marine.
He trained and prepared.
His ship arrived in Kuwait. He knew, I knew.
He again marched to his destination.
He battled the heat, the sand, the IED's, and the enemy.
He was trained to protect his troops, to seek out the enemy, to do what he was trained.
He encouraged his troops, he held the ones that died and stood by, so others would not see the blood. He comforted his fellow Marines and advised and helped them prepare.
He did all that he was trained to do. He made the right decisions. He had no doubt.
He called, he said, "something happened, please don't worry."
He said, "I did what I was trained to do, I made the best decision I could."
He said I can't talk about it but something happened please don't worry.
I said okay. I prayed, I prepared, I was ready.
He came home, he rested, he ate, he prepared for another battle.
He said don't worry my innocence will be shown.
He prepares for battle, a battle here at home, a battle for doing his job.
He said don't worry.
I said okay. I prepare. I pray.
He is only 24.

[RedRover]

A message from Dorothy Winnick on the new site, JohnnyWinnick.com:

On May 19, 2008, military prosecutors charged Sgt. John F. Winnick II with two counts of voluntary manslaughter, one count of aggravated assault and one count of dereliction of duty for incidents that occurred almost one full year prior to the charges. We cannot discuss the case and any details but we can tell you that Johnny did exactly what he was trained to do.

We have set up this website to give our friends, family and supporters more information about Johnny and to support his innocence. We have a respected and experienced attorney, Gary Myers, whom is helping Johnny to be cleared of all charges. Although this is a very stressful time for our family, we are doing extremely well. God has truly upheld every member of our family and we are staying very positive. We firmly believe God will be glorified in all of this! Johnny is confident that the truth will be heard. We are blessed with all your prayers, supportive emails, and comments on the blog.

Though he is way to humble too ever admit it, Johnny is one of the most upright, caring, and hardworking Marines serving our country. We know we have a tough journey ahead of us, but we know it will be easier with your support.

[RedRover]

[RedRover]

More prayers needed. We'll be following the case at Defend Our Marines and will keep everyone informed as this latest travesty unfolds.

[freema]

Ping

[Pikachu_Dad]

WOW.

Good luck and God bless you and your son.

Sometimes we get sent down paths and we don’t understand why.

It is because these difficult paths make us stronger. Decades down the road this experience will help your son defeat our domestic enemies.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for the ping.

[fatima]

Got it,we will pray on Monday.Keep us updated.(((Hugs)))

[peeps36]

It is not right to put our Marines in such a tough situation and then charge them for doing what they were trained to do. I don't know who is responsible for bringing these charges but I do know he's a scumbag. They will ruin our military if they keep this up.

[freema]

You’re welcome.

[lilycicero]

*SIGH*

[cubreporter]

Red Rover. Your son is a young, handsome Marine. First off we thank him for his service. We thank you and your wife and family for standing behind and supporting him.

Now, we will pray for your son and we will pray that he returns home to begina new life and family. We know he will always be a proud Marine and American. We know he would go back again and do it all over.

He needs true justice and not a kangaroo court. God bless him, all of you and please GOD put some brains in those who are sitting in judgement of him. He did his job the way he was trained.

Be with this young Marine and his family.

God bless you young fella and your family. We are behind you and once again thank you for all you have done in service to this country and the protection of its citizens.

[RedRover]

Just for clarity, all comments addressed to me are meant for the Winnick family. I posted this information on their behalf.

David Allender
RedRover

[RedRover]

PS. If you can, please also visit the family's blog to leave a message of support.

[murron]

What a fine looking young man he is. It’s bad enough when you have to worry about your son’s safety fighting the battles of war, but then to have to have him brought up on criminal charges just for doing his job would be more than I could stomach. I wish him and his family all the best. This makes me sick.

[RedRover]

Thought you’d like to see this thread.

[Semper Fi Mom]

WOW!! THIS IS SO HEARTBREAKING!! I AM TOTALLY SPEECHLESS!!

[xzins]

I am so tired of this targeting of our troops by a rag-tag band of moral midgets.

I do pray that God would repay those who thoughtlessly or with malice accuse one of our warriors without truly giving our warriors the benefit of the doubt and the presumption of innocence.

I pray that God visits on the accusers in equal measure the demoralization that they have brought on the heads of those who make split second decisions, ethically ambiguous decisions, because of the nature of a battlefield. Lord Jesus, these truly are my thoughts and prayers.

Please protect Sgt John Winnick II, a young American warrior.

[RedRover]

I'm with you, Mom. There are a lot of stories from the family and letters from fellow Marines at the LINK. Can't imagine what the family is going through. Unfortunately, I wish you didn't understand it all too well.

[Chickensoup]

This is a war, not a crime scene. These issues should not even be coming up. Not even on the radar screen.

I have a son who I will encourage to join the military to defend our country. But I will tell him to avoid the military if it continues to turn war into a crime.

[jazusamo]

Our prayers are with Sgt. Winnick and his family.

[Grimmy]

“They will ruin our military if they keep this up.”

That is the objective. Do not doubt it for a second. Those who are playing this game have been turned. It does not matter how they got turned, why they got turned or what excuses they give to rationalize their turning.

They are turned against our own for no reason but to please our enemy.

This makes them enemy.

Every bit as much an enemy as the jihadiscum.

[Lancey Howard]

We need to keep an eye on this one.

[brityank]

Is there no end to the perfidy from DoD, SecNav Winter, and their bands of tyrants in JAG and NCIS?

Thanks for pointing us to Sgt. Winnick's site; I found the following in Attorney Gary Meyer's "Press Clips":

... United States Marines charged over the alleged Haditha massacre will be made "political scapegoats" by the Bush administration, writes Toby Harnden [in the UK's Sunday Telegraph]. Gary Myers, who also acted for one of the troops convicted of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib, told The Sunday Telegraph: "Given this administration, it's almost a certainty. This administration will seek to isolate the fewest number possible and call them aberrants. That is what will happen."

It's for certain our country doesn't deserve Men or Families like these; my prayers and support are with them.

[RedRover]

You bet. I’m hoping to find another San Diego-based stringer to cover the hearing (the last one ran off with a Marine).

[RedRover]

Bump that, brit!

[Girlene]

Praying that this Marine is able to find justice. The Winnick family has hired a great lawyer, Gary Meyers! He knows what he’s up against.

[Big Horn]

I am praying. In time of war we do what it takes to win.
When fighting for your life there are no rules.

[RedRover]

When fighting for your life there are no rules.

That gets it in one. Thanks, Big Horn.

[brityank]

I’m hoping to find another San Diego-based stringer to cover the hearing (the last one ran off with a Marine).

Ahh. So you're a Matchmaker as well as a Muse and Motivator. That's some Marvelous Missions you've chosen!         ;^)

[RedRover]

I tell you, this stuff keeps us hopping! I finally had to hire a yard man because I just couldn’t keep up wirh life away from the ‘puter. Probably should’ve asked Lily to drive over with her John Deere Luxury Lounge Lawn Cruiser.

[lilycicero]

He thinks my tractor’s sexy.

[Girlene]

When you need the job done quick, I recommend this guy, Red.

<

[RedRover]

Whoa! You know Lily's mind does tend to wander and then she goes into those lazy Figure 8s...but still, she's so cute on her tractor. Kind of like Zsa Zsa Gabor in Green Acres.

Say, got a little more 411 (as you young people say) on the old grapevine.

Sgt Winnick's Article 32 hearing is scheduled for July 1-2, though it is likely to wrap in one day. John has an experienced defense team of Gary Myers and Dan Conway (civilian counsel for LCpl Sharratt) and Jeffrey Muñoz (military counsel from the LCpl Tatum team).

Some of this you already knew, but I'm just quoting for completeness sake what I wrote HERE.

[lilycicero]

Yes...quote for completeness...thank you.

[RedRover]

What are friends for?

[RedRover]

I’m just starting to put some details together about this case. The incredible thing is that Sgt Winnick was actually combat-meritoriously promoted to corporal for doing basically the same thing that he is now receiving a court-martial for. Should be a very interesting case to follow.

[Grimmy]

Eventually, we’re going to have to go to that place where reasonable people go when it’s made too blatantly obvious that being reasonable only leads to surrender.

[Defend Our Marine]

I love what Dorothy wrote...

Johnny is in VERY good hands with Gary Myers and Dan Conway. Our troops should not have to deal with any of this! I get so angry with our gov for letting this happen. We need some new laws passed to protect our troops while serving our country, especially during wartime.

Dorothy, Johnny, and family; know that we are here for you, and you all are in our thoughts an prayers. Stay strong.

Theresa

[xzins]

My New Holland is the sexy one. It ain’t easy bein’ green.

Blue, on the other hand, is a piece of cake.

[RedRover]

Agreed, Dorothy is an excellent writer. It takes a lot of strength and self-control to write a piece of such clarity. Johnny has powerful advocates on his side, and that can make all the difference. I pray it sees him through this nightmare.

[lilycicero]

Xzins, do you need more dessert talk from Girl?

[xzins]

Someone say Key Lime Pie to me.

Those sweet nothings.......

:>)

[Defend Our Marine]

I just do not understand why our gov is doing this? What is in it for them?

Johnny’s family seems to be very strong. Their faith will get them through this nightmare.

[Girlene]

I’m just starting to put some details together about this case. The incredible thing is that Sgt Winnick was actually combat-meritoriously promoted to corporal for doing basically the same thing that he is now receiving a court-martial for. Should be a very interesting case to follow.

Sgt. Winnick sounds like an outstanding Marine. Tony Perry's blog points out a piece from Bing West's book, "No True Glory", "extolling Sgt. Winnick's quick thinking and aggressiveness".

Any word on why the charges were made a year after the alleged incident?

[Girlene]

Lily is just trying to get us blasted by the mod’s again, going on about having sugar shock. Don’t fall for it! :-)

[lilycicero]

Too late ...Chaplain’s got a sweet tooth.

I am in denial that another Marine/Sniper is being charged with murder.

[RedRover]

Any word on why the charges were made a year after the alleged incident?

No word. But it feels like one of those disgruntled-subordinate jobs. JAG is the new frag.

[ticked]

Sounds like a bimper sticker. Bimper stucker. BUMPER STICKER.

[RedRover]

I am in denial that another Marine/Sniper is being charged with murder.

Hard to believe how many good men the Corps has thrown away.

[RedRover]

Yes, that's what they call it in France.