Posted on 12/13/2012 9:10:38 AM PST by 444Flyer
The father of a U.S. Marine jailed in Mexico after being caught with his grandfather's antique shotgun heard the fear in his son's voice and felt helpless.
The phone call came at midnight from Mexico's notorious CEDES prison, where Jon Hammar Jr. has been held since August. The caller demanded $1,800, then put Hammar on to drive the point home.
"They're serious, Dad," Jon Hammar Sr. heard his son say. "I'll pay you back; they are going to kill me."
Hammar, who faced down Iraqi insurgents in the final push on Fallujah in 2004, has been in dangerous situations before. But his treatment in the infamous prison, where Mexico's murderous Los Zetas and Gulf drug cartels hold sway, has his family fearing for the 27-year-old's life -- and begging the Obama administration for help. Hammar was arrested in the Mexican border city of Matamoros on Aug. 13, after declaring to a Mexican customs agent that he possessed an antique shotgun he was carrying through the country on his way to Costa Rica, where he and a pal planned to surf and forget the horrors of war that plagued Hammar long after his honorable discharge in 2007.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
More of Jon Hammar’s story here:
“Nightmare in Mexico: Friends, family call for the release of ex-Marine jailed in Mexico after trying to declare an antique shotgun”
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ex-marine-jailed-mexico-antique-gun-article-1.1218358
Chesty Puller would have invaded Mexico to get his Marine back.
- Jon Hammar, Jr., speaking by phone from a Mexican jail
“A chorus of supporters are calling on the Mexican government to release Jon Hammar, 27, who was jailed in August for carrying an antique shotgun that he believed could be legally registered in Mexico.
Hammar, of Palmetto Bay, Fla., was headed to Costa Rica for a surfing trip to try and recover from post-traumatic stress after four years of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“The only time Hammar is not losing his mind is when he’s on the water,” fellow Marine veteran Ian McDonough, who was arrested with Hammar during the August incident but later released by Mexican authorities, told McClatchy newspapers.
Hammar and McDonough had stocked up a used Winnebago with surfboards and camping supplies and had just crossed the border from Brownsville, Texas into Matamoros, Mexico, where they were detained.
Hammar had registered the shotgun, a Sear & Roebuck model that once belonged to his great-grandfather, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials on the U.S. side of the border.
After being told by U.S. agents the shotgun posed no problem and could be reigstered in Mexico, Hammar and McDonough crossed the border, tried to declare the weapon, and found themselves separated and behind bars.
“The crux of it is the length of the barrel,” his mother, Olivia Hammar, 46, told Reuters. “There’s an old law on the books that says it can’t be under 25 inches...It’s a 2-foot barrel...It’s strictly a technicality.”
“It’s a glorified BB gun,” she said....”
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ex-marine-jailed-mexico-antique-gun-article-1.1218358
In the late 60’ or early 70’s a Marine was locked up on trumped up charges in Tijuana, when the boys got back to the base, they assembled 300 strong and went into Tijuana Fully Armed in Military Vehicles, Tanks,,,and REMOVED him from their Jail and came right back home to Camp Pendleton. I guess they just don’t care anymore about their fellow Marines.
The call should be very simple. Send our marine home with no further harm - now.
If the consulate cannot verify that he marine is being moved within the day, expel all Mexican diplomats immediately, and any aid to Mexico is halted.
Only reason Mexico is doing this is because they know Obama will lay face down butt up for them and do nothing.
But a combat veteran United States Marine is thrown into the pit with the barbarians for carrying an antique BB gun he was told was legal in Mexico. How screwed up is this picture?
“...After being told by U.S. agents the shotgun posed no problem and could be reigstered in Mexico, Hammar and McDonough crossed the border, tried to declare the weapon, and found themselves separated and behind bars...”
The Marines need to pay another visit to the "Halls of Montezuma".
If you violate the law (even a chickenshit law) in a foreign country, expect to go to jail. Expect the jail to be a really nasty place.
Bath-house Barry Benghazi loves gun-control laws ... what makes anybody think he's support an American who got in trouble with a foreign country's gun-control laws? Barack the Communist Kenyan wants to impose those same laws, and worse, right here in these United States.
it is basically a kidnapping for ransom, and Odungo wants to go on vacation. Like always, Odungo will eventually get involved, BUT only when it suits him.
Today Obama and his paper tiger generals would arrest all of them upon return.
I guarantee you there are volunteers ready to go, but the woos command will stand by.
They will be Heroes in our eyes, but prosecuted when they got home....
unless it is kept secret.
Pretty Sad if you ask me, 40 years ago our State Dept and Any Administration would not let this happen. They would demand immediate release and threaten Military Force and MEAN IT to get their Wrongfully Imprisoned men back.
AMEN..Bro!
I was lucky I served under Reagan. early 80’s
Ross Perot finnanced a rescue mission, gutsy. They were only employees.
(note: private citizens)
“...Just prior to the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the government of Iran imprisoned two EDS employees in a contract dispute. Perot organized and sponsored their rescue. The rescue team was led by retired U.S. Army Special Forces Colonel Arthur D. “Bull” Simons. When the team was unable to find a way to extract their two prisoners, they decided to wait for a mob of pro-Ayatollah revolutionaries to storm the jail and free all 10,000 inmates, many of whom were political prisoners. The two prisoners then connected with the rescue team, and the team spirited them out of Iran via a risky border crossing into Turkey. The exploit was recounted in a book, On Wings of Eagles by Ken Follett...”
You are right.
The book "Chesty" ... Recommended reading!
Could you even imagine Mexico trying something like this under Reagan?
Ping to 20.
Thanks!!!!
(sniff) my President!!!!
Now he was a CIC you would be proud to serve under.:)
Makes you wonder about the person who told them it was okay, whether it was a setup.
Too bad we don’t have any American goverment representatives to address this outrage.
I did, I was!!!
Let some Mexican come to our country and rape and kill a bunch of little girls and then gets the death penalty. Watch Mexico and all the “do-gooders” protest!
The saddest/most infuriating part about all of this is that if the young man is actually convicted of a gun crime in Mexico, he will lose all rights here to keep or bear arms.
BTW, all of those saying that this wouldn’t have occurred under another administration are correct - even under Carter they’d have just confiscated the gun and sent him back. Seems to me that a few Marines should go across the border and grab a few of their border guards, all of whom will be released as soon as our guy is released without any harm and without any criminal record. Either that, or just shoot a bunch and send out an anonymous You Tube video saying that this is just the start unless our guy is released.
Hey, hussein, just play another round of golf while our citizens are being murdered by mexicans and illegal pedohiles work for your democratic senators.
FREEING JON HAMMAR
Self ^ | 2012 | Steve Newton
Posted on Thursday, December 13, 2012 7:11:25 PM by Steve Newton
The Silver Star Families of America work to free Lance Corporal Hammar.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/vetscor/2968566/posts?page=2
the news urged people to call their senators
What does the US consulate in Mexico do ?
Story broke on local LA talk radio and spread.
Why did the US border authorities let him pass through with the weapon knowing he would be arrested in Mexico ?
doesnt the Marines teach their people basic international law ?
Update here from a fellow Freeper helping Jon:
(Right on Steve!)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/vetscor/2968566/posts?page=6#6
Thanks my FRiend!
Thank you.:) Praying Jon’s home by Christmas.
Semper Fi!
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