“Locals depart on Leavenworth 10 Freedom Ride” |
| Locals depart on Leavenworth 10 Freedom Ride Posted: 03 Sep 2010 05:00 PM PDT September 3, 2010 Locals depart on Leavenworth 10 Freedom RideEdmond soldier's trial inspired multi-state eventEDMOND — OKLAHOMA CITY —They came from towns across Oklahoma and the riders want U.S. military and political leaders to know about the Leavenworth 10: • 1st Lt. Michael Behenna • Sgt. Evan Vela Carnahan • Pfc. Corey Clagett • Staff Sgt. Raymond Girouard • Master Sgt. John E. Hatley • Spec. William B. Hunsaker • Sgt. Larry Hutchins • Sgt. Michael Leahy • Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Mayo • Sgt. Michael P. Williams Family members say the men incarcerated at Ft. Leavenworth are decorated soldiers and Marines who are now serving sentences between 10-40 years. They say they have fallen victim to untenable rules of engagement, demoralizing "catch and release" policies and a climate of political correctness that governed their actions while they tried to survive in a combat zone. Meanwhile, some requests by the soldiers for clemency have been denied. Behenna, of Edmond, learned about others serving their sentences at Ft. Leavenworth, men who had similar stories to his. They include soldiers who say they were simply following orders from their superiors. Behenna's case has been oft-publicized, and he wanted equal attention for the others. Behenna, convicted of shooting a purported Al Qaeda terrorist, is appealing his verdict, partly on the grounds that the jury did not hear expert testimony which would have corroborated his contention that he acted in self-defense. The Leavenworth 10 Freedom Ride 2010 was born. Friday morning, several dozen supporters, including members of Behenna's family, arrived at the Harley-Davidson store at I-40 and Rockwell Avenue in west Oklahoma City. They came riding motorcycles and in cars. Okahoma Highway Patrol troopers Kevin Robison, Steve Johnson, Jason Lanier and Clint Riddle escorted the column of riders through Oklahoma City. Steve Gabelsberg, of Enid, rode his motorcycle. He was in charge of the group departing from Oklahoma City and the Saturday morning ride past the Ft. Leavenworth barracks in which the men are incarcerated. Following the ride, participants would be gathering for an event with music and speakers, including family members and a retired military officer running for Congress in Florida. "A friend of mine told me about Michael Behenna's dilemma, and as soon as I heard about it, being a veteran myself, I decided that I just wanted to be involved," Gabelsberg said. The Air Force veteran who served in Okinawa and Korea said he had never met members of the Behenna family before. Vicki Behenna, of Edmond, Michael's mother, is a federal prosecutor who was part of the team that prosecuted Timothy McVeigh. Scott Behenna, his father, Vicki's husband, is a former OSBI agent. "I still to this date have never met Michael," Gabelsberg said. "I look forward to meeting him the day he walks out the door of the prison." Gabelsberg said the country is not supporting the soldiers who are American heroes. They trained to kill terrorists and then they were punished for it, he said. "To me, that's just unacceptable," Gabelsberg said. "We're treating terrorists, right now, better than we're treating our own soldiers. The whole purpose of this is to bring attention to the public that these things are going on. "We want them to meet the Leavenworth 10, to understand their plight and write their senators, write their congressmen. We want the world to know what's going on here." Area resident Steve Wackerly said he has been a friend of the Behennas' for years, and knew Michael when he was a sophomore in high school and a member of a church youth group. Michael was a good, solid young man, Wackerly said. Wackerly's son serves in the Navy, and Michael is a few years younger. "So I see Michael and my son as being potentially the same victim to this type of situation," Wackerly said. "Certainly Michael's case warrants being looked at as well as some of the others." Wackerly said in some cases the appeals process has been slow, and he wants to make sure that everything is heard that should be heard. Also, U.S. troops are dealing with an enemy that does not live by the same set of rules as they are, he said. "The 'bag and tag' policy is what they go by," Wackerly said. Vicki Behenna said she hopes the next time there is a gathering it is a victory celebration for Michael's release. She said despite the fact that it was a holiday weekend, she was impressed by the number of folks who turned out to support the Leavenworth 10. "They don't really have a voice," she said. "This is the only voice we have, to raise awareness so that people will know what's happened to these soldiers." The Behennas helped organize the event. Members of the family would be coming from New Mexico, Michigan, South Carolina and Florida, Vicki said. In all, about 20 family members will be there, she said. For more information about the event, and links to Web sites for each soldier, visit www.l10freedomride.com. marks@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 367 This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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