Marine 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano, who was recently cleared of charges that he murdered two Iraqi insurgents, has announced that he will indeed seek a discharge from the military and return to civilian life. The Associated Press reports:
2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano said his fight against military punishment has been draining and heartbreaking for the former Wall Street trader who fought to return to the Marines after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.Here's hoping Pantano, who derived a deep sense of satisfaction from serving as a Marine, is able to find just as much satisfaction enjoying a long, happy life with his wife and children. He's certainly earned it.
"This is the best thing for my family, and I think it is the best thing for the Marine Corps, too," Pantano said Thursday.
The intense publicity generated by his case, he said, makes him a high-profile target with a resulting potential not only for danger to himself if he continues fighting but also to other Marines, Pantano said. His wife, Jill, asked that he end his military career, he said.
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1 comments:
That America would put a person like Pantano on trial sends a powerful message about the esteem in which Americans hold the idea of equal justice before the law. In a lot of countries, the military is above the law.
Posted by bunkerbuster
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