Soldier's Iraq Death A Hoax, Records Show

[Kadie]

Soldier's Iraq Death A Hoax, Records Show
Woman Admits Making Up Story Of Jonathan Kenney

POSTED: 1:31 pm PST February 8, 2005
UPDATED: 6:38 pm PST February 8, 2005

The story of a Colorado soldier who died after stepping in front of a young girl caught in a crossfire in Baqouba, Iraq, has turned out to be a hoax.

The story of Spc. Jonathan Kenney was reported by a score of Colorado media after a news release was sent to them by a Grand Junction, Colo., group called Homefront Heroes.

According to the release, Kenney was two months into his tour in Iraq and was the father of a 3-year-old son and his wife, Amber, was expecting another child in May.

The Kenneys were said to have purchased a home near Grand Junction, after meeting at a church in Denver. It was reported that they would have celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary on Valentine's Day.

more...
http://www.thekcrachannel.com/news/4178547/detail.html

[mike_c]

1. too bad I can't put the smilie in the subject line....

:nopity:

[hector459]

14. This group is probably part of the Rovian brigade like Gannon, Williams

and others including the Swiftboaters. They are all over the country.

[BikeWriter]

2. Some sick bastard dreamed that up?

:(

[MADem]

3. A score of Colorado "MEDIA????"

Sounds more like a score of ignorant, lazy, stupid scribes. They get a release from a PRIVATE organization, and no one logs into the DOD website to check the casualty lists, or calls the PAO to check the story??? How tough is that? Sounds like Journalism 101 to me!

NO WONDER we are not getting the TRUTH. The people in media are actually STUPIDER than the weecowboy. In the land of idiots, the idiot who is aggressive enough to steal the power is the boyking!

[Kimber Scott]

7. You hit the nail on the head and with Wal-Mart offering journalism

scholarships we can only expect more of this type of "work."

[Voltaire99]

4. The available evidence is these guys are killing, not saving, kids.

Anyone regularly reading something more accurate and less propagandistic than Time magazine knows that the occupation is a values-free slaughter.

Saving children, indeed. The occupation forces are killing them as fast as possible.

Phyllis Derby, the president of Homefront Heroes, is crestfallen.

Boo fucking hoo.

[NYC]

5. No wonder they returned the donations.

...Mesa County District Attorney Pete Hautzinger has assigned an investigator to the case, to see if any laws were broken...

[applegrove]

6. Propaganda - nobody will believe it if you overuse it!

Propaganda - nobody will believe it if you overuse it! Was this put out before the election?

[Ian David]

8. Oh my God, they (didn't) kill Kenney! You Bastards!

[applegrove]

9. These propagandaists are spinning out of control.

These propagandaists are spinning out of control - cabals always do!!

[Richard Steele]

10. ROFL! Best one-liner all day, IAN!

[salin]

12. Can't kill someone - who never existed in the first place

[LynnTheDem]

11. US Steno Media; paid to type what they're told

It's not their job to actually VERIFY anything.

Or not since the rightwing takeover of all US msm.

[applegrove]

13. Let's hold a funeral for him tomorrow! Surely it will not be illegal

Let's hold a funeral for him tomorrow! Surely it will not be illegal to show his coffin at an airport - BECAUSE HE IS NOT DEAD!!!

[zbdent]

15. CNN: Woman admits Iraq heroism story was hoax

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/10/gi.hoax.ap/index.html

GRAND JUNCTION, Colorado (AP) -- A woman concocted a heartbreaking story of how her soldier husband died a hero in Iraq -- and then admitted the story was all a hoax.

"I think I need some serious counseling," 24-year-old Sarah Kenney told The Daily Sentinel newspaper on Wednesday editions. "This is the most serious lie I've ever told, but I've been caught in many lies."

The touching story of how Spc. Jonathan Kenney took a bullet meant for an Iraqi child on January 29 was reported by a score of Colorado media after a news release was sent to them by the nonprofit group Homefront Heroes.

<snip>

[ewagner]

16. Question #1:

Who the hell is Homefront Heroes???

Why did they spread this story?

[zbdent]

17. Gee, you wouldn't think that that it was a bunch of America-hating

liberals now, would you?

;)

[Newsjock]

18. Question #2:

Why didn't the news media do the most basic of fact-checks: verifying the deceased's name against military reports?

[zbdent]

20. Because it was PRO-AMERICA Bushit

In a Cleveland weekly, there was a LOT of attacks on a "liberal" story.

Seems that an interview was conducted with a soldier who came back from Iraq with a porcelain plate in his head. Didn't want to go back.

The soldier claimed 4700+ jumps, and was on a secret mission in Iraq in 98 or 99.

Trouble was, a lot of people saw through the idea that, to attain the 4700+ jumps, he would have had to do at least 3 a day, 7 days a week, minimum, for god knows how long.

Instantaneous debunking, when it's a "left-leaning" story. How many "general population" people are aware of Jeff Gannon?

[tom_paine]

24. Self-serving lies are NEVER "pro-America".

Anti-American or Bushputinist at best.

[atreides1]

22. News Media???

Would that be the same news media that spun the Jeff Gannon story, and tried to put the blame on those that actually did the job that the news media is supposed to do?

Does that answer your question?

[liberal N proud]

19. Wacko!

[applegrove]

21. I still say we should have his funeral - cause since he doesn't exist - we

I still say we should have his funeral - cause since he doesn't exist - we could get away with showing his flag draped coffin on T.V.

It is a real opportunity!

[deutsey]

23. "Homefront Heroes" Wearing the Armor of God

http://www.militarysupportgroup.com/pages/1/index.htm

Local "support the troops" group. Apparently, critical thinking isn't one of their strongpoints, but I guess they mean well.

Mission Statement:

Honoring men and women who have served in the past.

Supporting the soldiers of the present.

And encouraging the youth who enlist for the future.

[central scrutinizer]

25. Who can blame her?

It is obvious that lying pays off big time in Bushco's Murka. The bigger the lie, the higher and faster you will rise.

[Ian David]

26. Oh my God, they (didn't) kill Kenney! You Bastards!

[daleo]

27. She deserves a job in the chimp administration.

Maybe press secretary, given her facility for lying. The fact that she had been "caught in many lies" doesn't even matter. Bushco is caught all the time too, and just keeps on lying.

Alternatively, she could become a reporter for the mainstream media.

[EST]

32. Haha!

You nailed it!

[candle_bright]

28. Strange story

but at least she realizes she needs counseling.

[Midlodemocrat]

29. She needs more than just counseling, IMO

She needs a lifelong Thorazine drip.

[Skittles]

30. I hope she gets help

there are some serious psychological issues behind her pitiful need for sympathy and attention.

[noamnety]

31. Which reporters reported the original story?

They are our next Gannons. Let's find them.

[seafan]

33. Here is the "story" as reported on local Colorado tv on Feb. 3.

(Will post entire story in case it goes into archive.)

Grand Valley Man Dies In Iraq Trying To Save A Child Caught In Crossfire 2/03/05

A Colorado National Guardsman from the Grand Valley is the seventh soldier from the Western Slope to be killed in combat in Iraq. U.S. Army Specialist Jonathan Kenney, 31, lost his life Saturday in Iraq trying to save a child caught in the crossfire during a fire fight with insurgents.

The soldier was originally from Des Moines, Iowa, but had recently relocated to the Grand Valley with his wife Amber and son Joshua, before shipping off to Iraq. Specialist Kenney had joined the Colorado Army National Guard after serving three honorable years in the army and was a part of the 144th Air Defense Artillery Unit, as was his wife.

Kenney loved sports and even had a scholarship offer to play football at the University of Iowa.

Kenney's Air Defense Artillery Unit is based out of Denver, and had been in Iraq since December. On Saturday, January 29th, Kenney's unit was engaged in a firefight with Iraqi insurgents, when he gave up his life for someone else.

Kenney will be buried in Des Moines, Iowa next to his twin sister, who died at birth. His wife Amber, who was stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, received an immediate honorable discharge upon hearing the news of her husband's death. Along with his three–year–old son joshua, Amber is expecting their second child in May.

Homefront Heroes will be accepting donations to help out the Kenney family. People can send their contributions to:

Homefront Heroes
P.O. Box 4307
Grand Junction, Colorado
81502

Phyllis Derby of Homefront Heroes wants to remind people who make donations to make checks out to Homefront Heroes, but in the memo portion of the check be sure to put Jonathan Kenney's name.

© KKCO NBC 11 News - All Rights Reserved

http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:zpg8hXlld1cJ:www.kkcotv.com/news_detail.cfm%3FNewsID%3D1749%26DO%3DNews+phyllis+derby&hl=en


Did a bit of research on this Phyllis Derby:

Apparently, Phyllis is involved with a nonprofit group known as "The Stand in the Gap Project", which also involves Colorado state Rep. TOM J. WIENS R-Castle Rock.

Wiens Announces Effort To Aid Families of Reservists and National Guard

State Rep. Tom Wiens, R-Castle Rock, introduced a resolution today aimed at raising awareness and financial support for families of the more than 3,000 Colorado members of the Reserve and Colorado National Guard who have been called to active duty as part of the war on terrorism.

The House Joint Resolution 1006 calls for support of the Stand in the Gap Project (www.thestandinthegapproject.org), a newly formed not-for-profit organization that will raise and provide direct financial support to Colorado families of Guard and Reserve members. (more...)

http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:5rn_9ZpxoxYJ:thestandinthegapproject.org/gap_about.htm+Phyllis+Derby+&hl=en


Edit:

According to the above info from KKCO TV, the slain soldier's wife is named "Amber".

So, this unrelated *Sarah Kenney* claimed to be the soldier's wife.

Strange story.

[The_Casual_Observer]

34. Here is one of the stories, it is quite detailed

GJ soldier dies trying to save girl

By By DANIE HARRELSON The Daily Sentinel

Friday, February 04, 2005

Mr. Fixit, as Spc. Jonathan Kenney was so appropriately called, embarked last year on a great undertaking.

The 31-year-old soldier who liked to tinker with cars and recently moved to Grand Junction left behind his family to serve in Iraq.

It wouldn’t be a quick fix, but the man who loved to fix things died trying.

On Saturday, he stepped in front of a young Iraqi girl, one of many children caught in a crossfire in Baqouba, Iraq.

A bullet struck his heart, killing him instantly. He was less than two months into his deployment.

Kenney, a posthumous recipient of the Purple Heart, will be buried Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa.

He and his wife, Amber, recently purchased a home in the Grand Valley. The couple met at Metro Church of Denver and would have celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary on Valentine’s Day.

Their last communication, according to family spokesperson and Homefront Heroes president Phyllis Derby, was a voice message Amber left for her husband: “And if this is you, Jonathan, I love you.”

Jonathan Kenney leaves behind his 3-year-old son, Joshua. The couple was expecting a second child in May.

Kenney graduated from high school in Iowa City, Iowa, where he lettered in football. He pursued any number of sports, baseball and basketball included, in his free time.

Amber Kenney graduated from Grand Junction High School in 1988. She and Jonathan moved to the Grand Valley to be closer to her family. Jonathan Kenney worked for Grand Junction Chrysler Jeep Dodge.

Kenney served three years in the U.S. Army before joining the Colorado Army National Guard. He served with the 1-44 Air Defense Artillery Battalion, the same unit his wife would have served with. She was finishing up her training at Fort Bliss, Texas, when she learned of her husband’s death. As sole surviving parent of Joshua, she was honorably discharged, Derby said.

Jonathan Kenney is survived by his mother and stepfather, three brothers and one sister.

He will be buried next to his twin sister, who died at birth.


Danie Harrelson can be reached via e-mail at [e-mail].

[applegrove]

35. Yup - the liars and sociopaths and personality problemed weirdos

Yup - the liars and sociopaths and personality problemed weirdos have a home with this administration. And they get rewarded for their actions.

They are climbing the ranks right now. Politics has always had its sycophants and liars, and megalomaniacs. Now with the perpetual campaign of this administration - these folk will be signing up right, left and centre. And with all the money floating around for anyone who will "think" a certain way or repeat "known propaganda" - the liars who were hapily embedded in Used Car Salesman jobs, or one grift schemes after the other - well they have a home: the Republican Party. And they might have avoided such an organization before because of the hierarchy they could not 'bust' through. But not anymore. "Folk like them" will be rewarded!!

They have a home. And soon they will have a radio show - or a journalism job.