Military injustice: Part 1 of 3

During the late 1980s, I joined the Indiana National Guard and then eventually transferred to the U.S. Army Reserves. I served for several years and then received an honorable discharge. Most of my fellow soldiers were superb people. But what sticks in my memory is understanding what it meant to leave no man behind.

This is a common statement you can expect to hear from any recruiter. This means you always look out for your buddies. I took these words to heart. I can remember carrying a drunken roommate to his bed many times after a night out at the clubs. We also made sure if we left as a group, we all returned home safely.

I don’t know if today’s soldier watches out for his or her buddies as we once did. Today, it’s not unusual to read about soldiers being murdered by other soldiers. I find it even more disturbing that after a soldier dies under unusual circumstances, his buddies will often end up with amnesia.

I am doing a three-part story covering the tragedies behind a collective group of America’s finest heroes. All three swore to protect America. Unfortunately, all three would likely still be alive had they not joined the military. Here are three soldiers who died tragically.

Lavena Johnson: On July 17th, 2005, Lavena had a final conversation with her father. The two had made plans to decorate the Christmas tree together after she returned home to Missouri. Two days after that phone call, the Johnson family received horrific news.

The Army claimed Lavena had committed suicide by placing an M16 inside her mouth and pulling the trigger. The Army claimed she was depressed over a man. The Johnson family didn’t believe it. They knew Lavena was in good spirits and looked forward to coming home for Christmas.

Lavena’s father began investigating his daughter’s death. What he found was disturbing. Shortly after her death, he began receiving emails from other soldiers telling him someone had murdered Lavena.

She had a bullet hole in the left side of her head, which was odd because she supposedly shot herself in the mouth with an M16. I have fired an M16. If you placed an M16 in your mouth and pulled the trigger, the entire back of your head would be gone. The back of Lavena’s head was still intact.

The exit wound most likely came from a 9mm pistol and not an M16. Lavena also had a broken nose and bruising. Someone also poured a chemical into her vagina. It’s believed her killer did this to cover up evidence of a rape. Today, the military refuses to reopen this case as a homicide.

Riley Schultz: Riley Schultz, was found deceased on March 15, 2019, at Camp Pendleton, in San Diego County, Calif. While on duty, he died from a single gunshot wound to the head. The Marine Corps ruled Riley’s death as self-inflicted. However, his family doesn’t believe this.

The family has been so desperate for answers; they exhumed Riley’s body for review. The family found abrasions on his body, deep ligature marks around his throat and a fractured hyoid bone. To the family, it appears someone assaulted Riley before his death. Misty Schultz-McCoy of Colorado is upset over losing her son. She knows he wouldn’t kill himself. He was looking forward to coming home for a visit and just enjoying life.

On the day of Riley’s death, he was scheduled to guard some company equipment between 3:50 a.m. and 5 a.m. Another Marine arrived to relieve Riley and found him deceased.

What’s also troubling is that Riley’s family was originally told his death wasn’t a suicide. Riley’s mother said her son was excited about coming home and had already purchased his plane ticket to return home. On the night Riley died, he was on the phone speaking to a friend. He became nervous and told his friend he could hear strange noises. Was Riley alone? His family thinks someone else was present when he died.

Jose Melendez: On November 28, 2017, Army Specialist Melendez had been out with friends at a local bar and was the designated driver that evening. He wanted to make sure his friends didn’t drive drunk and that they got home safely. He had planned to return to Fort Bragg the next day for duty.

According to the Raleigh Police Department, Jose had entered the parking lot and was getting back into his car when an unidentified person approached Jose and shot him to death. The Raleigh police have no suspects. His sister Mara said he had no enemies or issues with anyone.

Unfortunately, there were no working cameras to capture Jose’s killer. After an extensive investigation, the police and Jose’s family still have no answers. The only witness saw a man running into the woods after the shooting. Today, the homicide remains unsolved.

These are just a few soldiers who were murdered or died under questionable circumstances. Has the military done enough to find out what happened to these three soldiers? Have we as a society done enough to bring attention to these deceased heroes?