PTSD soldier: "Don't send me back to Iraq"

Twinsburg soldier: Please don't send me back to Iraq
WKYC-TV - Cleveland,OH,USA
TWINSBURG -- A Twinsburg soldier does not want to go back to Iraq after the struggle he endured following his first two tours of duty.

Second Lt. Erick Anderson was accused not once, but twice of killing Iraqi civilians. He was cleared of all charges and is now being asked by the military to go to Iraq again.

He is scheduled to report to Fort Benning on August 3 and then ship back out to Iraq soon after.

U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette, R-Bainbridge, says the 29-year-old has paid his dues. After dealing with two sets of false charges, Anderson suffers from post traumatic stress syndrome.

The charges were based on soldiers who were already convicted. They took a plea bargain to get a shorter sentence.

Anderson's uncle, attorney Pete Lorenz, says they recanted their stories and admitted they had lied.

"They (the military) knowingly had a lousy case, a case built on lies," Lorenz said.

He says its unfair that the military expects him to serve again after falsely accusing him twice of murder.

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