Marine Colonel Who Saved Her From Life In Prison

US Army Iraq Veteran "Pays It Forward" To Marine Colonel Who Saved Her From Life In Prison
CISION PR Newswire
Military Appreciation Partnerships, Inc.
10:01 ET

SEATTLE, April 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Lt. Elizabeth Whiteside, US Army Ret., has joined a team of supporters organizing a Trending GoFundMe Campaign on behalf of Colonel Mike Whalen, co-founder of Military Appreciation Partnerships, Inc., in his time of need. Resulting from her 2007 suicide attempt in Iraq, Whiteside faced Army Court-Martial charging her with five offenses, if convicted, could result in life in Federal Prison.

Over the following year Whiteside's family, legal team, Veterans organizations, and Senators Barack Obama, Claire McCaskill, Barbara Boxer, John Kerry and Kit Bond were unable to dissuade the Army from pursuing the charges. Similarly, the national press corps support of Katie Couric, CBS Evening News plus The Washington Post's Dana Priest and Anne Hull did not stop the relentless continuation of the Court-Martial.

Through a chance meeting, Whiteside's father Tom was put in touch with Colonel Mike Whalen, a fierce and effective and lifelong Veterans' advocate. Within five days, Col. Whalen was able to convince Army brass to drop all charges against Whiteside granting her an honorable discharge with medical benefits. Upon her complete recovery, she continued her education and today is a working professional in the mental health field.

Colonel Mike Whalen has spent his entire life helping others. He has served his country proudly as a US Marine, sustaining serious injuries as a result of his service. Col. Mike has always been able to do the impossible... Producing the "Carrier Classic" college Basketball game on the deck of the Carl Vinson Aircraft Carrier... Raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for Veterans and conducting morale boosting coaches, astronauts and INDY racing tours to our military in combat zones in the Middle East.

Now Col. Whalen has fallen on hard times. His injuries, shrapnel and Traumatic Brain Injury are catching up with him. He is now facing imminent eviction from his home. Upon hearing of Col. Whalen's plight, Elizabeth quickly joined up with others who have benefited from his help by sponsoring his GoFundMe account…telling his story and asking for your generosity to "Pay It Forward" in his time of need.

The GoFundMe campaign is rapidly approaching its goal with notable contributions from Mario Andretti, Houston Nutt, and other celebrities.

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I remember her story well. Read more about what Whiteside had to go through to understand how much this means to her...and many more.