"Charlotte Becomes the Nexus of the Anti-War Movement..."

The World Can't Wait
Grief propels one mother toward activism
BY KAREN SHUGART
Published 09.27.06
Charlotte will become an emotional nexus of the antiwar movement on Sat., Sept. 30, as nationally known activists converge at a rally calling for the impeachment of President Bush. Almost certainly the largest such rally the city has seen, it will feature Ann Wright, a former diplomat and Army veteran; Summer Lipford, the mother of Pfc. Steven Sirko, a soldier who died in Iraq; and Nadia McCaffrey, whose son, Sgt. Patrick McCaffrey, was shot to death by the Iraqi soldiers he was training.
Sgt. McCaffrey's death attracted national attention after his mother invited the media to Sacramento International Airport to document the return of his flag-draped coffin from Iraq. Military policy prohibits news cameras from photographing coffins of American troops when they arrive at military basis.
Charlotte GreensA MOTHER STANDS UP: Nadia McCaffrey has fought to find out the truth about the death of her son, Sgt. Patrick McCaffrey.
Thirty-four-year-old Sgt. McCaffrey signed up for the National Guard the day after Sept. 11. His mother was initially told that his death on June 22, 2004, was the result of an insurgent attack and was instantaneous. She later learned it was neither. Two years after his death, the military told Nadia McCaffrey, now an anti-war activist and leader of Gold Star Families for Peace, that her son had in fact been shot to death by the Iraqi soldiers he was training. She spoke with Creative Loafing by phone from her California home.
The following interview has been edited for clarity and length:
Nadia McCaffrey: My son was not a military person at all. When 9/11 happened, he was in shock; so was I. He wanted to find something to do for the country. He spoke to different people and thought of the National Guard. He checked the history of the Guard, saw since World War II they had not been deployed. There were a few in Vietnam, but they were not in combat. Or Korea. He felt very safe. They are deployed in cases of extreme emergency, as we know. Or we used to know.
(Then) a short time after 2001, Patrick was told that he would be deployed to Iraq. He became very quiet. He didn't tell his wife and me immediately. He was my only child. Finally, he said, mom why don't you come for a ride with me? He finally told me. I didn't say a word. I just felt the weight of what it meant on my shoulder. He said, don't fear the worst. We don't have a choice.
CL: What did he think about the war before he went over?
He didn't understand, why Iraq? He saw maybe the logic of going to Afghanistan, but Iraq was never involved in anything concerning 9/11.
He told me, "Mom, I know what you think. But I signed this paper and to me, it is a matter of honor." He also was very hopeful in helping the citizens rebuild. He shifted his negativity. Once he was there of course, it took him about 10 days to realize that nothing that he was told was true. He was totally shocked. Gradually his hope faded. Just a couple of days before he was shot, he was, not in a depression, but in a very heavy space that was not him. He said to me, "Mom, I don't think I'll make it back." He described a few things that had happened. They were shot at twice before he was killed. The second time he did a report, arrested two people, and nothing was done about it. Those people who shot them were part of the Iraqi soldiers that he was training. They finally killed him.
Do you think you'll ever have all the truth about your son's death?
Yes, I do. But I will do it by myself. We were told, the families were told, that Patrick and (1st Lt. Andre) Tyson were shot in an ambush and killed by insurgents. I didn't stay believing this long. I started to talk to the soldiers. I realized they were killed by the soldiers they were training. I wanted to know why. Finally, I was fed up with the situation. So I went to Barbara Boxer, the California senator's office. She immediately wrote a letter to the Pentagon demanding answers right away.
Just a week or so after this letter from the senator, I get a phone call. This was the worst day of my life. It was worse, I think, than the day I received the phone call that was Patrick was killed. I had been told [originally] he was shot three times and died on the spot. It's not true. He was shot eight times. He was left on the ground to bleed to death, while the two other soldiers were evacuated. One combat lifesaver realized he was alive, but by the time he got on base, he had bled to death. They denied this at first. The autopsy report shows that when the body bag was open, Patrick still had a breathing tube in and also some cardiac patches on his chest.
How soon did you become an activist?

Courtesy Nadia McCaffrey MAKING THE BEST OF WAR: In this photo, taken about 40 minutes before his death, Sgt. Patrick McCaffrey holds flowers given to him by Iraqi children.The morning after Patrick was killed, we had a line of media down the street really early in the morning. Someone [from the media] asked, "Do you want us to be there for his return at the airport?" I thought very shortly and said, "Yes, of course. I want this country to see my son come home." They all looked at me and said, "You understand there is a ban on pictures of flag-draped coffins coming home from Iraq?" I said, "Yes, this is my son. He left in the broad daylight." The family was behind me.
Are you here more to protest the war or call for Bush's impeachment -- or both?
I want to see this government out, too. We need to stand up for our country. We the people need to do something. This is what I believe.


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Charlotte Rally for Impeachment

Charlotte area organizations are joining forces to protest the illegal and un-American actions of President Bush and Vice President Cheney. Civil rights leaders, anti-war activists, Iraq War veterans, legal experts, musicians and Americans of all stripes who believe in defending the Constitution will rally to call on the U.S. House of Representatives to launch impeachment hearings. This important regional event will be held in Freedom Park on September 30, 2006 at 1:00 PM.