One of my good friends is in the Marines. About a month ago he volunteered to go over to Iraq. I heard that while over there, he had been volunteering to go out on patrol and just anything he could do. I got word on tuesday from his old roommate back in CA that he has gone MIA. The official report was just released today as far as I know though. Apparently his squad was out on patrol and they came under heavy fire. One marine got hit and Justin ran foward into the building to give him cover fire. He got seperated from the rest of his squad. They think he might have taken multiple hits but arent sure where or how badly since they can’t find him. They think he may have been captured and may now be a POW as well. But since they haven’t found a body they haven’t rulled out the possibility that he could’ve gotten out of the building another way and is hiding somewhere. We have heard that right now they are forming search partys to go out and look for him.
There are alot of his friends that think it is a joke because Justin has a history of being a prankster, but his jokes never went on this long and i dont think he would do something this crazy. However if it turns out to be a joke, when he gets home im gonna kill him.
So I am asking for you guys to please pray for him and his safe return. If you aren’t in to praying then I ask that you atleast keep him in your thoughts. THings have been really crazy here lately because we keep hearing the same story, but then someone says they heard something and that it was a joke blah blah blah. So its been going back and forth and we are all stressed out and just breaking down crying because of it. So please pray for him. His name is Justin Ringer. I dont know his rank and all because, frankly, i never asked him.
I hope that’s not a prank on his part too, because that would be just wrong. I can’t imagine anyone in the service trying anything like that…I never would have. There’s always the possibility of misinformation, if that helps at all? Reports on such things can be inaccurate at times. I am curious…since you don’t know what his rank is, do you know what it looks like (how many chevrons and rockers, etc?..i’m assuming he’s enlisted).
Justin has been known to pull some nasty pranks before…but when he did he would never let them go on for more than a day or so…but i dont think he would pull a prank like this.
I heard this from his roommate back in CA where he was stationed before he left for Iraq. There was another Marine from their CA unit that was over there with Justin that let him know. And then he let me know.
I have no idea about his rank at all. I know he had told me once. I didnt ask, but he told me and I wasn’t really paying much attention at the time(i have a short attention span)
But as i said, he has been known to pull pranks, but i dont think he would pull one that would make several of his good friends this scared. I have just broken down and cried several times already as have a few of his other friends here. But again, if it turns out it is a joke, whenever he comes home i will be relieved and i will hug him. Then I’m gonna kill him.
Jeez…if this is true, it’s a terrible thing. I’m not calling you a liar by any means, Matt, but I’m suspicious of the story for several reasons. I really, really hope it’s just a joke your friend is playing.
Is this “official report” just hearsay, or a physical document? Have your friend’s parents received a visit from someone with the Marine Corps? I cannot say for certain, but I’d think the Marines would send someone in person to give your friend’s parents the news.
Soldiers going MIA is something that has happened very rarely in this war. If he is indeed MIA and it became official today, I think it would’ve made the news by now. CNN and Reuters have nothing, and a Google search came up empty as well.
I’m hoping and praying everything turns out for the best.
I guess it can be said to jsut be hearsay right now. His roommate said that the official report was filed today. He called me and talked to me over the phone early this morning because he knew there were alot of people that thought it was a joke. He wanted me to actually hear his voice and know that he isnt lying. I really believe him. I believe that what he is telling me is what he has heard. I can usually tell when people are lying to me by the tone of their voice, and unless ive gotten rusty or was just to stressed to notice, he wasn’t lying to me…
All he said about Justins parents was that he figured that they would be notified today. There are some conflicting reports because someone said that htey talked to his dad and that he talked to Justin just last night. Neither me nor any of my friends have been able to find out that this is true…yet. Justin and his father werent exactly on good terms and i do know that his mother hasnt heard from him in more than a week because one of our friends actually did call her.
I hope its a joke too, but theres just too much shit to really say that its absolutely 100% true…im pretty sure it’s true, but unless Justin is tricking his old roommate too, then its real.
Someone going MIA is not newsworthy, especially at this point, unless the person in question is a ■■■■■■■■■ (not to sound cynical or anything). I’m also not sure if they bother to do anything more than send letters or give phone calls. Having never experienced it, I can’t say if they’ve gone back to the old formal ways. Information can also get leaked informally, so it’s possible that this isn’t fake if it hasn’t been officially released, but that’s where misinformation comes from. Best not to worry about it until anything is known for certain.
I believe they show up at your parents(or next of kin) home to tell you in person. That would be the RIGHT thing to do, but i guess it doesn’t mean that is how they do it though.
I said the official report was filed today(or yesterday now technically i guess). I think they were working on the report the day it happened and it didnt get filed till thursday. The guy I get my info from is getting it directly from someone over there in that unit. And unless Justin is pulling a prank from all the way over there, then its legit info. I may find out alot more tomorrow. That way someone i know personally will have time to get in touch with his dad and find something out…until then all me and anyone else can do is pray for him. Pray that he is still alive and that he hangs in there till they find him.
I hope your friend is ok. But I am on the side of war is nasty, and people die. Im glad there are people out there who want to face the fire, and I have the highest respect for them. But if you enter the fight, you may not exit.
Yeah I know that. Justin knows that too, because he told me something similar to that once…crazy guy, but one of the bravest people ive ever known lol.
I beg to differ. There have been very few soldiers who’ve gone MIA in this war, making it a newsworthy event on the rare occasions that it happens. Of the six soldiers who’ve gone MIA since the war began, every single one has been mentioned by major news outlets like CNN, NPR, Fox News, and USA Today.
I was saying that they wouldn’t care at this point because of the shift in focus. We’re pulling out of Iraq, and putting more troops into Afghanistan. There is also the issue of war fatigue (covering certian things so much that nobody cares anymore). I don’t think it would be considered newsworthy because media outlets probably wouldn’t care, especially if they can’t milk it. You know they would prempt anything happening over there for Lindsay Lohan driving while intoxicated.