Alyssa Peterson served in Iraq. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and she served a mission in the Netherlands. She went into the military and trained in Arabic.
She was sent to Iraq, apparently volunteering to take another soldiers place. She was assigned to translate during the interrogation of prisoners. According to a response to a FOIA request (by a crusading radio journalist), Publish Post she only participated in two nights of interrogation.
"Peterson objected to the interrogation techniques used on prisoners. She refused to participate after only two nights working in the unit known as the cage. Army spokespersons for her unit have refused to describe the interrogation techniques Alyssa objected to. They say all records of those techniques have now been destroyed."She was assigned to another area and sent to suicide prevention training. It didn't work; on the night of September 15, 2003 she killed herself, by shooting herself with her rifle.
She left a note; the same crusading radio journalist is attempting to acquire it through a FOIA request.
There's a website called Fallen Heroes that allows for the posting of salutes and tributes to fallen soldiers - her page on the site is here. It paints a picture of a kind and loving person, good with languages, dedicated.
I don't really know what to do with this story other than to pass it along. And curse the men that put our young men and women in places like "the cage."
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