Donald Walters
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Donald Walters, born in Salem, Oregon, was a United States National Guard sergeant, officially listed as killed in action in Iraq on March 23 2003 in the same ambush in which Jessica Lynch was captured. A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Walters was a member of the 507th Army Maintenance Company, and a veteran of the Operation Desert Storm conflict, the exact nature of Walters' death, and its relationship to the Lynch media circus has created something of a controversy.
Walters' family had called for an investigation into their son's death, pressuring the Oregon National Guard, who released, on May 27 2004, information suggesting that Walters' was captured and executed. A National Guard spokesman stated that an Iraqi ambulance driver witnessed Walters, still alive, guarded by six Fedayeen, in front of a building. Walters was led inside the building, and several hours later, the same witness delivered his dead body to a hospital. DNA samples recovered from blood in the building match that of Walters, and splatter vectors suggest that he died from two gunshot wounds to the back, from more than 20 feet away.
During initial reports after the Lynch rescue, it had been stated that a blonde soldier, presumably Lynch, had fought until she ran out of ammunition, although she later refuted this; although there has been no official investigation into this matter, it has been widely speculated that this soldier was Walters, who is also blond. Donald's mother, Arlene Walters, appeared on the CBS Early Show, making this claim, on May 28.
Army reports from 2003 state that Walters died in the fighting during an ambush that left 10 others dead; with no American witnesses to his death. It has now been suggested that Walters was separated from his unit; several gun magazines were found near the location of Walters' capture, suggesting that he may have, indeed, fought until he ran out of ammunition. Before capture, Walters was shot in the leg, and stabbed three times with a bayonet.
Sgt. Donald Walters was posthumously awarded the Silver Star in March 2004 for gallantry with marked distinction, along with the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, and received the POW Medal in May. There is currently a war crimes investigation on his behalf.