Los Angeles, Alta California - December 3, 2004 - (ACN) This sad story came to La Voz de Aztlan in a roundabout way. It came to us after we published our report "Iraqi insurgent video shows graphic death of US Marines" ( http://www.uruknet.info/?p=7427 ) and the video at http://www.aztlan.net/ramadi.wmv which shows the death of US Marine Private 1st Class Moises A. Langhorst of Moose Lake, Minnesota. The information was sent, after reading our report, by a resident of the small town of Moose Lake who personally knew Private Langhorst and another Moose Lake High School marine who died in Kuwait one month prior to Langhorst.

It is difficult to say which death was sadder, that of 19 year old Private 1st Class Moises A. Langhorst who was killed as a consequence of an Iraqi insurgent operation in Ramadi or that of 18 year old Pfc. Matthew G. Milczark who was found shot in a chapel at Camp Victory in Kuwait. Both were friends, graduated together from Moose Lake High School and both joined the marines at the same time.

Whereas the death of Private Langhorst has been put to rest by the small town of Moose Lake and his family, that of Pfc Milczark has not. You see, the US Marines declared the death of Pfc Milczark a suicide, however, there is one small detail that really bothers the town and the family . . . the one gunshot that killed the marine was to the back of his head.

No one who knew Pfc Milczark personally believes that he could commit suicide. His family has been pressing for information to no avail. They have contacted their local congressperson with no results and they are now concerned that the truth may never be known. What really happened to Pfc. Matthew G. Milczark?

"When I talked to him 10 days before he was reported dead, he was very upbeat," said Milczark's stepbrother Derek Wood. Pfc. Matthew G. Milczark was a well balanced student and was elected Homecoming King the year he graduated. He was a star football player and respected as a leader by the entire student body. "He was a leader here, one of those kids you would see in the hallway who automatically had that respect from others," said Tim Caroline, superintendent of Moose Lake Community Schools. "He was a good kid, happy-go-lucky and always smiling."

What then is the truth? Did Pfc. Matthew G. Milczark commit suicide by shooting himself in the back of his head? Did another US Marine kill him? Why is the US Marine Command keeping quiet about this and other marine suicides and why have they closed the investigation? The family of Matthew G. Milczark needs to know, but most importantly all Americans need to know. There is now an epidemic of US Marines committing "suicide?" and it behooves all Americans with loved ones in Iraq to find out the truth!