Ten months ago on his first day of combat in Iraq, 20-year-old American soldier Jonathan Aponte was in his unit's chow hall where he watched a sergeant pick up her gun. She locked, loaded, put the gun to her own head and pulled the trigger.
Last week Aponte stood under a bridge on Gunhill Road in the Bronx, lit a cigarette, closed his eyes, and waited for his own bullet to free him from redeployment to Iraq.
The bullet would come, but not from his own gun.
Felix Padilla, 24, put the bullet in Aponte's leg on Monday, July 9, the day before Aponte was to return to Iraq. Aponte and his wife were charged with conspiracy and falsely reporting an incident. Padilla has been charged with conspiracy, assault and possession of a weapon.
Aponte had joked with his wife about getting shot in the leg so he could avoid another tour, according to the complaint. His wife took the remark seriously, and said she knew a man named who could do the job.
Early Monday morning, the pair met with (Padilla), who agreed to do the job for $500.
Coming back home to the Bronx after his first tour of duty, Aponte found that the war had come back with him. "I have nightmares all the time. I hear people screaming, gunshots, explosions, and I can smell burning flesh in my dreams..."
Aponte has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. What is the government's plan to address the issue? According to Aponte's lawyer, his client will soon be evaluated by the military. Should they find that he's fit for duty, they'll send him back to Iraq. If not, they'll either provide counseling and then send him back, or give him a discharge.
Aponte's wife was charged additionally with assault, conspiracy and harassment, and could receive a sentence of up to 25 years in prison. The recently married couple are now planning to end their marriage.
Aponte's take:
"I was desperate to stay home and at the end of my rope," Aponte said. "I couldn't deal with being in Iraq anymore. Would I risk going to prison? As far as being shot at, I think it's better."
Aponte believes the U.S. is losing the war and urged President Bush to bring "everyone back ASAP."
He said victory was virtually impossible when "we don't know who the enemy is. In Iraq, the enemy is dressed in street clothes, or they're pregnant ladies and sometimes even 8-year-olds with machine guns."
Update: Check out A Handsome Man's mention of this same tragic story.