WASHINGTON — Rep. Judy Chu (D-El Monte) released the following statement Jan. 6 after new developments surfaced in the case of Danny Chen, an Army private from New York who committed suicide last October in Afghanistan after alleged hazing and bullying at the hands of his fellow soldiers:
“I am deeply outraged by the new details of hazing that were committed against Private Danny Chen. This should never have happened to anyone, let alone a soldier who was serving our country.
“As the aunt of Lance Corporal Harry Lew, I am especially saddened and outraged. Both Harry Lew and Danny Chen were soldiers who committed suicide in 2011 after extended periods of hazing.
“Danny was forced to crawl on the ground, hit with rocks, and endured racial slurs. Harry was forced to carry heavy sandbags back and forth, and when he tired, got kicked in the back and the head, and forced to swallow sand. U.S. soldiers who put their lives on the line to fight and protect our country should never be treated this way.
“Though the military maintains that it has policies against hazing, there is little enforcement. It is time for the military to stop this abuse and the tragedies that result from it.”
Chu is a member of the House Judiciary Committee and chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
While the army maintains that Private Danny Chen died of an appparent suicide, it is not clear if that is in fact what happenend. Its interesting that, despite the family’s urging, the army has NOT released the autopsy report to the family. The army feels it could “jeopardize the prosecution”. Huh?? They plan to release the autopsy report to the family AFTER the prosecution. Also, Danny had kept a journal and the army is not releasing that either. Shouldn’t all the facts come out? Why is the army withholding info??? Once the army released all the facts, then we would know the answer the family of Private Danny Chen has been asking ever since he died …”What happened?”