Fw: Our son didn't have to die.

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----- Forwarded Message ----- To: penas7ar@... Sent: Friday, June 22, 2012 7:37:52 PM Subject: Our son didn't have to die. Our son didn't have to

die.It has been more

than 18 months since our son, Terry, was shot and killed by a Mexican

drug cartel armed by a failed U.S. Department of Justice "gunwalking"

operation known as "Fast and Furious." The pain that

's death has caused our family is indescribable. No matter what words

we use in this letter to you, we will never be able to justly convey how

much suffering we have endured. We still grieve every day, and we are

resigned to the fact that the agony of his death will stick with us for the

rest of our lives. Not because he didn't achieve his dreams . . . not

because he didn't live his life to the fullest . . . and not because he

didn't leave anything behind that we couldn't celebrate or

remember. Our family will be forever grief-stricken because

didn't have to die. We wish we

could take solace knowing that died doing what he loved to do. After

all, it was his childhood dream to make a career in law enforcement and

become a federal agent. As a youngster, was inspired by

his Uncle Bob, a Michigan police offer who would give tours of the

police station and share stories of what it was like to be a police

officer. From then on, believed he was destined for a career in law

enforcement. He joined

the Marine Corps after high school and served four years in

Naples, Italy before becoming a police officer in Lincoln Park, Michigan

– just like his uncle. But 's ultimate dream was to become a

federal agent, and so he applied to the United States Border Patrol. In 2007, he attended the Border Patrol Academy in El Paso, Texas,

graduating as president of his class before being assigned to the Naco

station near Bisbee, Arizona, only a few miles from the U.S.-Mexican

border. Please click here to

contribute to the Terry Foundation accomplished exactly what he

wanted to. But all of what he had worked for – and all our family had

come to adore and love – was taken away so abruptly . . . so

needlessly. On December 14, 2010, was

conducting operations as a member of the Border Patrol Tactical Unit in

Nogales, Arizona. He and his team encountered five Mexican drug cartel

bandits in the "Peck Well" area near Rio Rico, Arizona. Not knowing the bandits were carrying the latest

military grade assault weapons provided by the Justice Department as part

of Operation Fast and

Furious, there was an exchange of gunfire and was shot in the

lower back. He died on December 15, 2010. Before

then, our family was expecting to return home for Christmas. What we

were not expecting was that he would return home in a flag-draped casket.

All because of an ill-conceived government gun trafficking investigation

gone horribly awry.Please consider a contribution to the Terry

Foundation The Justice Department's "gunwalking" operation called

for American gun dealers to sell weapons to "straw purchasers" tied to

Mexican drug cartels between 2009-2011. The intention was to track the guns

as they were sold to Mexican drug lords, which would theoretically lead to

the arrests and dismantling of the cartels. But that's not

what happened. It turned out that there was no actual plan to

track the movement of the guns as they were "walked" into

Mexico. As a result, one of our four children

and as many as 200 Mexican citizens were killed with weapons connected to

the operation. Still, hundreds of guns sold as part of Operation Fast

and Furious remain unrecovered, putting more brave law enforcement

personnel along the border – like our son – at unnecessary

risk. Even though our son fell in the line of duty more than

18 months ago, we still

don't have answers that explain why he had to

die. Unfortunately for our family and the

families of others who have been injured or killed with these weapons, our

son's death has ballooned into a national controversy. Currently, the House

Oversight Committee is moving forward with contempt proceedings against

Holder, the U.S. Attorney General and head of the Justice Department,

for failing to comply with a congressional subpoena requesting all of his

communications regarding Operation Fast and Furious. Our hope is that the

Justice Department is not withholding information that could expose those

who are responsible for our son's death. It has been nearly

eight months since Mr. Holder was served his subpoena, and we know little

more now than we did then. We think our family and 's memory deserve

better. So even though this government investigation drags on

and prolongs our family's suffering, we are taking action. We have established

the Terry Foundation not just to preserve 's memory and honor

his service to our country, but to also help families of other U.S. Border Patrol

Agents who have been killed or injured by providing ongoing emotional and

financial support, establish educational scholarships, recognize the heroic

efforts of current Border Patrol Agents, and raise public awareness of the

flawed Fast and Furious investigation. It is also our

personal mission to guarantee that any mistakes made by the Justice

Department are never made again. Because of Operation Fast and Furious, some of the most

dangerous criminal organizations in North America have been strengthened,

and now our Border Patrol Agents are in the gravest danger of their

lives. So please, we urge you – not just for our son,

but for all U.S. Border Patrol Agents who came before him and who will come

after him – to join our cause and give as generously as you

can. We have to make sure that nothing like Fast and Furious

ever happens again, and without grassroots support from folks like

yourself, our mission fails. This failed government operation cost our son

his life, but that doesn't have to stop us from saving the life of someone

else's son. In the loving and enduring memory of A.

Terry, Kent Terry, Sr. and phine TerryThe

Terry Foundationwww.honorbrianterry.comP.S. Attorney General Holder’s refusal to fully disclose

the documents associated with Operation Fast and Furious and

President Obama’s assertion of executive privilege serves to compound

this tragedy. It denies the Terry family and the American people

the truth. The President's executive priveledge makes getting to the truth

much more difficult. We really do need your help. If

you can afford to support the Terry Foundation financially please

give as generously as you can. If you

prefer to contribute by mail,please make checks out to:The

Terry Foundation2575 E Camelback Road, Dept#3Phoenix, AZ

85016Please

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