EDMOND — Prosecutors said they committed offenses that violated the military code of justice.

Family members say they are loyal Americans, decorated soldiers who were victims of untenable rules of engagement, demoralizing “catch-and-release” policies and a climate of political correctness that governs troops trying to survive in a combat zone.

“They” are the “Leavenworth 10,” a group of soldiers and Marines imprisoned at Kansas’ Fort Leavenworth detention facility, which includes 1st Lt. Michael Behenna, of Edmond.

Behenna’s parents, Edmond residents Scott Behenna, a retired Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent, and Vicki Behenna, a federal prosecutor who was part of the team in the Timothy McVeigh trial, are part of the mobilization effort behind The Freedom Ride for the Leavenworth 10.

Supporters riding in motorcycles and vehicles of all types from states across the country will converge the morning of Sept. 4 in Leavenworth, Kan., said Vicki Behenna.

Plans call for the riders to assemble south of Leavenworth on Highway 73 and move in procession north through the city, past the Fort Leavenworth disciplinary barracks, Behenna said. Following the ride, speakers representing the Leavenworth 10, and Lt. Col. Allen West, a Florida congressional candidate, will address supporters.

The ride is intended to raise awareness about how U.S. soldiers are being imprisoned for killing members of al-Qaeda or Iraqi insurgents, the related injustice and to tell the stories of these 10 men, Behenna said.

“By this show of support each of these soldiers will feel some hope in the knowledge that they have not been forgotten, and that Americans have their back,” she said. “They have become casualties of war by their own government. We need to show them that ‘we the people’ are fighting to gain their freedom.”

Scott Behenna said the event is not about bashing the military, but rather giving voice to soldiers whose stories have not received as much attention as his son’s. Behenna said as Michael became aware of the stories of the other soldiers at Ft. Leavenworth, he wanted equal awareness for all.

Behenna said his hope for the ride is that it will increase awareness among the public, in Congress and among military leadership.

An attempt to reach a military spokesperson through Army public affairs was not successful.

Fran Hunsaker, of Warrensburg, Mo., is the mother of Spc. William “Will” Hunsaker, who enlisted in the Army in 2001 and served in Korea and Iraq.

During operation “Iron Triangle,” Hunsaker and three other soldiers were given an illegal order, which resulted in the death of three al-Qaeda detainees, Fran Hunsaker said. Hunsaker was charged and convicted of two counts of premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit murder. He received an 18-year sentence in a plea agreement.

Fran Hunsaker said all her son ever wanted to do is to be a soldier. The family has a history of military service dating back to the Revolutionary War, she said.

She learned about the Freedom Ride for the Leavenworth 10 from the Behennas, and said she does not ride a motorcycle, but she plans on hitching a ride with a rider. Relatives, including her brother in St. Louis, Mo., and friends will be participating, she said.

Vicki Behenna said interested persons include a number of local motorcycle riders. Organizers have no idea how many will ride, she said; it could be hundreds or more.

Hunsaker said she is working for change in the military justice system, how things are handled, and that wrongfully charged soldiers deserve better. Soldiers cannot take their case to the U.S. Supreme Court, she said.

“There’s got to be justice somewhere,” she said.



MORE INFORMATION about The Freedom Ride for the Leavenworth 10 is available at www.L10freedomride.com.

THE DETAILS

what you need to know



THE LEAVENWORTH 10

In alphabetical order, including their Web sites where more information about each soldier is available, the Leavenworth 10 are:

• 1st Lt. Michael Behenna — defendmichael.wordpress.com

• Sgt. Evan Vela Carnahan — freeevanvela.blogspot.com

• Pfc. Corey Clagett — www.coreyclagett.com

• Master Sgt. John E. Hatley — defendjohnhatley.com

• Spc. William “Will” B. Hunsaker — no site yet.

• Sgt. Michael Leahy Jr. — supportsgtleahy.webs.com

• Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Mayo — www.defendjosephmayo.com/news.html

• Sgt. Michael P. Williams — no site yet.

• Sgt. Larry Hutchins — no site yet.

• Staff Sgt. Raymond Girouard — no site yet.