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Tuesday, Feb 10, 2009 11:52 AM UTC

“I am seeking help. I mean mental help”

Read a sworn statement from the late Pfc. Ryan Alderman about what he witnessed in Iraq and his problems receiving adequate medical care from the Army.

By and

Topics: Coming home: The Army's fatal neglect,

A number of soldiers at the Army’s Fort Carson wrote and signed sworn statements in the fall of 2008 complaining about their medical care. Pfc. Timothy Ryan Alderman signed the statement below on Oct. 13, 2008. In it he says, “I am seeking help but I feel like I’m not being treated right. I mean mental help.” He died of a drug overdose a week later. The Army has ruled that his death was a suicide.

Mark Benjamin

Mark Benjamin is a national correspondent for Salon based in Washington, D.C. Read his other articles here. More Mark Benjamin.

Michael de Yoanna

Michael de Yoanna is a journalist and documentary filmmaker who won an Edward R. Murrow award for investigative radio journalism in 2011. You can view his past work at Salon here, visit his personal website here, and follow him on Twitter @mdy1. More Michael de Yoanna.

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Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

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  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

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  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

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