Fayetteville funeral held for Green Beret killed in Niger
FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina (WTVD) -- A Fort Bragg soldier killed in an ambush attack in Niger was memorialized Wednesday. Dozens of Fayetteville and Fort Bragg community members gathered at Northwood Temple to pay their respects to Staff Sgt. Bryan Black.
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Black along with four others Green Berets: Staff Sgt. LaDavid Johnson, Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson, and Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright were killed October 4th.
Sheila Harriman Reid knows exactly what these families are going through.
"I remember hearing the crunch of the tires going over the gravel as the car came to tell me my fate, my husband's fate," said Harriman Reid.
Chief Warrant Officer Stanley Harriman was the first U.S casualty in the war on terror. Fast forward to 15 years later and we're still fighting the same battle.
Tuesday, the family of LaDavid Johnson claimed President Donald Trump called Johnson's widow allegedly telling her "He knew what he signed up for."
President Trump turned to Twitter to dispute those claims, tweeting: "Democrat Congresswoman totally fabricated what I said to the wife of a soldier who died in action (and I have proof). Sad!"
Adding to the continued drama over whether past presidents have called the families of fallen soldiers, a senior White House official told ABC News on Tuesday that then-President Obama did not call John Kelly, now the White House chief of staff, after the death of his son in battle in 2010.
While many have questioned the timing and content of President Trump's remarks, Sheila Harriman says her experience with the president, George W. Bush, was one she will never forget.
"He was weeping so hard that his tears were dripping into his collar. He kissed me on the forehead and said 'Mrs. Harriman the buck stops here. I take full responsibility,' " Harriman said.
Those words meant everything to her.
"And then he said what you want me to do? And I said 'finish the mission,' " Harriman said.
