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Lawyer: Hadithah officer nominated for medal

SAN DIEGO — A Marine officer accused of failing to investigate the slayings of 24 Iraqis in Hadithah was recommended for a Bronze Star medal partly because of his actions on the day of the killings, his attorney said Wednesday.

1st Lt. Andrew A. Grayson, of Springboro, Ohio, was in a team of intelligence operatives that inspected the scene of the Nov. 19, 2005, attack. The killings were carried out by a Marine squad in the aftermath of a roadside bomb explosion that left one Marine dead.

Grayson’s attorney, Joseph Casas, said the medal recommendation was written in February 2006, about the same time government agents were probing the deaths.

Casas said the nomination praised the Marine for learning of two other roadside bombs in Hadithah from Iraqis he questioned in the wake of the attacks. He was also cited for obtaining information that led to the capture of two men who detonated the bomb that sparked the violence.

The medal nomination also cites other instances in which Grayson obtained information that may have saved American lives over a five-month period from August to December 2005, Casas said.

“I think it is indicative of the type of Marine he is and the unblemished career Lt. Grayson has led and of his good military character,” said Casas, who believes the recommendation is still under consideration.

Marine spokesman Lt. Col. Sean Gibson said he could not immediately confirm whether Grayson had been recommended for a medal.

The Bronze Star is the fourth-highest award given for combat action.

Grayson, 25, was charged in December with willfully failing to report and investigate a possible violation of the law of war, making a false official statement, and telling his sergeant to delete photographs of the dead. Casas said Grayson is innocent of all charges.

Three enlisted Marines are accused of unpremeditated murder in the Hadithah killings. Four officers, including Grayson, are charged with failing to investigate or report the deaths. The enlisted men have maintained their innocence, saying they believed they were under attack and followed proper procedures to defend themselves, while the officers say they reported events up the chain of command.

One of the accused men, Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, was recommended for a Navy Achievement Medal before any charges were filed. His attorneys have said the recommendation shows Marines believed they were under attack when they stormed civilian homes and opened fire.

Grayson’s preliminary hearing is set for June 18 at Camp Pendleton.