Houston-area TV station ABC13 tweeted on Monday about a new mural honoring murdered Army Specialist Vanessa Guillén, referring to her as a “fallen solider,” and Twitter called the station out on its choice of words.
“She was sexually harassed, assaulted, brutally murdered and dismembered by a fellow service member,” read one reply. “She’s not a ‘fallen’ soldier.”
Typically, the term ‘fallen soldier’ refers to a military member who is killed in action, not someone who was attacked and murdered by another soldier on a military base.
Guillén had been missing for nearly two months before military officials launched an investigation into allegations that she experienced sexual harassment while on base. Guillén’s family said in late April that she confided in them about being sexually harassed by one of her sergeants but didn’t report it to her command for fear of retaliation.
Remains discovered last week near the Leon River, about 30 miles from Fort Hood, were confirmed to be those of Guillén.
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This article appears in Jul 1-14, 2020.
