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July 24, 2012

1st Court-Martial Begins in Hazing Death of Chinese-American Army Private Danny Chen 
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The first of eight U.S. soldiers charged in the death of Army Private
Danny Chen is set to face a court-martial today at North Carolina's Fort
Bragg. A 19-year-old Chinese American, Chen allegedly took his own life
just weeks after he was deployed to Afghanistan last October. His family
says Chen had been abused by comrades on an almost daily basis,
including racist hazing, with soldiers throwing rocks at him, calling
him ethnic slurs and forcing him to do push-ups or hang upside down with
his mouth full of water. All eight accused soldiers were Chen's
superiors in rank. The first soldier to stand trial, Sergeant Adam
Michael Holcomb, is one of five soldiers whose multiple charges, include
the most serious offense of causing Chen's death through negligence. A
group of family members and supporters are traveling to Fort Bragg to
attend the trial.

 

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