Walter Gaya

It looks like Walter Gaya, famous from Kim du Toit's Walter and Adam fund and Michael Yon's Dispatches, is having some problems. Walt was an Army sniper and he was injured in an IED attack on a Stryker he was travelling in. He was eight days away from being sworn in as an American citizen-

The Argentina-born immigrant, who moved to the United States as a child, was injured just eight days before he was to be sworn in as a U.S. citizen in a ceremony in Iraq.

Now, he's in a bureaucratic black hole: Federal immigration officials wouldn't renew his permanent resident card or tell him when he could reschedule the swearing-in ceremony. No one at the local U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office could tell him what to do next to get his citizenship papers, or even how to renew his immigration documents.

Gaya's commander, Lt. Colonel Erik Kurilla described Gaya as a-

"quiet professional. He's the type of soldier that every commander wished he had a hundred of."

The blogosphere is rallying around this brave man however- SondraK is highlighting Gaya's plight on her blog and is encouraging readers to contact their representatives so that Gaya's citizenship issues can be sorted out and so that a fund can be started to buy Walt the camera equipment he needs- he hopes to become a photographer after leaving the Army next spring.. Stop the ACLU is also posting on the story. Contact has been made with Michael Yon who is going to contact Walt and see just what he needs.

This is exactly why the blogosphere is so much better than the MSM- it's not just a source of information, it's a community- even for people who have never had any contact with each other.

I'll be keeping track of Gaya's progress- in the meantime, make sure to check out SondraK for more updates- she's doing fine work indeed.

UPDATE- Okay, folks, it looks like Walt's story is beginning to filter around the blogosphere. In addition to the sites already mentioned, The Smallest Minority, War on Guns, Ravenwood's Universe, Mindless Bit Spew and Thus Spracht Me have all picked up the story. If you're a US citizen please do take the time to contact your representative. Walter Gaya deserves better than this.

UPDATE II- Add more bloggers to the list- The View From North Central Idaho and gun blogger Mr. Completely, who will be writing to Congressman Adam Smith. Blogger Rivrdog comments that he has already taken that step.

And just a quick observation- Looks like there are NO left wing/liberal blogs working to aid this veteran/immigrant. Aren't they the ones who "support the troops"? The same people who always tarnish conservatives as being racist? Where are they now?