USA SSG Tatiana Khaghani Dees, from Congers, NY in Rockland County but originally from Tehran, Iran drowned after stepping backwards off a pier in Dhahran while avoiding moving military cargo. She was unable to swim due to all the gear she was wearing. She was assigned to the 92nd Military Police Company, 93rd MP Battalion, 14th MP Brigade, V Corps based in Grafenwoehr, Germany. Tatiana leaves behind two children: Lena and Joseph. On 28 May 12, I received an email from Tatianas son Joseph. He thanked me for remembering the great women who served our country and included this photo of his mother. According to SSG Bill Hancock: I wanted to clear up the events that lead up to Tatiana’s death. It is reported incorrectly on your site. Tatiana had immigrated from Iran to the United States and was assigned to 2nd platoon (squad leader) 92nd MP Co, 93rd MP Bn, 18th MP Brigade, (not the 14th MP Bde) from Baumholder, Germany. Tatiana and 2 soldiers in her squad were pulling guard duty at the port. They saw a man taking pictures from atop one of those large cranes. Tatiana sent her 2 soldiers up to investigate. Both soldiers handed Tatiana their M-16s so she was holding 3 M-16’s and wearing full gear including Kevlar and flak vest. She stepped back from the base of the crane to get a better view of her soldiers as they climbed when she fell into the water. She was found an hour or so later and still had all her gear on and the 3 M-16’s. I think she was found in 50’ of water around 11 p.m. She was a great squad leader and person. Her troops held her in high regard. Stefan Maciech wrote me an email saying Hancocks story is about the closest story I have read yet anywhere. I was with SSG Dees that night. I was the soldier who went into the crane. Gil Charette was a fellow MP with Tatiana and they were promoted at the same time. His wife would babysit Lena. Gil hopes to get back in touch with Lena, Joe and their father. Brett Jones was also there and sent me this email in May 12: I would like to add that that is not quite right. I was working that pier that night. When we saw someone taking pictures of us working. I went over to her humvee. I asked her and the SPC that went up into the crane. What we should do? He took off his gear except his 9mm and went up. He was gone about 10 minutes and came back down with someone. The man taking pictures came off the ladder first and then the specialist. She (Tatiana) backed up to get out of the way and fell in the water with all of her gear and his. And the sad part of the whole thing is that the first thing out of anyone’s mouth when we got interviewed by CID was “ do you think she committed suicide.” This is the first I have talked about this openly. Because after 21 years I’m going to get a tattoo in her name. I’ve lived with it long enough. I feel that I should have tried to save her from drowning that night. But, working around the ships all the time, the bilge pump is probably what sucked her under. It was a tough decision I made and has sucked to live with. So, to her family I send my condolences because you probably never got the flowers that me and two other soldiers sent with her. And to Stefan Maciech I apologize for walking up to your humvee that night. Steven Hass was there and sent me the following on 4 May 13: I was a Sergeant with the unit that was headquartered at the port when SSG Tatiana Khaghani Dees drowned, and I remember that night very well. SSG Bill Hancocks account is exactly the way I remember that night. A group of us helped search along the pier for any sign of her, right after she fell into the water. With our flashlights, we looked for anything - a piece of gear, a piece of clothing, anything that may have gotten caught on the pier as she went into the water, to give an idea of exactly where she went in, but we couldnt find any sign of her. Divers had to be called to look for her, and they found her pretty quickly. I vividly remember the divers bringing her up and lifting her body up onto the pier, because I was surprised that she was so fully loaded with gear. A helicopter picked her up, and that was the end of it. She really had no chance at all, with all the equipment she had on her. Deepest condolences to her family. nooniefortin/desertstorm.htm
Posted on: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 01:52:34 +0000
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