Neil Santoriello
Neil Santoriello
Neil Santoriello Sr. and his wife Diane Davis Santoriello are the parents of U.S.
Army Lieutenant Neil Santoriello.
He is from Penn Hills Pennsylvania.
He works at a Macy's store in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.
Death of Lieutenant Neil Santoriello
Neil's son Lieutenant Neil Santoriello son was killed Aug. 13, 2004, by a roadside Improvised explosive device in Khalidiyah, Iraq.
Santoriello Jr. was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 34th Armor, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.
After Neil Santoriello Sr. found out about his son's death he was so distraught, he tore down the United States of America flag that hung from his front porch.
Then he collapsed.
An Army official who was sent to tell Neil the news of his son's death said "Sir, you are being disrespectful," after he ripped off the flag.
"Can you believe that, My son was just killed, and I'm being disrespectful?" Santoriello says.
Neil had said "When he went there (to Iraq), I said I went to purgatory," and that "The day he was killed, I went to hell, and I'm still there."
After his son's death Neil still cries every day.
Neil found comfort in food after his son's death and gained so much weight that he had to have five stents in his heart.
He sees a therapist every week to help manage the grief.
Neil and his wife regret their decision to follow the Army's decision that they not view their son's body.
They wanted to see him one last time, to say good-bye.
They also criticized the U.S.
Army for taking 9 months to tell them their son was killed by an Improvised explosive device:
"The Army deems everyone unviewable," says Diane Santoriello, who waited nine months to learn how her son died.
"Neil's death was unremarkable.
He was killed by an IED -- plain and simple.
It shouldn't have taken nine months for us to find out."
Neil and his wife, Diane Davis Santoriello are outspoken war critics, but wear with pride pins with Gold Stars and U.S. flags.