Ilario Pantano. (StarNews file photo)
Ilario Pantano has lived in New Hanover County for eight years. Pantano and his wife Jill, and their two sons live in the Ogden neighborhood.
A Republican, Pantano is running for the N.C. 7th District U.S. House seat, the same seat he ran for in 2010. The race between incumbent Rep. Mike McIntyre and Pantano became one of the most-talked-about races in North Carolina. Pantano gave McIntyre his toughest re-election contest in seven tries. McIntyre won with 54 percent of the votes, but Pantano garnered nearly 100,000 votes.
Pantano earned a scholarship to one of New York’s most prestigious private schools. After serving in the Marine Corps, he returned to New York and got an economics degree from New York University. Pantano is a two-time Marine combat veteran. He and members of his platoon arrived in Iraq from Camp Lejeune in March 2004. While investigating a suspected insurgent lair with his platoon on April 15, Pantano shot two Iraqis he said made threatening moves toward him. Up to 50 rounds were fired at the men. After they were dead, he left a hand-written sign on cardboard that said, “No better friend, no worse enemy.”
Pantano works for a financial planning firm in Wilmington.
Date posted: November 12, 2011
User-contributed question by:
Susan Lewis
I don’t think it is professional of your organization to give him free publicity and sanitize his background. And by the way, I usually do vote Republican but not in the case of a member of our armed forces attacking unarmed people, then setting up an elaborate display in front of their bodies. Of course errors do happen in this fighting environment, with armed and unarmed people tough to distinguish, so even giving him a tenuous pardon for that, the pardon can not be extended to his wonderful memorial.
Maybe next:
Where is Charles Manson?
Charles Manson, who had many devoted fans, was famous in the late 60s for his interactions with many actors, as well as his strong charisma. He resides in California.
I Think a bit more than this is public record…for starts the men were unarmed.
He also stated for a interview I read…In his own words that when he hears noises in the woods behind his house, in Wilmington, he grabs his gun. This is worrisome!
So read and educate yourself then make your choice.
For the two comments above, for a more complete look at the story over & above a knee-jerk reaction, see:
http://plbirnamwood.blogspot.com/2012/03/prosecution-persecution-and-resurgence.html