An Army Death, and a Family Left In the Dark

White House officials do not comment on personal conversations Bush has with families of the fallen, said Trent Duffy, a White House spokesman.

"He does offer to help, and these are genuine offers and they are followed through," Duffy said, adding that sometimes getting information to families takes time. "It is never fast enough, but there is a deliberate and careful system of checks and balances to make sure the most sensitive information is accurate."

The final casualty report was prepared on Nov. 22, 2004, attributing Buryj's death to "hostile action." The death certificate said he died within "minutes" of sustaining the gunshot wound, but it listed the time of death as hours after the incident. The final autopsy report, dated Nov. 24, 2004, attributed the death to friendly fire, but Peggy Buryj didn't receive it until February. She says it was the first indication she had that her son was killed by friendly fire. One other inconsistency: The Army Safety Center officially lists Buryj as having died from U.S. friendly fire, according to an Army spokeswoman, though U.S. investigations rule out gunshots by Americans.

Peggy Buryj received her official briefing on her son's death in April. An Army officer confirmed that he had been killed by friendly fire and indicated that Polish troops "most likely" fired the deadly shot. On the PowerPoint presentation used in the briefing, this statement appeared: "12 May 2004, 1400 notified next of kin on change of finding from hostile incident to friendly fire incident."

Peggy and Amber Buryj said they were shocked and disputed the claim that they had been told so early: If that was true, why would they have spent the better part of a year trying to find out how Jesse died? Peggy Buryj said the briefers had no response. Asked about the discrepancy for this article, Army spokesmen said they do not discuss individual cases.

Officials at the Casualty and Memorial Affairs Operation Center in Alexandria said they have been working to improve notification efforts, especially in friendly-fire cases. Communication breakdowns between officials on the battlefield and those in the United States have caused delays in passing along information, and the Army has become well aware of the effects of having an incomplete story.

"We understand that a full accounting of the events leading to a loved one's death provides a sense of closure to such a tragic event in their lives," said Col. Mary Torgersen, who runs the center. "The Army is constantly seeking ways to improve how we conduct casualty operations. . . . There is nothing more important to that family than knowing the truth about how their loved one died."

Despite her frustration, Peggy Buryj continues to support her president and the war, believing her son did not die in vain. She even wrote to Bush in April, thanking him "for being my son's Commander in Chief."

But both Peggy and Amber Buryj said they are convinced they will never hear the whole story of how Jesse died. "I still feel like I need answers," Amber said. "You can't just put something like that to rest when you love someone so much. You need to know."