Nadia McCaffrey Nadia McCaffrey was born April 17 , 1945 in Paris , France and married an American , Bob McCaffrey ; then she immigrated to the United States . She is the founder of Angel Staff , a group of volunteers who bring a caring presence to terminally ill patients and their families . Her son and only child , Sergeant Patrick R . McCaffrey Sr . and his supervisor First Lieutenant Andre D . Tyson were killed while serving in Iraq , in an ambush near Balad , Iraq on June 22 , 2004 . She has campaigned against the war in Iraq along with Cindy Sheehan in Crawford after her son ' s death when the Pentagon would not give her more details surrounding her son ' s death . On June 20 , 2005 , the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division concluded that the Iraqi Security Forces , ICDC officers patrolling with her son ' s unit had killed Patrick and 1st Lt . Andre D . Tyson . Scott Lindlaw from the Associated Press wrote : " TRACY , Calif . — He ' d trained as a combat lifesaver . Now Sgt . Patrick McCaffrey lay gravely wounded , his blood pooling on a street in Balad , Iraq . Eight bullets had found flesh between the heavy body - armor plates meant to protect the California National Guardsman ' s torso . They sliced into his lungs , liver and other organs and struck two vital arteries , including his aorta . Lt . Andre Tyson sprawled next to him , a round having pierced his forehead . He was gasping for breath . Despite medics ' frantic efforts , McCaffrey , 34 , and Tyson , 33 , soon died . But with their deaths a strange subplot in the Iraq war was born — a legal case still quietly unfolding today , as the U . S . Army pursues a murder trial . McCaffrey and Tyson were slain by enemies posing as " friendly " Iraqi national guardsmen , according to Army investigators . The Iraqis patrolled alongside the Californians , then betrayed them when they turned their backs , investigators say . " " Journey to Peace " . " Journey to Peace : One Mother ' s Quest to Stop the Suffering of War " by Mark Manning features the personal outreach of Nadia McCaffrey . Nadia ' s son Patrick was killed in Iraq in June 2004 . His death received national attention after Nadia invited the press to Sacramento International Airport to record images of this flag - draped coffin returning home , contravening U . S . Military policy and president Bush ' s ban on the filming of U . S . Soldiers ' coffins returning home from Iraq . Following the death of her son , Nadia McCaffrey has become an international voice for peace and responsibility in government . In December 2004 Nadia embarked on a peace mission to the Middle East to meet with Iraqi families who have also lost loved ones in the Iraq war . These meetings between families from opposing countries at war [ sic : of course the United States is in actuality allied with Iraq ] were emotional and deeply healing for all who witnessed them . Through this film , Nadia will share that healing with all who see it and allow us to follow her on this journey to peace . She has since traveled through Europe conducting interviews in Paris with FRANCE3 TV and radio , and ARTE CHANNELS TV ( EU ) . In the US , she interviewed with Good Morning America , The Today ' s Show , The Paula Zanh Show , The Aaron Brown Show , MSNBC , CNBC , DemocracyNow TV , Morning on 2 , and CNN . Her story has been told through documentaries , radio shows , and in magazines ( such as Vanity Fair ) and newspapers . She has appeared on the front page of USA TODAY ( twice ) , and the Washington Post , Newsweek . Nadia spent 23 days in Belgium and 10 days in Jordan , meeting with magazine , newspaper , radio , and TV media outlets . Her message is sympathy , compassion and peace as the means to ending the immorality of the U . S . Invasion and occupation of Iraq " . In 2006 she started a nonprofit 501c3 Patrick McCaffrey Foundation or VeteransVillage as a National not for profit corporation : The mission of Patrick McCaffrey ’ s Foundation is to promote mental and holistic wellness and palliative care among veterans returning from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan , especially those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) , by providing a live - in retreat village , wherein with the help of trained professional staff and volunteers , veterans will find inner healing and an eventual re - entry into society . One on One attention and Home - Like Care , a second Home