The fact that whether or not he is buried at a National Cemetery is a question for the "Memorial Division of the Army" means the answer can be "no." Is it suspicious that his family isn't asking for a military funeral? Would they normally have done so by now?
So, to recap, Whitman was a loan shark while he was a Marine. If he continued on that path after he separated from the service, he could be liable to blackmail, especially if a former victim looked him up.
What were the injuries? Were they completely healed? Did they impact his ability to work? Was he on continuing pain medication for them? Okay, given this is in the middle of the Cold War, I can't shake the feeling that this is Communist psyop using Whitman, who probably went along with it because of blackmail, isolation from family, ideology. And whoever planned it made sure he died, which was probably also what he was hoping for himself. Going out in a blaze of glory.
So what does this mean for the Marine Corps? If Whitman gets full honors, it looks like the Marine Corps approves of mass shooters. If Whitman doesn't get full honors, it looks like once you're no longer a Marine, what you did before doesn't count. Meanwhile, are our Marines being targeted in this Cold War? How do we counter that?
I stand by my prior plan. 'Young man full of piss and vinegar behaves like a [insert preferred demotic Anglo-Saxon term here] once in 6 years' is not a story I expect I as the USMC's commandant would find especially surprising. I order the notes of the court-martial to be reviewed for irregularities but if his behaviour didn't reach the threshold for a dishonourable discharge then, it doesn't now.
We wait to hear from his next of kin and if they ask for military honours, we provide (most of) them. I order whatever press relations setup we have to say:
For now: "We're assessing the situation."
If the family don't ask: "We haven't received any such request from his family."
If they do: "His behaviour after discharge was disgraceful, but only to himself. We deplore his actions in later life but we're not disowning a man who, for all his faults, was one of us." Push this message where prospective recruits are likely to see it, given the wider mobilisation effort mentioned in the first part.
Jan 18·edited Jan 19Liked by Bruce Ivar Gudmundsson
There's something hinky about this. We don't have enough data yet to make a decision.
1. His personnel file is not available ? This is pre 1973 - so it's not in the B Files and needing to be reconstructed - there's been no fire yet. Maybe the FBI have a hold on it or have taken it in to custody? Call the Director of Personnel Records a call back and ask him, directly - why is it not available? See if the VA opened a C File for him (or whatever the 1966 equivalent is) - that file may still be available through the VA unless the FBI grabbed it too. Maybe you have a contact in the FBI you can talk to?
2. Article 134 is the catch-all - it has more "stretch" in it than a pair of leggings. It's the "You really screwed up and we hate you so we're gonna use this one to put the nails in your coffin." If I remember correctly there are 3 clauses one of which addresses actual criminal acts under the Federal law. I'll suspect that's the illegal firearm. And if that's the case they were able to establish every single element of the crime. In any event, for a Special Court Martial they probably assigned him a JAG. Try and track that guy down and see if he'll let you have the case file. How do you get honorably discharged after a court martial like that? What was his rank prior to that?
3. Was there an autopsy? If so can you get the report?
4. The VA run the National Cemeteries, except for Arlington - I think the Army runs that one because the Union Army confiscated Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee's plantation to clear out the Virginians who'd occupied Arlington. The Army then took it for a cemetery, and after after the Battle of the Wilderness, Congress designated the land, and the Army probably just decided to keep it. Maybe that's why you have to go through then to get him buried? Technically any veteran may be buried at Arlington, but generally it's reserved for the great and the good anymore. There's more to this story.
5. You could keep his body in a cooler for a few months and bury him quietly after the furor has died down. But a look at his VA medical files might give you more info.
6. What do his family have to say about all of this?
I favor a blend of the first three responses. At what point in his service were the articles 92 & 134 committed? Before or after he suffered injury rescuing a fellow Marine? What was his behavior and service like pre and post injury? As it wasn’t serious enough to prevent an honorable discharge I’m leaning towards youthful indiscretion of a young Marine full of piss and vinegar.
What were the effects of the injuries and what was the treatment and how long did it last? Did he seek help post service, if so what did he complain of and what happened to his request for treatment? Was he rejected and did this instill a seed of despair, depression, distrust and anger at his treatment by the Corps he had honorably served? We all know how veterans are often treated by the VA & society at large, and how that can affect a veteran’s mental state. As it was the 60s when the prevailing attitude was suck it up and drive on and TBI was an unheard of concept that could have potentially pushed him into a state of anger and depression. Was that exploited by the government to drive a narrative and push for gun control and the 68 GCA Act?
If his family asks for military honors then they should be rendered. If not then the matter is settled and the official response will reflect that, his honorable service as a Marine and that the Corps is not going to get into a back & forth with the press regarding his actions post service. But I would also monitor the situation, get all the information including autopsy reports and see if his injuries and subsequent treatment could have led to any of this as the welfare of any Marine is of concern to me. Or any veteran for that matter. Could anything have been done differently to prevent that seed of despair from being planted to begin with? Maybe if that had been recognized earlier and acted on then we would be in a better place now regarding how veterans are treated and how that treatment impacts them. I’m getting off topic so I’m going to stop here.
The fact that whether or not he is buried at a National Cemetery is a question for the "Memorial Division of the Army" means the answer can be "no." Is it suspicious that his family isn't asking for a military funeral? Would they normally have done so by now?
So, to recap, Whitman was a loan shark while he was a Marine. If he continued on that path after he separated from the service, he could be liable to blackmail, especially if a former victim looked him up.
What were the injuries? Were they completely healed? Did they impact his ability to work? Was he on continuing pain medication for them? Okay, given this is in the middle of the Cold War, I can't shake the feeling that this is Communist psyop using Whitman, who probably went along with it because of blackmail, isolation from family, ideology. And whoever planned it made sure he died, which was probably also what he was hoping for himself. Going out in a blaze of glory.
So what does this mean for the Marine Corps? If Whitman gets full honors, it looks like the Marine Corps approves of mass shooters. If Whitman doesn't get full honors, it looks like once you're no longer a Marine, what you did before doesn't count. Meanwhile, are our Marines being targeted in this Cold War? How do we counter that?
I stand by my prior plan. 'Young man full of piss and vinegar behaves like a [insert preferred demotic Anglo-Saxon term here] once in 6 years' is not a story I expect I as the USMC's commandant would find especially surprising. I order the notes of the court-martial to be reviewed for irregularities but if his behaviour didn't reach the threshold for a dishonourable discharge then, it doesn't now.
We wait to hear from his next of kin and if they ask for military honours, we provide (most of) them. I order whatever press relations setup we have to say:
For now: "We're assessing the situation."
If the family don't ask: "We haven't received any such request from his family."
If they do: "His behaviour after discharge was disgraceful, but only to himself. We deplore his actions in later life but we're not disowning a man who, for all his faults, was one of us." Push this message where prospective recruits are likely to see it, given the wider mobilisation effort mentioned in the first part.
There's something hinky about this. We don't have enough data yet to make a decision.
1. His personnel file is not available ? This is pre 1973 - so it's not in the B Files and needing to be reconstructed - there's been no fire yet. Maybe the FBI have a hold on it or have taken it in to custody? Call the Director of Personnel Records a call back and ask him, directly - why is it not available? See if the VA opened a C File for him (or whatever the 1966 equivalent is) - that file may still be available through the VA unless the FBI grabbed it too. Maybe you have a contact in the FBI you can talk to?
2. Article 134 is the catch-all - it has more "stretch" in it than a pair of leggings. It's the "You really screwed up and we hate you so we're gonna use this one to put the nails in your coffin." If I remember correctly there are 3 clauses one of which addresses actual criminal acts under the Federal law. I'll suspect that's the illegal firearm. And if that's the case they were able to establish every single element of the crime. In any event, for a Special Court Martial they probably assigned him a JAG. Try and track that guy down and see if he'll let you have the case file. How do you get honorably discharged after a court martial like that? What was his rank prior to that?
3. Was there an autopsy? If so can you get the report?
4. The VA run the National Cemeteries, except for Arlington - I think the Army runs that one because the Union Army confiscated Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee's plantation to clear out the Virginians who'd occupied Arlington. The Army then took it for a cemetery, and after after the Battle of the Wilderness, Congress designated the land, and the Army probably just decided to keep it. Maybe that's why you have to go through then to get him buried? Technically any veteran may be buried at Arlington, but generally it's reserved for the great and the good anymore. There's more to this story.
5. You could keep his body in a cooler for a few months and bury him quietly after the furor has died down. But a look at his VA medical files might give you more info.
6. What do his family have to say about all of this?
No.
.... and how do you arrive at...
NO.
That’s my process.
I favor a blend of the first three responses. At what point in his service were the articles 92 & 134 committed? Before or after he suffered injury rescuing a fellow Marine? What was his behavior and service like pre and post injury? As it wasn’t serious enough to prevent an honorable discharge I’m leaning towards youthful indiscretion of a young Marine full of piss and vinegar.
What were the effects of the injuries and what was the treatment and how long did it last? Did he seek help post service, if so what did he complain of and what happened to his request for treatment? Was he rejected and did this instill a seed of despair, depression, distrust and anger at his treatment by the Corps he had honorably served? We all know how veterans are often treated by the VA & society at large, and how that can affect a veteran’s mental state. As it was the 60s when the prevailing attitude was suck it up and drive on and TBI was an unheard of concept that could have potentially pushed him into a state of anger and depression. Was that exploited by the government to drive a narrative and push for gun control and the 68 GCA Act?
If his family asks for military honors then they should be rendered. If not then the matter is settled and the official response will reflect that, his honorable service as a Marine and that the Corps is not going to get into a back & forth with the press regarding his actions post service. But I would also monitor the situation, get all the information including autopsy reports and see if his injuries and subsequent treatment could have led to any of this as the welfare of any Marine is of concern to me. Or any veteran for that matter. Could anything have been done differently to prevent that seed of despair from being planted to begin with? Maybe if that had been recognized earlier and acted on then we would be in a better place now regarding how veterans are treated and how that treatment impacts them. I’m getting off topic so I’m going to stop here.