Disaster loomed in the back of a 2 ½ ton truck parked at the Headquarters Company camp at Big Gerstle, Alaska. A young lieutenant proposed to haul ten soldiers, Sgt James Heard and his squad, 130 miles in the back of the unheated truck. The day’s extremely low temperature, combined with the wind chill effect created by a moving truck, would surely maim and injure them.
Link to Part 1 of the story “Mutiny?”
Sgt. Heard and his men had understood since childhood that black men did not argue with white men. But the Army had also trained Sgt Heard to take care of his men and protect them from disaster. He nervously requested and received permission to speak to the company commander, Lt. Howell.
Heard didn’t get to speak much. Instead he got to listen while Howell curtly ordered him to get back outside and get his men on the truck. Hearing their voices as they milled about outside his orderly room, Howell stalked to the door, yanked it open. Officious to a turn, he lined them up and asked each man individually whether he intended to obey orders and get on the truck. Some of the men said they would, most, including Sgt Heard, answered that they would board the truck if the others would.
Back outside, the scared soldiers huddled near the truck, and Howell ordered them into formation and played his trump card. He would, he said, issue a clear order, any man who did not obey would commit mutiny. The Army executes mutineers.
He raised his arm, fixed his gaze on his watch and gave them ten seconds to move to the truck. The men moved, if slowly, but, eyes fixed on his watch, the Lieutenant didn’t notice. He cancelled the trip, ordered the men under arrest in quarters, determined to charge them with mutiny.
Some of you are veterans. You know about arrogant young lieutenants. What is supposed to happen is that a wiser, older head prevails. Mutiny? Really? if, in the name of maintaining discipline, you need to punish them, make them peel potatoes.
Not this time.
Four days later the Army charged all ten men with mutiny. The mills of military justice ground solemnly toward a Whitehorse courtroom in June. The general court martial convicted nine of the ten; ordered them confined at hard labor for terms ranging from three to 18 years.
We can’t make this stuff up.
We write non-fiction.
More on the Way Military Justice Used to Work
Those sob’s that did this should be stripped naked and sent outside in 20* below weather
I could not agree more
Horrible, but at least they were alive. I hope conditions are better in the service these days.
After the war congress passed and Truman signed the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Not perfect,but much better.
Guess it’s better to be jailed than frozen…. sad.
Heck of a choice.