As many can suspect, I am truly upset by the verdict in the Colonel Johnson trial, here, here, and here. In short he lied, he cheated, and he stole.
At VMI this type of conduct would have been dealt with swiftly. The Honor Court would meet, a judgment rendered, the Superintendent would give his assent, the guilty party would escorted into the dark of night, and the Corps would be made aware of his transgression.
I can still feel the chills each time I would hear the rat, tat, tat of the snare drum, and the solitary (or more if there were more than one) boom of the base drum. In the darkness of night one would bolt upright out of bed, heart racing, wondering who had violated the most sacred trust of a Cadet, quickly grabbing a bathrobe all would line the rails.
The barracks was dark, and in the blackness of Old Barrack a voice would ring out,
“Court Attention.”
“Court Forward March.” A the click of leather heels on concrete would be heard.
“Court Halt.”
A solitary figure would fall out and in a voice that echo through the black stillness of the night would announce, “The Honor Court has met and found Cadet So and So guilty of lying, he has put personnel gain ahead of honor, his name will never be uttered again.” The figure would fall back in to the formation.
“Court About Face.”
“Court Forward March.”
“Court Halt.”
“Court Dismissed.”
The Corps would stumble back and fall back to sleep, knowing that the system had worked.
There is no such feeling in the Johnson case. While he was found guilty, there was no real punishment, there was no public humiliation. Oh he will never make General, but if news reports are to be believed he was not only a dishonorable leader but a toxic one as well. No loss of prestige, he will still be a retired Colonel unless of course the Secretary of the Army convenes a grade determination board. Not likely as the West Point Protective Association will protect his sorry ass and the General Officer Benevolent Association will protect his because his daddy is a retired General.
If there was justice, he would go to Leavenworth, he would serve a long sentence making big rocks into little rocks into gravel, He would be dishonorable discharged, no retirement, no benefits, nothing, nil, null. He should be drummed out of the Officer Corps much like Chuck Connors was in the old TV program, Branded.
Do I feel sorry for his ex wife, sure I do, do I feel sorry for his kids, sure I do. I hope they get every red cent of his retirement check and he has to pay their Tricare premiums. Do I feel sorry for the women he is allegedly in love with, sure I do, but let him, his father and the WPPA figure out how he is going to take care of them. He was doing his thinking with his small brain and as such should have to pay a very stiff price.
Maybe the civilian leadership of the Army will do what is right and convene a “show cause board.” One can only hope this travesty will be corrected.
Helluva flashback Townie.
Now, what about this posting 13,000 joes to the Kuwaiti desert? What good are they going to do besides suck down resources that won't exist if the sequestration and other cuts go into effect?
Absolutely. If I were accused of his crimes under the UCMJ, the *last* thing I'd want to do is face a court-martial made up of VMI Marines. I did a quick mental inventory of the Marine Colonels from 87, 88, 89 and now 90, all of whom I know on a first name basis. They'd crucify me.
Sad to think that it ain't that way in the senior Service of DOD. Sad to think that a decade of war hasn't culled guys like Johnson.
Well, if it's consolation, I'd crucify you too. But that'd be for a sweat party back in 1987.