Posted on 08/23/2011 5:05:54 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Santa Clara native was apparently prone to sleeping on guard duty; fellow Marines took to disciplining him.
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Harry Lew took his own life in his foxhole in Afghanistan after he was kicked and punched by fellow Marines, military officials tell NBC Bay Area news.
An investigation into the 21-year-old's April death says Lew "leaned over his M249 squad automatic weapon as it pointed to the sky, placed the muzzle in his mouth and pulled the trigger."
Lew wrote on his arm: "may hate me now, but in the long run this was the right choice I'm sorry my mom deserves the truth."
The suicide came moments after fellow Marines attacked Lew for repeatedly falling asleep on guard duty. An investigation shows Lew, from Santa Clara, was caught asleep at least four separate times in areas where "enemy attack was considered imminent." Military records show Lew, who was on his first tour in Afghanistan, was first counseled then disciplined by a sergeant for sleeping while on post.
At some point, Lew was forced to walk his rounds while carrying a single sandbag, symbolic of the weight of his responsibility to his fellow marines.
On April 3, Lew could not be raised by radio while standing post. A check of his foxhole found him asleep once again.
The unnamed sergeant then announced over the radio that "peers should correct peers," according to military documents. That led to what appears to be a sad series of events.
Fellow lance corporals [whose names have been redacted in the report] ordered Lew to dig a new foxhole as a punishment, then informed Lew he could go to sleep once the task was finished. Those corporals, however, did not inform the sergeant they had given Lew permission to sleep.
At 1:00 a.m., that sergeant, whose name has also been redacted from the report, "angrily confronted [Lew] about why he had again fallen asleep." Other Marines then demanded Lew to perform various physical tasks as punishment and would "stomp down" on Lew's back and legs if he failed to do an exercise properly.
"Towards the end of the physical training", the report says a "sandbag broke open at which point lance corporal [redacted] picked it up and poured the contents on Lew's chest and face as he lay with his back to the ground."
Convinced Lew was responding to his punishment with sarcasm and disrespect, fellow lance corporals then "kicked dirt on Lew, kicked him in the back of the helmet, punched him in the back of his helmet with a force that cut [his attacker's] knuckle."
At some point, a fellow Marine stepped in to stop the attack, saying he didn't "want it on his conscience if Lew killed himself" -- which is exactly what Lew did.
A sergeant is blamed in the report for giving responsibility for Lew's discipline to fellow marines.
"Further, he failed to intervene while those peers undertook inappropriate corrective actions." That sergeant faces court martial when the unit returns from Afghanistan, as does an unnamed lance corporal.
The military says unequivocally that Lew took his own life, though it the report does indicated more than one round was shot from Lew's SAW.
"This command mourns the death of Lance Corporal Lew" reads the final report. "His family and friends have my deepest sympathies" says his commanding officer.
Lew is a 2008 graduate of Santa Clara High School and was assigned to the 2nd battalion, 3rd marine regiment, 3rd Marine division.
His obituary in the San Francisco Chronicle says Lew wrote "Brand new Marine, feels good" on his Myspace page shortly after he joined the military.
What do you want to bet that as this story evolves the word ‘gay’ is inserted somewhere...
Maybe Lew’s death was made to look like suicide.
The sergeant is in charge of training his troops/ Marines.
What about the platoon commander and company commander? Where were they?
Very possible. Though I thought the kid had some kind of sleep disorder. I know two people who have narcolepsy and would just fall asleep anytime, anywhere. A friend was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea, which explains why she kept falling asleep in all kinds of situations where you would think anybody would stay awake.
Maybe Lew’s death was made to look like suicide.
I think this child would have done the same in or out of the Corp.
Certainly not the Marines fault.
That is the first thing I thought of.
Who ordered the “Code Red”?
This guy was a volunteer and he obviously wasn’t up to the task. Sad. But better him than an entire platoon while he slept on duty.
For the people who demand a draft...this is the type of person you get when you have a draft...well, more like this.
Officers abdicating their responsibility.
If this guy was the disaster indicated by the story, he should have been transferred out of the combat zone, not “disciplined” by his peers.
You cannot handle the truth.
In all seriousness, you have to believe that this stuff has been going on as long as men have stood guard.
As I am very happy to admit, I have never been in combat. But it seems pretty fundamental that you do not fall asleep on guard duty. I can understand why others might not appreciate that particular weakness in the line.
Cyclic rate on a SAW is 650 to 800 rounds per minute. No doubt that squeezing the trigger would fire more than one round...even in a suicide.
Shades of “Full Metal Jacket.”
“Certainly not the Marines fault. “
Not the marines fault that he fell asleep? Thereby risking the lives of his fellow marines? BS
The discipline was handled poorly but falling asleep in these conditions is a very serious matter.
Exactly.
“And the next sum’bitch I catch coppin Z’s in the bush, I’m personally gonna take an interest in seein’ him suffer. I —— you not.”
Just profound sadness here from the father of a Marine LC - soon getting promoted.
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