Evening star., 1952-08-29

tial for short absence without leave on
April !, 1851. was considered by the
court.
Examination of the trial record re-
veals that evidence adduced by the
prosecution, and uncontroverted by the
defense. shows that on the evening Of
November IA, 1851, Private Mcconnell
was assigned as member Of an ambush
patrol designed to protect the other
members of his company from a surprise
infiltration or attack by the enemy. He
was assigned to a particular position
with two other soldiers. The inStruc-
tions provided that one man Of the three
must be awake at all times. The other
two men had completed their watch Pc
riods and sometime after midnight Pri-
vate Mcconnell had assumed his duty.
while his companions slept. At approx
mately 2 am the platoon leader in
spected the positions and discovered Pri-
vate Mcconnell and his two companions
asleep in their sleeping bags, with the
zippers closed. He awakened them, not
without some difficulty. and inquired as
to which of the three was supposed to be
ION guard. Private Mcconnell replied
that he was.
Private Mcconnell was tried at COM
mon trial with another soldier who was
charged with the same offense. COM
mitted at another outpost the same
night. This soldier was also found
guilty and received the same sentence
as Private Mcconnell. It was disclosed
that an armed Chinese Communist had
penetrated the units position and was
apprehended In rear of McConnell's out
post that night
It will be noted that since three
guards were assigned to each post, each
man was required to be on watch only
one-third of the night and was at liber-
ty to sleep for the balance Of the time
II he 30 desired. It is further to be
noted that Private Mcconnell did not
assume the watch until shortly after
midnight.
The report Of the officer who con-
Quoted the pre-trial investigation shows
the following as the only explanation
offered by Private Mcconnell In extenu-
alton Of his dereliction Of duty:
"The accused stated that his platoon
had been on ambush patrol the night of
November 13, 1851, and when they re-
turned they were put to- work building
bunkers. Later they were sent to the
shower point in the, rear. this giving
them no time to sleep that day. That
night (November H.. 1851 they were
assigned to guard duty on the Main Line
Of Resistance"
It will be noted that no time before
or during the trial did Private McCon-
nell claim that he had been without
sleep for u hours. Furthermore, he had
had the opportunity to sleep for at least
four hours while the other men in the
patrol were on guard prior to McCon.
nell's watch period.
Having been given the opportunity
during the preliminary investigation and
at the trial to state his case, it should bt
noted that Private Mcconnell said moth.
ing about his later claim that he had hae
no sleep for 72 hours. The fact that hi
sleeping bag was zippered shut is clea
evidence that he did not drop of t,
sleep from exhaustion, but that he de-
nberately made himself comfortable TO
sleep without regard for the extreme
danger in which he placed not only hi
two comrades, but his entire company
The armed Red soldier could easily hav,
killed Mcconnell and his two comrades
and could have summoned a large grour
Of Red troops to penetrate the entir.
company position. Instead Of complain
ing in public about the justice of this
case. Private Mcconnell should consider
himself lucky to be alive.
Frank Dorm,
Brigadier General, q. s.
Deputy Chief Of Information,
Department Of the Army.