Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-01

y Continued From First Page
water of Ribbon Creek, staff
Sergt. McKeon took no measures
10 insure that the water area
into which he was about to leac
MS platoon was safe to enter.
Irregular Course
10. That after entering the
water, Staff Sergt. McKeon pro-
ceeded to slowly lead the platoon
along an irregular course into
deepening water: that after
about ten 10l minutes, the
formation was disorganized and
scattered; that he and many
members of the platoon were
then standing in water up to
shoulder depth, at which time
several recruits entered or were
swept into water over their heads
and a general panic ensued.
10. That during the panic,
Staff Sergt, McKeon ordered the
platoon to return to the creek
bank and he and several men,
bers of the platoon attempted to
rescue the recruits in distress,
such rescue operations being dis
organized and mostly Ineffective
but they continued for a period
OF about five minutes until no
recruits were observed in a dam
gerous depth of water.
20. That on 8 April 1856, at
approximately 2045 hours. the
following recruits of Platoon II,
"a" Company, Third Recruit
Training Battalion, Marine Corps
Recruit Depot, Paris Island,
S. c., met death by drowning
in the waters of Ribbon Creek,
located within the boundaries
of that Depot:
Pfc. Donald Francis O'Shea.
Pvt. Thomas Curtis Hardeman.
Pvt. Charles Francis Reilly.
Pvt. Jerry Lamonte Thomas.
Pvt. Leroy Thompson.
Pvt. Norman Alfred Wood.
Sentry Reported Activity
81. That on 8 April, 1856, be-
tween the hours of 2045 and
2100. a recruit sentry at Post
No. 3. located between B and C
ranges. reported to the corporal
of the guard, weapons and
training battalion, that he had
heard unusual activity. This re-
port in turn was relayed to the
commander of the guard, weap-
ons and training battalion. who
investigated and discovered the
incident at the time the recruits
of platoon II were coming out
of the water. The commander
of the guard at 2115 hours no.
titled the officer of the day,
weapons training battalion. who
reported to the commanding Of
ficer, weapons training battalion,
and commenced search and res
cue operations.
%. That organized search and
rescue operations were initiated
Immediately after the incident,
and. as a result of which. all
bodies except that of Pvt. Harde-
man were recovered between
1905 hours and 1000 hours on
8 April, 1856. and Pvt. Harde-
mans body was recovered at
about 1917 hours on 10 April.
1856.
%. That night marches are
not included in the recruit
training schedules of the Depot.
"a. That high tide at Paris
Point (southern tip of Paris
Island) on 8 April 1856 was at
1884 hours and was at height
of 7.3 feet.
No Punitive Authority
IS. That Staff Sergt. McKeon
did not have authority to take
punitive measures against any
member of Platoon II.
20. That Depot policy, as set
forth in Depot Order 1510.11
and supplemented by repeated
and emphatic verbal instruc-
tions, expressly forbidS maltreat-
ment of recruits.
q. That Depot order 1901
prohibits mass punishment.
%. That Depot Order 1901
requires recruits marching in
formation at night to wear white
towels as scarfs, and to be
equipped with at least two CD
flashlights, or lanterns. with one
% light visible at each end of
the column.
90. That Depot Order 5000.l
prohibits the possession and use
of alcoholic beverages for bever-
age purposes in barracks housing
single enlisted personnel.