Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-01-19

Nouttnueu from flfet rag
small Connecticut town. II
suffers from arthritis. and h
hasn't had Job since October
1856, He has no present hop
Of getting any.
II know people here who vii
give me anything but q job
They win give my wife a jol
but not me. They know tn
story and they say I'm too no
to handle"
John ]. Egan's misfortunl
was to have the same name ans
q similar serial number as an
other John J. Egan. an Arm,
ofiicer. It was a coincidence
that administrative neglect ans
bureaucratic blindness. with ar
occasional assist from psychia.
trists, transformed into q trag.
edy Of injustice compounded. II
Is a story that probably need;
o modern lola 10 do 1t justice
He was born in Waterbury
Conn.,. in 1912. one Of three
sons Of q doctor. He went Il
the Valley Forge Military Acad-
envy In Pennsylvania.
Took Army Commission
When he was graduated from
the University Of Maryland in
1888. he applied for q commits
sion in the Marine Corps. There
were no vacancies. and having
been in the RoTc in the unit
versity he took a commission
IN the Army as a captain. ON
THANKSGIVING Day. l94l. he
married his college sweetheart.
On st. Patrick's Day Of 1912.
he transferred to the Marine
Corps as a first lieutenant.
II had unlimited military
potential them" he says visit
fully.
While serving with the
Second Defense Battalion in
the Pacific. he took and passed
the examination to become q
Marine pilot. About that time
he was sent to the hospital with
bronchitis
1t was in q Quonset hut on
Samoa that his troubles began.
A Marine gunner named
Scrooge attacked a Navy leu
tenant, a doctor who was a
psycho-neurotic patient. Egan
disarmed Scrooge and free
for-all in the ward followed,
Before I knew it." Egan re-
calls, "thev were holding me
back. The first thing / knew !
was getting a shot Of NOR
phine."
The next thing Egan knew.
Admiral Thomas c. Kinkaid
came through the hospital and
asked Egan what was wrong
with him. Egan said he felt fine
but the commander accom-
panying the admiral said,
"Egan has had a personality
changes" Egan remembers that
the commander asked him AZ
that time II he had ever been
In the Army.
Men Lied About Fight
Egan says he was never ques-
toned about the fight in the
ward. The other men involved
denied 1t ever happened--for
reasons Egan says he has never
fathomed Ut was later estab-
lished that the others unac-
countably led. Also. Egan re-
ferred to q head injury suffered
on a ship going to Panama,
which unaccountably was not
entered on his record. Investi-
eating doctors decided that
Egan had imagined both the
incident and the injury and
diagnosed him as insane.
Knowing nothing Of this.
Egan went to the U.S.S. Wright,
thinking he was bound for
home and pilot training. A
Waterbury private helped him
carry his baggage on board.
They fell into conversation
with the officer Of the deck.
I'm waiting for a Marine
captain. said the officer. L
think he's coming in a strait
jacket or in irons"
Whats his name?" Egan
asked.
"Egan." said the officer.
MY names Egan and I'm a
captain" said Egan. There
must be some mistake"
Put In Locked Ward
The officer Of the deck sum-
moned two husky blue jackets.
I've got orders to put you
In the brig. We can do this
two ways. either peacefully or
the other way"
Egan chose to go peaceably.
thinking. as he says. that II
would all be Strengthened out.
At the Marine hospital at
Mare Island. Calf. he was put
In o locked ward. The admiral
released him. He was told that
they were going to have a
Marine retiring board on him.
Il fought it tooth and nail.
says Egan. Il wanted TO stay
In the Marines"
The admiral permitted him
to return by train to Wash
ington unescorted. He got OF
at Silver Spring where his wife
met him. He reported TO Be-
thesda Naval Hospital and once
again was put in a locked ward.
He was sent to st. Elizabeths
on June II. 1913.
Walks Out Of Hospital
II was slugging everybody"
he recalled. trying to convince
them / wasn't crazy. Then ]
saw there was no sense fighting
these guys. so I decided to oe a
good boy. They gave me ground
parole. I got dressed UP one
day and walked out the gate.
It was as simple as that. l went
to Waterbury to see my father.
They sent a telegram from st.
Elizabeths saying was AWOL.
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