During times of war, we don’t expect our soldiers to commit crimes. It happens, we know it does, we saw it in Vietnam, yet we hope and pray that our men will go overseas, obey orders, fight for the just cause, and return home. That’s it, clear and simple. We don’t want anything to go wrong, and we always expect our soldiers to perform their duties honorably, to the best of their abilities, and as a credit to themselves and their country. That doesn’t always happen.
Unfortunately, our soldiers are not always honorable men. Though our government does its best to screen out those who may have murderous or psychotic tendencies, there is no doubt that many people who are not deemed “fit†to serve in war serve anyway. It may be due to underlying psychological issues that went unnoticed, possibly soldiers were healthy individuals and the pressures and horrors of war caused them to go over the edge, or maybe some people are just bent on hurting other people without lack or feelings of empathy, maybe some soldiers do not know how to separate war from murder and are bound with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and just lose it, whatever the reason, it happens. To the shame of our nation, our country, and fellow servicemen, it not only happens, but it happened again.
On August 4, 2007 a 23 year old Army Private named, Jesse Spielman was sentenced to 110 years for the rape and murder of an Iraqi girl and her relatives for a crime that occurred in 2006. Along with Jesse Spielman, Sgt. Paul E. Cortez, 24 years old, Specialist James P. Barker, and Steven. D. Green were also charged in the attack. Both Specialist Barker and Sergeant Cortez pleaded guilty and received 100 years and are currently serving time in Fort Leavenworth. Steven D. Green is currently awaiting trial.
Now here is where the case gets interesting. Apparently, Jesse Spielman has been declaring his innocence from the beginning. Specialist Barker, and Sergeant Cortez both plead guilty, but also attested to the fact that Private Jesse Spielman was an unwilling observer who never participated in anything. He did not plead guilty, because he believed that the facts would prove his innocence and he would be cleared of all wrong doing- not so. In fact, Jesse Spielman received 110 years, where the two who admitted their wrongdoing received 100 years with the possibility of parole in 10. As you can tell, many people are scratching their heads trying to determine what is going on.
If this sounds like the Tom Cruise hit, “A Few Good Men†to you, you’re not alone. This story has Hollywood production written all over it, and the fact of the matter remains that Jesse Spielman was found guilty and convicted for what apparently seems to be Army orders. He was ordered to go with his superior to meet a terrible fate. The crimes committed were atrocious, but if Jesse Spielman did not participate, does he deserve 110 years in a federal penitentiary?
January 6th, 2009 - 5:46 am
I know that I am probably a “day late and a dollar short,” but I have just finished writing a letter to President Bush asking him to pardon Jesse Spielman. My husband is an Air Force Flight Surgeon who has been deployed to Iraq, and despite the horrible and heroic things he saw there, he will not (or should I say “CAN NOT” LOL)stop me from sending this letter. This incident is just wrong! I spent the last three years of a 27 year career in education as the Coordinator for Social Services and Counseling and I learned more than I ever wanted to know about the type of disorder that Steven Green has. I honestly have to admit that I asked principals if they didn’t think that there was something wrong with our government for issuing Social Security Disability checks to parents (usually “Parent” with numerous children from numerous fathers) who popped out these misfits. I know; I am a HORRIBLE counselor! I think some principals thought I was joking when I said that if a business paid someone for making defective products, it would go broke. Seriously, by that time I was so burned out with these children who primarily lacked discipline and had coddling, indulging parents who ran to the superintendant of schools whenever their kid got punished for doing heinous things. One had the audacity to excuse her son’s behavior when he attempted to run over the security guard who was trying to stop him from leaving campus illegally. Her excuse? “He can’t help it. He has road rage.” Needless to say, all of us at the table were too stunned to comment because the comment would have been, “What is YOUR disability that you hand him the keys to a car?”
Who is really responsible for the horrible crime committed WHILE Jesse Spielman stood OUTSIDE of the house? He didn’t take part in any of the crimes, and like I asked President Bush, would you go “narc” on someone like Steven Green? Iraq is a horrible place where young soldiers are bored, terrified, in despair, and very lonely. I have just finished reading “Band of Brothers”, have watched the series several times, have read too many to count books written by veterans of the Vietnam War, read numerous books on WWII, which I discuss vividly with my dad, a WWII Navy vet, and have now started reading books written by veterans and reporters of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have to say that “Lone Survivor” by Marcus Luttrell really hit me in the gut because they would have ALL lived if they had killed the goatherders who turned out to be Taliban.
William Tecumseh Sherman, when asked how he could have destroyed the South the way he did, responded, “War is hell.” I don’t think any veteran would disagree. I agree with you that every war has had its criminals, even the Band of Brothers were not immune. However, define criminal. I blame the RECRUITER who took in a kid who had lived in reform schools from the age of eleven. Gee, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon to figure out that there is something wrong, or as my dad describes these kids, “That boy ain’t right!” I frequently used that diagnosis when principals would ask me to observe a student and tell them what was wrong with him. Sometimes it was obvious and we were able to get the child help, but other times, I was just stumped, so I told the principals that they got the Martin Johnston diagnosis: That boy ain’t right! LOL! They were not too happy because they wanted a quick solution to a problem that requires hours and hours of therapy with a psychiatrist, not a school counselor. I did do my best, though, to hook the child up with some kind of mental health service.
That’s why I can’t understand how Steven Green could have been so incorrigible that he couldn’t live at home from the age of eleven on. However, he follows the classic pattern of being diagnosed as Oppositional Defiant Disorder, then progressing to Conduct Disorder which involves criminal behavior, and then if not treated properly (which it would never be in a reform school), becoming a full-fledged sociopath by the age of 21. How could the Army miss this? Doesn’t the Army have psychologicals on recruits?
I am from the Rio Grande Valley, the home of Kristian Menchaca, one of the three men of that nine-man unit that was not involved whatsoever in this crime, but paid the ultimate price. He was one of the two men who were captured at the bridge checkpoint, then horribly tortured to death. I keep a page from our local newspaper that was published on Memorial Day last year. It has the pictures of all of the Valley men who have lost their lives in this war. The Valley is a big place, but it is the southernmost part of South Texas, so we all consider ourselves neighbors, regardless of which city or village we come from, and military duty and pride runs very high down there. I currently live in San Antonio, down the street from Ft. Sam Houston and Brook Army Medical Center, so I really appreciated your article on Fisher House. We usually have recovering veterans live in the complex we live in because there isn’t room over there, and I got to know one Marine rather well. I was so impressed with his manners and his intelligence. I would often talk to him, probably “mothering” him to boredom, but I was concerned about what he would do after his recovery. They must be doing a great job at BAMC because he had it all planned out. Unfortunately, he moved back to Ohio over the holidays while we were gone to the Valley.
I have really wanted a veteran’s opinion of whether Pvt. Spielman was a criminal or a victim of circumstance, so I really appreciate your essay on the subject. I had spoken to a Korean and Vietnam veteran who did encourage me to write the letter. He told me that he had been asked to be on the jury for some of the men under Lt. William Calley in the My Lai Massacre, and he said he absolutely refused. When asked why, he told his commanding officer that he already had a predetermined verdict that Lt. Calley was the only one at fault and the men under him were just following orders. He agreed with me that the Army was at fault for recruiting Steven Green, a cancerous maggot who infected three others who had previously been known as “good people.” Honestly, I grieve for Kristian Menchaca, and I am outraged by the injustice to Private Spielman, but the ones that I feel the sorriest for are the three men who were involved in the rape and murder. Kristian lost his life; Jesse has lost his freedom (for now, anyway, but not for long if I can help it!), but those three lost their souls.
Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to help Pvt. Spielman regain his freedom and his reputation. He obviously was not “one of them” or he would have been in there with them or at least have taken turns. There’s no doubt that he did not approve of what was going on or really believed that they were there to interrogate the family. Am I correct that this was part of the 101st Airborne? Major Dick Winters would turn over in his grave.
I just received a book for Christmas called “Rendevous With Destiny” about the 101st Airborne. The first edition was published in 1948, but after Band of Brothers came out, it was reprinted. It was still hard to find, but my daughter knew that I really wanted it for Christmas so she found it on-line somewhere. The reason I wanted it was because Steven Ambrose referred to it frequently in B of B. One of the first quotes in the book says:
“The 101st Airborne Division, which was activated on August 16, 1942, at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, has no history, but it has a rendevous with destiny…” Maj. Gen. William C. Lee
I would hate to think that this atrocious incident is the destiny he had in mind.
My thanks again for your work and your service. Having been married only three and a half years to an “Airdale” as my dad’s Navy buddies call him, I now know what a sacrifice it is to be in the military.
Sincerely,
Rebeca Johnston-Sowin
March 16th, 2009 - 3:55 am
Thank You Rebeca………Jesse’s Mom