Sleepless in Latteland
The story goes like this: I was a PFC in the Army, and had just joined the Psychiatric Facility on Okinawa as a Social Work Psychology Specialist.
It was one of our duties to do pre-trial Psychological examinations to determine sanity for any major case.
Enter Earl Pleasant.
Earl had served six tours of duty in Vietnam, and wanted to go back for a seventh, but the Marine Corps decided he took a little too much pleasure in his duties. As far as Earl was concerned, it was the ideal situation. He was not only allowed to kill people, but he was rewarded for it.
He kept applying for a seventh tour of 'Nam, and his Commanding Officer kept turning him down. Finally in a fit of frustration, he barged into the C.O.'s office with a loaded M16 and demanded to be allowed to return to 'Nam.
When his C.O. refused he, emptied a clip in him.
He was brought into the Psych Clinic in chains and fetters, guarded by three armed Marines.
Our head Psychologist was to do the exam and interview. He demanded that the chains and leg irons be removed.
At first the guards refused, but when he pointed to the twin silver bars on his collar and ordered them to remove the chains, they reluctantly did so.
I was on the front desk, and the interview took place in a conference room immediately to my right. I was answering phones and minding my own business, when I thought I hear some thumping off to my right.
Then I heard a very faint cry for help.
I jumped up and ran into the conference room. Earl had the good Captain bent over backwards over the desk, his hands around his neck, squeezing for all he was worth. The Captain's face was purple and he looked unconscious. At least he was not fighting back or responding.
Since Earl had his back to me and was bent over forwards, I rushed up behind him and very quickly put him in a full nelson.
After that things became rather confused, as he was trying to throw Me off of his back, and I was hanging on for my life. Literally. He was a trained killer, and his hobby was killing. If he got loose I might very well become his next victim. So I hung on and tightened my hold until I thought I might break his neck.
After an eternity which probably lasted no more than 30 seconds, he gave up and said he was OK and I could let him loose. No way was I letting go until someone with weapons took over control of him.
Eventually one of the guards peeked around the corner and asked "Is everything OK in here?" I don't remember my exact reply, but it was enthusiastic and obscene.
I had to testify at his trial. During the entire time of my testimony he sat there with THAT EXACT SAME CRAZY GRIN as the shooter in Arizona on his face.
He never said a word but kept his eyes on me the whole time.
His expression said "Somehow, someday, I am going to find you and remove you from the face of the Earth"I honestly say it spooked me, Even in court with armed guards, I was spooked.
It is a moment that has never completely left me. It is stuck there in the back of my head with some other nasty stuff. Mostly I don't think about it, but every once in a while something will cause it to resurface.
And when I saw the picture of the shooter in Arizona, it all came rushing back to the forefront of my consciousness.
And I haven't been sleeping well.
The story goes like this: I was a PFC in the Army, and had just joined the Psychiatric Facility on Okinawa as a Social Work Psychology Specialist.
It was one of our duties to do pre-trial Psychological examinations to determine sanity for any major case.
Enter Earl Pleasant.
Earl had served six tours of duty in Vietnam, and wanted to go back for a seventh, but the Marine Corps decided he took a little too much pleasure in his duties. As far as Earl was concerned, it was the ideal situation. He was not only allowed to kill people, but he was rewarded for it.
He kept applying for a seventh tour of 'Nam, and his Commanding Officer kept turning him down. Finally in a fit of frustration, he barged into the C.O.'s office with a loaded M16 and demanded to be allowed to return to 'Nam.
When his C.O. refused he, emptied a clip in him.
He was brought into the Psych Clinic in chains and fetters, guarded by three armed Marines.
Our head Psychologist was to do the exam and interview. He demanded that the chains and leg irons be removed.
At first the guards refused, but when he pointed to the twin silver bars on his collar and ordered them to remove the chains, they reluctantly did so.
I was on the front desk, and the interview took place in a conference room immediately to my right. I was answering phones and minding my own business, when I thought I hear some thumping off to my right.
Then I heard a very faint cry for help.
I jumped up and ran into the conference room. Earl had the good Captain bent over backwards over the desk, his hands around his neck, squeezing for all he was worth. The Captain's face was purple and he looked unconscious. At least he was not fighting back or responding.
Since Earl had his back to me and was bent over forwards, I rushed up behind him and very quickly put him in a full nelson.
After that things became rather confused, as he was trying to throw Me off of his back, and I was hanging on for my life. Literally. He was a trained killer, and his hobby was killing. If he got loose I might very well become his next victim. So I hung on and tightened my hold until I thought I might break his neck.
After an eternity which probably lasted no more than 30 seconds, he gave up and said he was OK and I could let him loose. No way was I letting go until someone with weapons took over control of him.
Eventually one of the guards peeked around the corner and asked "Is everything OK in here?" I don't remember my exact reply, but it was enthusiastic and obscene.
I had to testify at his trial. During the entire time of my testimony he sat there with THAT EXACT SAME CRAZY GRIN as the shooter in Arizona on his face.
He never said a word but kept his eyes on me the whole time.
His expression said "Somehow, someday, I am going to find you and remove you from the face of the Earth"I honestly say it spooked me, Even in court with armed guards, I was spooked.
It is a moment that has never completely left me. It is stuck there in the back of my head with some other nasty stuff. Mostly I don't think about it, but every once in a while something will cause it to resurface.
And when I saw the picture of the shooter in Arizona, it all came rushing back to the forefront of my consciousness.
And I haven't been sleeping well.
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