Chapter 23: Trial and Tits

Before he left the school on Sunday afternoon, Mr. Oldham told me to keep my chin up but it was damn hard to face my roommates with them knowing I was being brought up on charges for something that was vaguely described as 'actions unbecoming a C.M.A. cadet.' I was more tense and unnerved the longer I waited. Rumor had it that the four witnesses were saying that I had, in a fit of temper, caused harm to Douglas using unfair means.

Smitty was sympathetic but he didn't ask what really happened. Carter thought he knew what had transpired; Dale had told him. Russell was the only one I could talk to. He kept saying no matter what happened he would stand by me. We got back to weight lifting on Monday and that took my mind off my troubles for an hour or so.

Alice was always with me in spirit. Her words, "Don't do anything that will prevent you from coming home for the weekend," burned in my mind constantly. When I became depressed it was Alice's words that I called upon to lift my spirits.

On Wednesday evening there was a note from Jordan Foster, ordering Dale to have me report to his room. "Go see what he wants. Answer his questions Yes Sir or No Sir. If it's about last Monday tell him it's none of his business."

I knocked on Jordan's door, thinking he must want to see me about spring football. Maybe he knows something about me getting to play, I thought. The first thing I noticed was the white board, turned to face the back wall of his room.

"Am I going to have to move into that room to keep order?" He asked before I had a chance to snap to attention.

"No Sir, not unless you want to," I answered, thinking how much better it would be for me if he were there.

"Sit down Sam," Jordan said. I took a seat in the visitor's chair on the opposite side of his study table where he was seated.

"What happened last Monday?" His question was direct. I disregarded Dale's order to tell Jordan it was none of his business. I must have talked for an hour, relating how I had taken over the runner job for Carter, chased down work crews per Dale's instructions and how I had been confronted my Douglas and his friends. "We were all tired. The guys had worked two shifts outside. I don't blame them for not wanting to take another turn at shoveling," I ended my description of what happened.

"What do you mean about being tired? Had you shoveled snow too?"

"No, but I had worked the phones until after midnight the night before and was working on short sleep."

"Did Dale take that into consideration?"

"I don't think he knew about me working the phones. He and Carter were sleeping when I left the room and I was careful not to wake them when I came back."

"You didn't have anything to eat until Carter brought you the sandwich?"

"I had a stash of energy bars," I said smugly.

"Did Dale or anyone else know about your stash?"

"No Sir, I keep them hidden from them but the Colonel saw me eating one on Monday morning."

"Then let's keep it that way. You didn't tell me about it. You were starving when you got the sandwich, right?"

"I sure was," I said.

"It sounds like the Colonel dropped the ball. He didn't send you any meals and he forgot to instruct Dale to have someone escort you to the bathroom."

I nodded. "That's what I've been thinking. Dale found out about me being restricted to quarters from me, not the Colonel."

"What made you challenge Douglas to a handshake?"

"It was the only thing I could think of at the time. He's too big to take on in a fair fight and he had some buddies that would have jumped in if I got him in a throat-hold."

"Did you really break his hand?"

"I don't think so but it really folded up when I squeezed a little."

"He's got a soft cast on that hand," Jordan said, thoughtfully.

"Yes Sir, but he didn't go see Mr. Bigalow about it last week and the cast is new this week."

When I left Jordan's room I felt a lot better. He told me not to worry, that something didn't add up and he was going to help me get to the bottom of it. He stopped short of blaming Colonel Travis or Dale but we both knew that was what he was talking about when he spoke of keeping order in the room.

On Thursday, Colonel Travis returned to his post, very visible at morning formation. I waited all day to hear when the inquiry would take place, but the call did not come until Friday morning at 11 a.m. when I was summoned to the Commandant's office.

There was a well-dressed man of larger proportions sitting in the outer office. I knew he had to be Mr. Douglas, the father of the kid in Company E. The Colonel repeated the same routine as the previous time, inspecting my uniform, shoes and shave before speaking to me. "I've decided to try your case today. It will give the cadets a first hand view of a military style trial. Mr. Krown will act as prosecuting attorney. You may have your choice of any other instructor to be your defense representative."

"Sir, I would like Captain Foster to represent me."

"That's not possible Oldham. It must be an instructor. Foster is a member of the jury."

I chose Mr. Borden, my English instructor and freshman football coach. The Colonel said he would inform Mr. Borden and that I could meet with him during the lunch hour. My trial was scheduled for 1 p.m. "Now get back to class," the Colonel ordered. The stuff shirt was sitting on the front of his chair when I exited the Colonel's office.

Colonel Travis must have been watching me from his window. "No telephone privileges during class time," he yelled at me when he saw me approach the public telephone in the courtyard. Shit, I had to contact Ned and Mr. Oldham some way.

Mr. Borden and I met for half of the lunch hour, me describing the events of the previous Monday. Time was up before I had a chance to tell him everything. I did get a chance to call the Oldham house and leave a message for Ned. Betsy took it down word for word and repeated it to me. "My trial is to be held at one o'clock today at School Auditorium. Please come."

We assembled in the auditorium at one p.m. The Colonel made a speech to the student body, explaining that this trial was being held in a public forum for their edification. He was to be the judge, sitting behind a table at the middle of the stage, with an American flag and the school flag at his side. Mr. Krown and Douglas were seated at a table on one side of the room and Mr. Borden and I were seated on the opposite side of the stage. The jury, five senior cadets including Captain Foster was seated to the left of the Judge. The Colonel urged everyone to speak up. The man I had seen in the administrative offices was seated in the front row of the audience.

The trial commenced with me standing to hear the charges against me being read. "Malicious intent to do harm to a fellow cadet, perpetrated without provocation and Actions unbefitting a C.M.S. cadet, punishable by expulsion from the school."

Mr. Krown called Douglas to be the first witness, who read a prepared statement, charging me with malicious abuse, rendered in a fit of temper. He held up his hand with the soft cast as evidence. The other four members of his crew followed Douglas on the stand, verifying his charges against me. Mr. Borden cross-examined each of them, making a point that Douglas played offensive guard on the varsity team. He got each of them to confirm that they remembered being under oath. They all answered in the affirmative. He reserved the right to recall each of them, which was one of the things that saved me.

I noticed Jordan seated at the jury's table. His head was down and he was writing furiously. I wished it was him defending me. All I could hope for was that Mr. Borden would get lucky. Mr. Krown announced, "The prosecution rests."

Just as Mr. Borden stood to call our first witness, Cadet Oldham, Jordan asked the judge if he could approach the bench. Colonel Travis begrudgingly granted the request. Jordan strode by us, very close to our table and winked at me. He and the Colonel conferred for several minutes before the Colonel became agitated and demanded that Jordan take his seat, loud enough for everyone on the stage to hear him. Jordan walked near our table again, losing his balance temporarily and leaning on our table for support.

"Are you alright Captain?" The Judge demanded irritation in his voice.

. Jordan straightened. "Yes Sir. Just dizzy for a second," Jordan assured the Judge. A folded paper was left on our table when he walked away.

Mr. Borden requested a short recess while he conferred with the defendant. Permission was reluctantly granted. "Five minutes, Colonel Travis said.

We read the paper left on the table by Jordan. "Is this true? You didn't tell me this," Mr. Borden accused.

"Yes, it's all true. I didn't have time to tell you everything," I said.

Mr. Borden stood and called the first witness at the exact moment Colonel Travis banged his gavel to indicate the recess was over. "Lieutenant Dale Porter," Mr. Borden said. He grilled Dale for the next fifteen minutes. Armed with Jordan's notes, Mr. Borden suddenly took on the personality of an actor playing a television lawyer. He accused Dale of assigning me an impossible task, given my age and experience versus members of the crews who were not only older, but bigger in size. He questioned Dale about the treatment I received when I was confined to quarters, particularly when he learned that I had had nothing to eat for two days.

"Have you taken the course offered by the school on Military Conduct Lieutenant?"

"Yes sir," Dale responded.

"And what mark did you receive for that course?"

"I received an A Sir," Dale answered proudly.

"Was a leader's responsibility toward his subordinates covered in that course Lieutenant?"

"Yes Sir but..."

"And would you say that you fulfilled that responsibility last week?"

"Cease that line of questioning Mr. Borden. Lieutenant Porter is not on trial here," the Colonel said from the bench.

"Yes Sir," Mr. Borden said. "I only have one more question for Lieutenant Porter."

The auditorium became quiet. Dale sat nervously and the rest of us held our breath. The quiet was broken by a female voice at the back of the auditorium. "That's sexist. My nephew is on trial here and I have every right to see that he isn't wrongly accused." I recognized Suzanne's voice. Every eye in the auditorium was on her as she and Mr. Oldham came to the front row of the auditorium and took seats near where Mr. Douglas was sitting. I almost lost it when I saw that Suzanne was wearing an ankle length skirt, with a hoop that made the skirt flair below the knees, high heels and a fur coat.