Isaias' Weekend

While I was safely moored in Port Fourchon, Louisiana, Hurricane Isaias absorbed the summer heat of the southern Gulf, including of the particularly dry August, and turned it into a fast-growing storm that, after hitting the Gulf Coast near Pensacola, Florida, is sending rain into the Tennessee Valley. Reporters described the lightning as vicious and continuous, and the air blowing with tropical heat. What rain was owed to me on the moored oil tanker in August came all at one, as an October hurricane. Another fury is stirring in the news. I find it significant that Vice President J.D. Vance has stated he would not view the upcoming execution of the Fort Hood shooter, Nidal Hasan. As bizarre as the “livestream” method of witnessing is; it is not clear if the proceedings will be limited to Department of Defense circuits, or if the Secretary intends to make it available to the general public, a move highly criticized by many political and moral leaders. Mr. Vance’s demurral made me think about how he is well-regarded by the ordinary Marine and military member, and on the historic disconnect between leadership and the rank-and-file about the efficacy of public military executions. The famous case of Eddie Slovik comes to mind. Major General Cota stated about Slovik’s execution for desertion by the US Army: “If I hadn't approved it—if I had let Slovik accomplish his purpose—I don't know how I could have gone up to the line and looked a good soldier in the face”. Somewhat earlier, the United Kingdom’s public execution of deserters during World War One did not foster espirit de corps, but resentment and disillusionment; PTSD or “shell-shock” in that conflict too often resulted in a death sentence. A firing squad execution by the US Army is novel enough in the present day to demonstrate the severity of Nidal Hasan’s crimes. A voyeuristic media spectacle adds nothing of value.