The Story Behind The Iron Triangle Case, Part 2
Editor’s Note: SSG Ray Girouard is serving time at Fort Leavenworth, as are two of his men, for charges that they executed detainees they captured during combat operations near Samarra, Iraq. For those who have followed this case, the amount of corruption and falsification by the prosecution and Army leadership defies reason. Now, for the first time, the true story behind the story. Originally published at The Jaghunter, written by retired LCDR Walter Fitzpatrick III, USN.
Steele’s March, Part 2
The purpose of this day’s posting is to begin the process of disabusing readers that there was anything lawyerly, lawful, or moral regarding the IRON TRIANGLE courts-martial…or any courts-martial if you care to know.
Ray Girouard, Ray’s men and others to include Marine Sergeant Lawrence Hutchins and so many more are imprisoned in Defense Department caves as innocent men.
To understand why, one must comprehend and appreciate the mind of Army General Courtney or “Court” Massengale.
Massengale is Anton Myrer’s antagonist in the novel Once An Eagle.
Court Massengail is a very dark appellation spoken in low whispers in code throughout Pentagon corridors. The disparagement laconically and instantly identifies flag officers known to embrace Massengail’s evil nature.
Massengail’s is a severely practical and vicious mind. The power, design, dim and vague patterns found in all courts-martial are sinister its products.
To Massengail, Soldiers and Marines like Ray and Larry are no more than firewood–to be cut down, cut up, stacked, then burned in sacrifice to Defense Department interests.
Michael Steele, Ray’s commanding officer, entered Iraq with gloves off. Steele’s command climate and battlefield antics in early 2006 renewed and darkly redefined the one-time motto: “An Army of ONE.” As Steele’s combat antics drew closer to public attention he became a frightening threat to the Massengails then officed in the Pentagon who perceived the potential of serious harm to BIG ARMY’s image.
Micahel Steele was an overreaching, careless, and incompetent infantry combat commander. Movie star Steele will appreciate more than most the movie metaphor comparing Steele to the Nick Nolte character in The Thin Red Line.
Author Anton Myrer used Massengail to symbolize the abuses of the military discipline system whereupon men like Massengail are the predators, and soldiers like Ray Girouard become the prey. It’s in this atmosphere that Massengail wished–after promoting to flag rank– that his last name had been Marshall.
General Courtney Marshall.
General “Court” Marshall.
Coming to an understading regarding the personality and motives of emperors like Court Massengail is to completely appreciate why Ray Girouard is locked up at Fort Leavenworth this Christmas time.
When Michael Steele became a threat to the Army’s public image he had to go!
BIG ARMY’s “Steele dilemna” soared to critical damage control status when Steele’s standing order to “KILL ALL MILITARY AGE MALES” found its way to print journalists.
Movie star Steele was too high profile a personality to court-martial, so Ray’s court-martial was used as the vehicle to obstruct and divert public attention. Ray and his men were courts-martialed in a subterfuge combat action, while behind the scenes, Steele was quitely stripped of his infantry battalion combat command, removed from the battlefield, removed from Iraq, then ushered out of the Army.
Any number of combat actions could have been singled out, used as a cover-story to call attention away from Mike Steele. But Ray and his men–unfortunately–won the Massengail lottery. Ray’s name, like Hutchins in the Camp Pendleton Eight circumstance, was plucked from the hat with the pleasure, amusement, and relief men like Massengail experience with the infliction of wrongful suffering upon innocent subordinates.
Massengail’s crimes against Ray and his men are crimes of passion ever after on display.
Massengail’s guilty memory is recorded in the preliminary records leading up to Ray’s bogus disciplinary hearing. We’ll begin profiling “Massengail’s memories” in Part III of this series.
