Prisoner Chasing 1928

[USMCR79]

Ran across this in my files and I was wondering if any forum members had this type of duty

 

Bill

[bobgee]

I served in First Bn 3rd Marines on Okinawa during 1958/59. One Sunday I was standing Corporal of the Guard and I was sent to the Big Brig to pick up a prisoner and bring him to his company. I was handed a manila envelope and a clip of ammo for my .45 and departed. Arriving at the Brig I was ushered into the Warden's office, handed over the envelope and was told to stand by. After a while the door to the cell-block area opened and the prisoner was escorted through.

 

Much to my surprise, I was staring into the face of an old buddy from the Bronx! He had gone over the hill to shack up with a gal & was facing a General Court Martial for desertion. We got to catch up a bit on the ride back to his unit. Small world - strange story!

Semper Fi......Bobgee

[Old Marine]

My story is pretty similar to Bob's. In 1975 I was Corporal of the Guard at Marine Barracks CINCLANTFLT in Norfolk VA. A Court Martial had just concluded and I had to escort the guilty party to the Brig. Was given the same manila envelope, .45 and ammo and told to deliver the person to the Brig. The guy I had to escort was an old friend from boot camp. The driver and the van took us over to the Brig and I reported in to the Sgt. on duty at the brig and turned my charge over to him. Those Brig guards were all huge, and mean looking. I am glad that was the last time I ever had see of a Navy Brig.

 

Dennis

[Rakkasan187]

When I was stationed in Berlin in the mid 1980's, my Platoon Sergeant who was a Staff Sergeant at the time had gotten promoted to Sergeant First Class during a 45 day deployment to Wildflecken. After our return to Berlin, he held a platoon party which started at the lake and ended at one of the enlisted Soldier's apartments. Long story short, over the weekend, 3 Soldiers were arrested and we found out later it was for raping a 16 yr old girl. Our Platoon Sergeant was also involved, and with his cocky attitude he figured that since he was an E-7 by this time, Congress was the only power authorized to take his stripes. I was selected as the Armed Escort and Sergeant at Arms during his Court Martial. I would get up every morning, dress, eat, draw my .45 and 2 magazines from the arms room, go to the stockade with my driver, and "sign" for my prisoner, 1 set of leg shackles, 1 set of hand cuffs, and 2 keys, and escort him to the Court. After his conviction, (He was sentenced to 25 years hard labor) he, and the two other Soldier's who were convicted of rape, sodomy of a child, use and possession of a controlled substance (cocaine), were all escorted by myself, and 2 other armed guards from Berlin to the disciplinary barracks at Mannheim, Germany. They stayed there for approximately 1 month and were then transferred to the US Army Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Levenworth, Kansas.

 

My Battalion Commander briefed the Guards prior to our departure with our prisoners and told us if we felt that our prisoners were attempting to escape we had authorization to "use whatever force" necessary to stop the prisoners. I'm sure that in leg shackles and handcuffs the prisoners were not going to get too far, but knowing we had the "authorization" was reassuring. I should have secured a few extra .45 rounds from the qual range and " let my prisoner get about 6 steps from me".... The Platoon Sergeant was a dirt bag anyway, he deserved the 25 years, and should have gotten more, in my opinion. He is still in prison and has 2 more years left...

 

Leigh...

[Dave]

Although I've never done this, legend has it that escorting prisoners was how Humphrey Bogart got his trademark "lisp"...

 

It was during his naval stint that Bogart may have gotten his trademark scar and developed his characteristic lisp, though the actual circumstances are unclear. In one account, during a shelling of his ship the USS Leviathan, his lip was cut by a piece of shrapnel, although some claim Bogart did not make it to sea until after the Armistice was signed. Another version, which Bogart's long time friend, author Nathaniel Benchley, claims is the truth, is that Bogart was injured while on assignment to take a naval prisoner to Portsmouth Naval Prison in Kittery, Maine. Supposedly, while changing trains in Boston, the handcuffed prisoner asked Bogart for a cigarette and while Bogart looked for a match, the prisoner raised his hands, smashed Bogart across the mouth with his cuffs, cutting Bogart's lip, and fled. The prisoner was eventually taken to Portsmouth. An alternate explanation is in the process of uncuffing an inmate, Bogart was struck in the mouth when the inmate wielded one open, uncuffed bracelet while the other side was still on his wrist

 

(From Wikipedia)

[67Rally]

I escorted plenty of brigrats. Being a corrections specialist at Naval Station Seattle brig for the last 3.5 years of my service, I have plenty of stories. One of the most fun was when I was doing a prisoner transfer at SeaTac Intl. Airport. The duty chief was a bit slow in completing the paperwork and I had to drive the 17 miles through Seattle traffic to make the quick terminal transfer so the escorts arriving from the "big house" at Miramar could make their returin flight. I had about 15 minutes and traffic was gridlocked on I-5. I was driving the Brig van, complete with flashing red lights. I knew that if I didn't make that connection, we'd be stuck with the baby-killers until the next transfer and I'd have a ton of paperwork to do. My buddy was assisting and I looked over to him and smiled as I reached for the switch for the flashers. He shook his head and away we went. Cars and trucks were parting like the Red Sea as we made our way through the jam.

 

Thinking that we were home-free, I suddenly felt the my stomach collide with my tonsils as I checked my rear-view mirror. One of the State Patrol officers was behind me with HIS lights flashing too. I pulled over and the trooper made his way to my door. He asked me what the need for driving "code" was and checked my ID. He asked me for the phone number to the brig to verify my situation. I sat there, cursing and sweating in my terrible working blues as the prisoners seemed to enjoy the predicament. The WASP returned to the door and handed me my credentials and told me to keep the flashers off. He tells me to follow him as he keeps his flashers on and guides me the rest of the way through the traffic.

 

We barely made the connection with the Miramar guys as we rapidly swapped cuffs and leg-irons. When I got back to the brig, my chief gave me a public, stern-chewing and then pulled me into our break room and congratulated me on my decision. He backed me up to the trooper over the phone and told them of the "dangerous" nature of the inmates.

 

It was all good!

[Jim Baker]

Although I've never done this, legend has it that escorting prisoners was how Humphrey Bogart got his trademark "lisp"...

 

It was during his naval stint that Bogart may have gotten his trademark scar and developed his characteristic lisp, though the actual circumstances are unclear. In one account, during a shelling of his ship the USS Leviathan, his lip was cut by a piece of shrapnel, although some claim Bogart did not make it to sea until after the Armistice was signed. Another version, which Bogart's long time friend, author Nathaniel Benchley, claims is the truth, is that Bogart was injured while on assignment to take a naval prisoner to Portsmouth Naval Prison in Kittery, Maine. Supposedly, while changing trains in Boston, the handcuffed prisoner asked Bogart for a cigarette and while Bogart looked for a match, the prisoner raised his hands, smashed Bogart across the mouth with his cuffs, cutting Bogart's lip, and fled. The prisoner was eventually taken to Portsmouth. An alternate explanation is in the process of uncuffing an inmate, Bogart was struck in the mouth when the inmate wielded one open, uncuffed bracelet while the other side was still on his wrist

 

(From Wikipedia)

 

 

This is why you use a Martin chain. A hard lesson learned.

[Robswashashore]

OK I have to ask: What is a Martin chain? :think:

[m1ashooter]

One day as a kid my dad and I were driving by Fort Monmouth and we saw an armed GI watching some GI's pick up trash. I asked my dad what was going on? He being a Marine said they were prisoners and told me how he once was a chaser and was told that if he let his prisoner get away then he would have to serve the rest of the sentance.

 

What I find very interesting is this Cpl's last name is the same as mine.

[Jim Baker]

OK I have to ask: What is a Martin chain? :think:

 

It's a belly chain used to keep the cuffs near the waist. It won't allow him to reach up and hit you with the cuffs.

[USMCR79]

Thanks to everyone who participated in this thread, not a pleasant subject, but I guess that's occasional reality of military life.

 

S/F Bill