Retreat Hell - 126

Pvt Rafael Jesus Rivera, wounded in battle of Chosin reservoir in WWII, was found nearly 50 years later UA when he applied for benefits. He was being held in a redneck, corrupt New Mexico sheriff, Crease Madden's, jail. Mac (M) was assigned to investigate and Gunny (G) went to pick him up personally out of respect and fidelity with a marine hero. The sheriff ordered his two thugs to kill Rivera and prevent him from getting across the border. They blocked the highway and blinded G with lights which ran him off the road. Then they poured gasoline onto the car and set it on fire so they could shoot them when exiting.

Rivera had a claim to some land grant land that the Sheriff wanted and had killed Rivera's attorney for. Meanwhile, Chegwidden (C) went fishing in New Mexico with Gs sister, Maria, as his guide. G found out that Rivera, not speaking English when he enlisted, had misunderstood the doctor when he told him he could "go home" after his months of rehabilitation. He hadn't needed any benefits until the lawyer showed up with a possible claim. G called C and arranged to meet C at the trailhead to the lake to "work something out." When G didn't show up C responded and found the thugs shooting. Unarmed, C improvised a Molotov cocktail at a thug and Rivera shot the other. Rivera was exonerated and was shown receiving his belated Navy Cross.

Bud (B) was handling the case of the improper UA arrest of a civilian, who's SSN had been stolen and used by someone to join the military. Brumby, who had started new law firm suing the Navy (without telling M) was representing the man and wanted $2.5 million! Harm (H), as acting JAG, negotiated an $80 thousand settlement.

H fell backward in Admiral Cs chair and hit his head. He then had hallucinations of M in several provocative situations. He even called Renee Ms name. He asked B if he had ever "seen things" and said "what if you were seeing things that were different than you expected and were changing how you saw things." Brum & M had lunch to set their wedding date. Both B and M thought H should get an MRI for being nice to Brumby.

Iron Coffin - 125

Capt Alex Volkonov (AV) came to the US and asked Harm for assistance in investigating the demise of the Russian sub Vladivostok. At first Capt Baxter stonewalled H then C called in a favor of Adml Crawford at SUBLANT then Cmdr Flagler spoke with H and the angry AV. Baxter questioned Hs loyalties so C & H spoke w/ him; he finally admitted that the experimental Russian Shkval 2 torpedo did a 180 and sunk their own ship. But he said, "How we know is security classified."

Mac and Bud assisted female Ensign Terry Childers in testifying before Latham's committee regarding her wanting to serve on submarines, despite policies against it. L shanghaied M into taking a "fact finding" sub cruise on the Watertown with Flagler and reporting to her. H was, at the same time, also invited for a Public Relations cruise on the Russian sub Minsk. The irrational Russian Captain was firing another Shkval 2 torpedo putting H & M in "tap dance mode." Finally M convinced Flagler into breaking the subs radio silence. M told the Russians that the US had "placed listening devices aboard all Russian ships" trying to convince him not to fire the defective missle. The Russians fired anyway so Flagler fired a drone (toward Minsk) so that when the torpedo finally did its 180 and came back at the Minsk, it acquired the drone at the last minute and prevented it hitting the Russian sub.

Brum & Renee went to a concert together; both said they were afraid to ask M & H if they had had an affair.

Killer Instinct - 124

Seaman Oliver Celluchi was seen to go overboard the USS Benjamin Harrison; but, was dead when the rescue boat arrived. He was found to have been bludgeoned and choked before going over the side, and a small piece of cloth was found in his belt buckle. His shipmates said that he had been a screw-up and a 'puddin' - that you could push him around with a spoon. Harm and Bud had to endure 'full-of-himself' Captain Archambault's rant about "doing better than their best and get the killer off MY ship." They then reported to him Duell's animosity and that he had been seen on the catwalk before the incident; but, had to refuse the captain's offer to attend their interview "so as to put the fear of God into him." Duell denied ever going to the catwalk or having anything to do with the incident. Meanwhile, the Capt. illegally searched Duell's locker and found a torn shirt. Mattoni, defense, motioned to have the shirt excluded and the Capt. pestered H to tell him "what to say" on the stand so the shirt won't be excluded. H, annoyed, told him to tell the truth. Then the Capt. deliberately misled Mattoni by saying that H had told him of Duell's lie before he searched. So Mattoni called H as a witness and found the lie. B's cross of H tried to show "inevitable discovery" but the judge disallowed the evidence but wouldn't dismiss the case. B searched records from Duell's previous ships finding 2 previous filed charges of harassment. Seaman Chuck Gaynor went "overboard" the USS Bar Harbor when Duell was there and Fred Mirvis went overboard the Assateague when Duell was there as well. Seaman Harbinson testified that Duell was, in fact, on the catwalk 5 minutes before the murder and requested transfer because he was afraid of Duell. Celluchi had been given loading drills all night with live rounds - for punishment. PO Canton testified that he had worked with Duell on the Assateague. Duell had them stand at attention holding 25# boxes of C-4 explosives in each hand. Mirvis dropped the box and started to cry, which drew Duell's anger. Canton also brought up that Mirvis had gone overboard, to which Mattoni flew off the handle demanding a mistrial. H was allowed to have a forensic investigator testify to the judge before he decided. In Duell's hearing the investigator said the murderer profiled small, young, immature, inexperienced men with poor service records. He said the murder was highly organized victim of a delusional disorder who would feel justified in what he was doing. Duell sat smugly until H began restating that he was deranged and crazy.

When H was allowed to continue Mattoni grandstanded by bringing in Charles Gaynor who was alive and only had gone UA. Then Mattoni fought to keep H from having him testify. Gaynor said that he had gone UA because Duell had tried to kill him. He was holding him over the rail of the fantail and only let go because Gaynor wet on him. He yelled so loudly that another person heard so he fled. Gaynor hid for 8 days then jumped ship because if no one believed him "Duell would have killed me. Celluchi just glared at him with a smug look. Back at the trial Mattoni called Celluchi who lied through his teeth: it had only been 'dummy' C-4 and only 10 pounds, and he had caught Gaynor asleep. He denied killing Celluchi. H cross examined him and began by massaging his ego. He got agreeing with him that the navy was letting in screw-up's. Duell said that it was his job to "weed them out"; but, when the examination got to a rapid pitch and H led with "you took matters into your own hands" he stopped short with a smug look that he had "bested" H's lawyer tricks. Then, by pre-arrangement, H deferred to B who acted the buffoon, repeating questions, stumbling, dropping papers, etc. He deliberately got Duell upset then dropped papers on him again asking "what did 'Ka-luchi' ever do to you. Duell shot back with "some people don't being in the US Navy (referring to B)." B surreptitiously said "no but he navy won't kill them" and Duell blurted "no but somebody has to." B raised up and calmly said "somebody has to, sir." Duell's smug look disappeared. Gaynor was given an "other than honorable" discharge and Duell a psych eval. He thought that the navy wanted him to kill the screw-up's and that's why he was given his last promotion. H told M that Duell would spend the rest of his life either in Leavenworth or in a mental hospital.

Chegwidden complained about his sore back from his tiny rental car. When Mac talked to him about her defense of a Bigamist, C told her that "people tend to hang onto relationships even after they are over." "Look at me," he said, "I'm still hanging onto that crappy rent-a-car (after Dr. Walden's relationship was over)." He then went to the car dealer that sold Harriet her van and talked about buying a high end van. When the greedy salesman offered 10% discount for military personnel, C pointed at the real one he wanted.

M was assigned to defend a bigamist. Wife #1 said she "owed everything" to her husband who supported her in getting her commercial pilot's license. She wanted M to help him plea bargain out of the MC so they could be together. Wife #2 said it was the MC's fault for forcing her husband to live a double life. He had also helped her with her career. M was dumfounded at their lack of outrage - she was feeling it for them, despite being his defense. She wanted to get a psychologist to testify that Staff Sgt Hart had a sexual compulsive disorder. Hart said "no" then tried to act seductively to M. Completely unexpectedly wife #3 showed up with two kids! Nothing was finished about this case except M commiserating with H that maybe Hart could do time in Leavenworth with Duell.

Miracles - 122

[Marginally written script not establishing credible rationale for the guilty verdict.] Harm (H) defended Sgt Major Jarvis Krohn who was found next to his beaten, unconscious wife after having been led there by a vision of beatified Chaplain Wiggins, "Padre," now being considered for sainthood. Krohn described that the "padre" had selflessly ran into enemy fire attempting to save some of his platoon but was cut down. Bud (B) prosecuted flippantly and childishly, derisive stated: "God thinks Krohn's wife was worth saving but our daughter not?" A Vatican representative said that, previously, seven year old Clay Norberg's metastatic neuroblastoma completely disappeared after the "intercession of the Padre." A detractant, Mr. Hamill, claimed that he had seen the "Padre" acting cowardly in battle. However, H showed that Hamill had been scheduled to be sent home for cowardice in Vietnam; but, during the last battle had a total change of heart when he "visioned" padre's act. Uncharacteristically going on to save the platoon after Wiggins had been killed.

Despite completely circumstantial evidence Krohn was found guilty. The Vatican investigator said that he was going to proceed with his recommendation for sainthood of the "Padre" so Krohn said it was "worth it" and that his wife's attacker would eventually be found so he would be vindicated. Tiner installed a "Seti" screensaver on Chegwidden's (C)computer which amazingly found "life" that needed to be reported to the "Seti People." However, it turned out to be only "5 million year old light - the standard emission from the Binion-Pratt pulsar." Renee & Mac (M) arrange to double date with H and Brumby (Brum). Renee belittled Hs apparent belief in miracles, then jerked the subject to the "miracle" of M & Brums "becoming one," pressuring H for it "to happen" with them.