Marine Down - Request for Help - Re:
GunnyG
Marines,WWII,Social
Marine Message Center - Open Forum
Retired Mustang <ccam...@state.pa.us>
Marine Down - Request for Help - Re:
Richard Keech
Posted By: Retired Mustang <ccam...@state.pa.us>
Date: 12/29/99 12:32
I have been in contact with Joan Keech Spann (Richard's cousin) to see
what could be done to try
to help Richard get released from prison. For those of you who do not
know the story I will be
happy to provide a link to a Web site where it may be fully covered.
Anyhow, Joan has done many
things to try to help and would now like to get a concerted campaign
going, perhaps involving letters
to the president, news, other high officials to try to get Richard's
case reviewed and a possible
parole. She asked that I present the effort to our board for possible
interest and help. So this will be
the first step towards soliciting ideas. The following is some of the
e-mails we exchanged this morning
to try to give you an idea of where we're at. I'd like to receive your
thoughts on the matter and we
can take it from there. Is there any interest in supporting a campaign
to free Richard Keech?
Thanks and have a great New Year - I'm out of here until next Tuesday
(going away for a couple of
days).
Major C.
______________________________________________________________________
Joan: I received a nice note from Richard. I marvel at how he keeps up
his spirit, he must have been
one hell of a Marine.
I wanted to ask what action you or others have taken to help bring more
public exposure and
possible support towards getting Richard released from prison. Before I
ask others to support this
effort I wanted to receive your feedback and recommendations. My
thoughts are e-mails and letters
to senators, congressional representatives, possibly even the president
(I'd probably deal with the
devil to help a brother Marine). We should also contact the California
government, i.e., Governor,
senate, etc. Other thoughts are the media, such as 20/20 etc. Have you
and others done any of this?
We may not be able to do anything in the end. I am not at all familiar
with what bumps in the road
stand in the way of Richard being released but I am willing to bet that
the more attention given to this
matter the better the chances for Richard's release. Politicians usually
do what's best for them. If it
looks good for them to assist in Richard's release then they might help.
And, knowing that others
care will certainly help bolster Richard's spirit. He told me that there
is no medevac for him out of
there. Let him know that Marines have been medevaced from some tough
places and not to give up
hope.
Please let me know your thoughts.
Regards,
Chuck Cameron
________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Dear Chuck,
1. Dateline did a segment on him in June of 1998 and has repeated it
with updates twice since. The
updates included a public opinion poll which showed 2 out of 3 felt he
should not have been
convicted. There was no interview in prison..California law will not
allow it.
2. Two California State Governors and all the State Congressmen have
been bombarded with letters
from all of the state veteran's organizations and well wishers from
across the country, with little result
except making them aware of the pressure. Richard's transferral to CMC,
which we all fought for for
a year, came from a combination of that pressure, the web page and
direct contact by a family
member with a top State Official (unfortunately not the Governor) who
also feels Richard should
never have been convicted.
3. An appeal was filed in April....the scuttlebutt is that no appeal
will ever be won in this state.
(Political suicide for a Governor...due to the Willie Horton case).
4. A request for clemency must be filed by the prisoner and based on
severely bad health. The forms
for that were mailed to Richard last year who in turn sent them to his
attorney who in turn felt that the
appeal was more important.
5. What is medevac?
Any suggestions?
Sincerely,
Joan
________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Chuck,
We are thinking about a huge write in campaign to Clinton. Unlike
Governor Gray, he has no further
political aspirations, and certainly has nothing to lose. Any ideas?
Joan
______________________________________________________________________
Joan: Medevac is a military term for getting our wounded out of a hot
spot. Richard used the term in
his letter to me where he wrote: "You must know, that I have no regrets.
I did my duty as a father
and a Marine. The mission was a success. I just wont ever get medevaced
out."
It appears you have done many things to try to help Richards, as I
expected was the case. I also
gleaned that was the case after reading the information on your home
page but still wanted to check
with you myself to see what I and others could now do to try to help
Richard. Please don't mistake
me for some bigheaded White Knight who thinks he can ride in a solve the
problem. But I do have
an interest in doing what little I can to help the cause to get Richard
released. And, to possible enlist
the help of other Marines to do likewise. I am particularly disturbed
when I read information such as
that written from Reuters (Wednesday Nov 26, 97) which quotes the silly
Deputy District Attorney
Amy Broersma saying the post-traumatic stress defense was laughable. I
guess she must be an
expert on that subject having walked beside Richard on the Death March
and spending years in a
Jap prison camp. Equally disturbing is her statement "My initial
reaction when I heard the defense
(was) "hee-hee, giggle-giggle. Come on, let's not lose our common sense
here. That's ridiculous".
Seems like she already had lost her common sense based on her statement.
Please let me know what I can do to help. I would rather funnel energy
towards useful things rather
than taking a scatter-gun approach.
Regards,
Chuck Cameron
________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Chuck,
I much appreciate your concern and willingness to help. The "Amy" person
was a complete #####,
pardon the expression, who called Richard, his family members and
attorneys liars 36 times during
the course of the trial and at one point sneered at Richard saying
"Liar, liar, pants on fire." And the
judge, believe it or not a Marine, overruled all objections. All of that
is in the appeal...I have the 112
pages of selections from the trial transcript that was used by Attorney
Ramsey for the appeal. Amy
argued that since PTSD was used as the defense premise...all evidence
regarding the actions and
character of the deceased was not to be introduced...and the judge
upheld her. So the neighbors
were not allowed to testify, the Psychologist, a nationally recognized
expert on PTSD, had his
testimony cut short etc..
Joan
________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Chuck
We had a Marine exPOW in the room who also was in Bataan...and I don't
think they let him testify
either. His name is Martin Christie.
Joan
________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Joan:
I recommend taking it directly to member of the web sites such as
thefew.com. I can help champion
the cause on that board. Perhaps some of the men/women could help on
others. Beyond that, the
effort should be timed so everyone participates and brings attention. A
little press at the same time
wouldn't hurt. Let's think about it over the News Years break and (I
need to be away through next
Monday) pick up the cause next week.
Messages in This Thread
Marine Down - Request for Help - Re: Richard Keech (views: 84)
Retired Mustang -- 12/29/99 12:32
SEND ------> (views: 3)
5-Ton Daddy -- 12/30/99 08:14
Hell Major, I would lead a squad of Marines in there to take..
(views: 12)
Gruntin -- 12/29/99 22:44
Re: Marine Down - Request for Help - Re: Richard Keech (views:
23)
Dick Gaines -- 12/29/99 17:47
Re: Marine Down ....Count me in sir ,you name it I'll do it .
(views: 10)
art karin -- 12/29/99 15:37
Not only is there interest but I have added this to my
personal agenda.... (views:
16)
Cpl Moore -- 12/29/99 15:31
Re: Marine Down - Request for Help - Re: Richard Keech (views:
24)
Choppergunner -- 12/29/99 13:43
Re: Marine Down /Richard Keech,...Chopz,..Although your
my Hero,..
(views: 22)
Mud Marine -- 12/29/99 14:00
Here's the link to his page.... (views: 18)
Raven -- . -- 12/29/99 14:38
I would definitely get involved in this mission, just say
when! *NM (views: 6)
Sylvia -- 12/29/99 13:26
Post a Response
--
Dick Gaines<Gun...@HotMail.Com>
Old Salt Marines<http://venus.beseen.com/boardroom/d/26770/>
Gunny G's USMC Forum<http://www.dejanews.com/~gunnygsusmcforum/>
Gunny G's WebSite<http://www.angelfire.com/ca/dickg/gunny.html>
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.