A Sniper in the Tower Read Online Free PDF

driving, the vehicle rolled twenty-five feet down an embankment and pinned Phillips. Although stunned, Charlie is reputed to have single-handedly lifted the jeep, allowing Phillips to be freed. Charlie then fainted and remained unconscious for several hours. Charlie's readiness to take dares and his impatience with traffic laws and speed limits resulted in a number of traffic accidents and citations throughout his adult life as well. From 4 September 1957 to 17 November 1959 he received five traffic tickets for violations ranging from accidents to double parking. 6
Charlie's service in the marines can best be understood in three phases. The first includes his basic training, infantry training, and subsequent service at Guantanamo Bay. The second consists of his non-active sojourn at the University of Texas at Austin. The third would be his return to active duty at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where he rejoined his outfit.
His first active duty hitch can only be described as successful. He evolved from a toy soldier to a marine sharpshooter. As in his

 

Page 19
relationship with his father, Charlie approached his orders dutifully He earned a Good Conduct Medal, a Sharpshooter's Badge, and the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal for his service in Cuba. Years later the Executive Officer of the 2nd Marine Division, Captain Joseph Stanton, would state, "He was a good marine. I was impressed with him. I was certain he'd make a good citizen." Charlie carried a card with these typed words:
YESTERDAY IS NOT MINE TO RECOVER, BUT
TOMORROW IS MINE TO LOSE. I AM RESOLVED THAT
I SHALL WIN THE TOMORROWS BEFORE ME!!! 7
He tried desperately to live by the creed; numerous handwritten and typed copies of the quote were found throughout his personal effects.
While at Guantanamo Bay, Charlie learned of a scholarship program designed to increase the number of scientists in the United States Military. The Naval Enlisted Science Education Program (NESEP), begun after the Soviets successfully launched Sputnik I, was intended to train engineers who would later become commissioned officers. Charlie applied for a scholarship on 2 February 1961 and like all other scholarship candidates, took a competitive exam. He scored high enough to go before a selection committee who recommended him for a NESEP scholarship, which he eventually received. Marine Colonel M. H. LaGrone would later describe recipients of this prestigious scholarship: "Only the best are picked and located at various colleges." 8 Charlie was expected to earn an engineering degree, follow up with ten months of Officers' Candidate School, and then become a commissioned officer.
The marines sent Charlie to a preparatory school from 5 June to 31 July 1961 in Bainbridge, Maryland, for enrichment courses in math and physics. There he met and formed a lasting friendship with Francis Schuck, Jr., a fellow NESEP scholar. Schuck was a native Texan who helped Charlie with his trigonometry and algebra coursework. Upon arriving in Austin for the 1961 fall semester, they both reported to the Navy ROTC office. Afterwards, Charlie enrolled in the university with a major in mechanical engineering and was officially admitted on 15 September 1961.

 

Page 20
NESEP scholars were generously rewarded. A civilian allowance supplemented their regular pay. According to a credit file cited in an FBI report, Charlie received $250 a month from the marines. Reportedly, C. A. Whitman chipped in an additional $140 a month. Tuition, books, and other campus fees also were paid.
During this time Charlie moved into Goodall-Wooten men's dorm. Francis Schuck, Jr., suggested to dorm officials that Charlie would make a good counselor. Schuck and Charlie were interviewed by the dean of men and the owner of the dorm and were offered jobs, which meant free boarding, and hence, extra money Charlie had plenty of resources to live very well as a college student. 9
What residence hall officials did not know was that Charlie was