Dawson Quotes

Capt. Ross: [to the Judge] Docket number 411275 VR-5. The United States versus Harold W. Dawson and Private First Class Louden Downey. The accused are charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and conduct of a United States Marine
Judge Randolph: does the defense wish to enter a plea?
Kaffee: [while standing up] yeah, they're

not guilty
Judge Randolph: enter a plea of not guilty for the accused, we will adjourn until ten hundred, three weeks from today, at which this general court martial will reconvene

Capt. Ross: Mr. Maguire can you raise your right hand please? Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you'll give this general court martial will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God?
Robert C. McGuire: I do
Capt. Ross: have a seat please sir
Capt. Ross: would you state

your full name and occupation for the record?
Robert C. McGuire: [on the witness stand] Robert C. Maguire special agent, Naval Investigative Service
Capt. Ross: thank you, Mr. Maguire did your office receive a letter from a PFC William Santiago on three September on this year?
Robert C. McGuire: we did
Capt.

Ross: what did that letter say?
Robert C. McGuire: that a member of Private Santiago's unit had illegally fired his weapon over the fence line
Capt. Ross: was that Marine identified in the letter?
Robert C. McGuire: no, I notified the barracks CO Colonel Jessup that I would be coming down to investigate

Capt. Ross: and what did you find?
Robert C. McGuire: the shift only reported one Marine returned his weapon with a round of ammunition missing
Capt. Ross: who was that?
Robert C. McGuire: Lance Corporal Harold Dawson
Capt. Ross: [to Danny] your witness
Kaffee:

Mr. Maguire did you question Lance Corporal Dawson about the fence line shooting?
Robert C. McGuire: yes, he "claims" to have been engaged by some manner by the enemy
Kaffee: but you don't believe him?
Robert C. McGuire: it's not my place to...
Kaffee: [interrupts him] Lance Corporal Dawson's been

charged with a number of crimes, why wasn't he charged with firing at the enemy without cause?
Robert C. McGuire: there wasn't enough evidence to support such a charge.
Kaffee: thank you
Capt. Ross: Mr. Maguire, I don't understand what you mean when you say, "there wasn't enough evidence to support such a charge," you had

William Santiago's letter
Robert C. McGuire: Santiago was the only eyewitness. I never had the chance to interview him so I don't know what he saw

Capt. Ross: Mr. Maguire can you raise your right hand please? Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you'll give this general court martial will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God?
Robert C. McGuire: [before sitting down] I do
Capt. Ross: have a seat please sir, would you state your full name

and occupation for the record?
Robert C. McGuire: Robert C. Maguire special agent, Naval Investigative Service
Capt. Ross: thank you, Mr. Maguire did your office receive a letter from a PFC William Santiago on three September on this year?
Robert C. McGuire: we did
Capt. Ross: what did that letter say?

Robert C. McGuire: that a member of Private Santiago's unit had illegally fired his weapon over the fence line
Capt. Ross: was that Marine identified in the letter?
Robert C. McGuire: no, I notified the barracks CO Colonel Jessup that I would be coming down to investigate
Capt. Ross: and what did you

find?
Robert C. McGuire: the shift only reported one Marine returned his weapon with a round of ammunition missing
Capt. Ross: who was that?
Robert C. McGuire: Lance Corporal Harold Dawson
Capt. Ross: [to Danny] your witness
Kaffee: Mr. Maguire did you question Lance Corporal

Dawson about the fence line shooting?
Robert C. McGuire: yes, he "claims" to have been engaged in some manner by the enemy
Kaffee: but you don't believe him?
Robert C. McGuire: it's not my place to...
Kaffee: [interrupts him] Lance Corporal Dawson's been charged with a number of crimes, why wasn't he

charged with firing at the enemy without cause?
Robert C. McGuire: there wasn't enough evidence to support such a charge.
Kaffee: thank you
Capt. Ross: Mr. Maguire, I don't understand what you mean when you say, "there wasn't enough evidence to support such a charge," you had William Santiago's letter.
Robert C.

McGuire: Santiago was the only eyewitness. I never had the chance to interview him so I don't know what he saw.

Kaffee: What do you want from me?
Galloway: [refering to Dawson and Downey] I want you to let them be judged. I want you to stand up and make an argument
Lt. Weinberg: An argument didn't work for Calley at My Lai. An argument didn't work the Nazis at Nuremberg
Kaffee: Oh for Christ's sake Sam, do you really

think that's the same as two teenage marines executing an order they never believed it would result in harm? These guys aren't the Nazis
Galloway: Don't look now Danny but your making an argument

Randy Carpenter: Sam, you're early.
Sam: Yeah. Well, all the lights were green. When I was walking here, all the lights were green.
Randy Carpenter: You know what? There is a reason for the court schedule. You stopped showing up. Lucy's had to rebuild her whole life, Sam.
Sam: I want her back. I-I know I can

get her back.
Randy Carpenter: Well, that's not up to me. But I'm just gonna tell you I'm gonna do everything in my power to protect that little girl from getting hurt again. Whose dogs are these?
Sam: These are supplemental income. Supplemental income because I wash and I walk and I feed the dogs. Sam Dawson has everything for you canine needs.

Randy Carpenter: Let me go get your daughter.