(Testimony of Daniel Patrick Powers)
Mr. Powers.
did try to avoid it, but it seems like almost he was always striving for a relationship, but whenever he did come, he would get into the group or something that his---that his--just his general personality would alienate the group against him.
And to me, he was an individual that--an individual that could come to a point that I don't--that he would come to a point in his life where he would have to face a decision, now, this is just again a personal opinion; he had a large homosexual tendency, as far as I was concerned, and, well, maybe not these tendencies, but a lot of feminine characteristics as far as the other individuals of the group were concerned, and I think possibly he was an individual that would come to a point in his life that would have to decide one way or the other.
Mr. Jenner.
On what?
Mr. Powers.
On a homosexual or leading a normal life, and again, now, this is a personal opinion.
And I think this, more than any other factor, was the reason that he was on the outside of the group in this particular group that we were in there in Mississippi.
He was always an individual that was regarded as a meek person, one that you wouldn't have to worry about as far as the leadership was concerned, a challenge for leadership or anything.
He could easily be led, an individual that was influenced I think by education, and was impressed by a person who had some education, an intelligent individual.
He had the name of Ozzie Rabbit, as I recall.
Mr. Jenner.
Of what?
Mr. Powers.
Ozzie Rabbit.
Mr. Jenner.
Ozzie Rabbit?
Mr. Powers.
Yes; now, this goes back to what I had said before that he was the meek mild individual that a person felt if he had something, that he wouldn't really fight to keep it. He would take the easy way out to avoid conflict. But then again, I'm trying to recall this in my mind, and I'm not sure whether something--whether it is something that is really true or something that I want to recall----
Mr. Jenner.
Yes, I would like----
Mr. Powers.
About him.
Mr. Jenner.
In your testimony, do the best you can to give me your impressions as of that time, as free as it is possible for you to do of influence upon that recollection by the course of events that took place on the 22d of November, and what you read about this and thereafter, because it's important to us to get as objective a report from you as we possibly can.
Mr. Powers.
I realize that. And this is why I say I'm not sure that it's really true or something that you want to remember. It seems to me there was an incident that he had a fight in the barracks at that particular time.
Mr. Jenner.
Excuse me. You men were quartered together in the same barracks?
Mr. Powers.
That's correct, in the same wing of this particular barracks. They separated the Marines from the Air Force as much as possible, although we did have Air Force personnel in the room with us, two in the room.
It seems to me at this particular time there was some kind of a squabble and I can't recall what it was over, and this was the first time that he actually showed, say, some backbone or willpower that he stood up to somebody, or what the incident was over, I can't recall, but there is something that sticks in the back of my mind there that something came up at this particular time.
He was a good student, as I recall. I can't say that he was any better than anybody else. But again, as an individual he appeared to be just as good as anybody wanted to be.
Mr. Jenner.
Our records show that he finished this course seventh in a class of 30. Is that score somewhat of his ability?
Mr. Powers.
I couldn't truthfully say; at that time I wasn't qualified to say who was----
Mr. Jenner.
Were you boys advised as to how each of you fared in the course of your studies?
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