The Axe Will Fall

Interesting news from the military today... An army private convicted of murdering and raping a couple women will finally be executed.

I found the story interesting because I worked in the military prison and I've had the "pleasure" of meeting PVT Gray during my tour as a guard in the maximum security area, or "Special Housing Unit" (SHU), of the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks. I also remember the other guy, Loving, who is mentioned in the article.

The article notes that there are nine men on death row at the military prison. When I was there, I think there were only six. I remember right when I left we got the guys in who raped in killed the girl in Japan. I thought there was only two of them so I don't know where the ninth guy is from.

I remember when I was there in 1994, everyone always said that Gray would be the next one to go because he was on his last appeal. Now 14 years later, I guess it's time.

The death row guys were interesting to work with because you never dealt with them face-to-face. You always had bars in between you and the inmate. In cases where they had to leave their cell area, the whole prison was locked down and you had to have a ratio of at least five guards to one inmate.

I guess they figured these guys had nothing to lose so it was best to be careful.

But none of the guys on death row were particularly mean or violent like other guys in the "SHU." They all seemed like normal guys. You would never guess that they were rapists and murderers.

The article also shows one of the towers from the military prison at Ft. Leavenworth, also pictured above. I spent quite a few nights working in that tower. I forget what number tower it was though.

But as far as I know, they've since closed the prison in the picture and relocated all the inmates to a new, high-tech facility farther back in Ft. Leavenworth.

Those were the days!