During high school, the patient served several terms as president of an Episcopal Church youth service organization. He also served as president of a Council of Churches interdenominational community youth organization. He was nominated by his teachers to attend Missouri Boys State during his junior year. The Rotary Club sponsored him.

During his senior year of high school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve. Following a year of college, where he was an honor student, he enlisted in the Coast Guard for active duty – a 4-year contract. He was 18 years old at the time.

During his first year of service, he was thrown out of the hammock he was sleeping in onto the deck by a drunk shipmate, who then attempted to strangle him, following an onboard ship’s party, hosted by the captain of the ship he was assigned to. He was later bludgeoned over the head by an unknown assailant, an incident that required surgical repair of his forehead wound at a navy infirmary. As a result of the way he was treated, he has become severely depressed and despondent.

The Commandant of the Coast Guard’s 8^th District has therefore recommended that this individual be given a medical discharge.

June 8, 1960