Archive for March 28th, 2019

Navy Ship Routine

March 28, 2019

An interesting and informative article on Navy Ship Routine.

Click Links Below to read the article.

Navy Ship Routine

http://naval-history.net/WW2aaNavalLife-Customs2.htm

Navy Ship Routine

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Humor – Is “Military Justice” an Oxymoron…?

March 28, 2019

I am not a lawyer – neither am I a “sea lawyer”.

My first taste of “Law” and “Justice” was as a young Divisional Officer  when I was representing/defending one of my sailors at Requestmen and Defaulters .

On a Navy Warship – the crew is organised into divisions depending on work specialisations – and – Sailors are assigned to a division according to their shipboard responsibilities. Eash division is commanded by an Officer of the rank of Lieutenant and the primary duties of a Divisional Officer are to know, command, lead and manage
his division.

“Requestmen and Defaulters” is an interesting Naval custom which reaffirms the great democratic principle afloat that men “in bad” (defaulters) are judged in open court and men “in good” (requestmen) are rewarded in public.

At Requestmen and Defaulters – sailors can make requests (advancement/promotion, leave, welfare etc) which are examined and granted if found correct – or – sailors can be tried as defaulters for misdemeanours (like drunk ashore, late returning to ship, disciplinary cases etc) and punished if found guilty.

It is like a mini court where the officer presiding (Officer of the Day, First Lieutenant, Commander or Captain) with the Master-at-Arms (Naval Policeman in charge of Discipline, Rules and Regulations) meet the Sailor.

The Sailor’s Divisional Officer represents the sailor – and defends him in cases of misconduct in case the sailor is a defaulter.

Everyone stands at Requestmen and Defaulters.

The procedure is for the sailor to be marched in – and stand in front of the table (small desk that is about stomach high when standing).

The sailor salutes and “off caps” – where he takes his cap off.

The request or misdemeanour is read out.

The sailor is allowed a brief response.

The Sailor’s Divisional Officer then says something in the sailor’s favour.

The request is then granted or not granted.

In case of defaulters – the punishment (sentence) is read out.

The sailor then “on caps, right turn, quick march” away.

In some ships – requestmen and defaulters was like a “kangaroo court” – where everything was decided beforehand – but in some ships – the Captain went by the book – and believed in dispensing proper justice – after giving full hearing to the defaulter.

Dear Reader – after this introductory digression – let me come to the main topic – Is “Military Justice” an Oxymoron…?

And – before you take it too seriously – remember that this article is a humorous spoof, satire, just for fun and humor, no offence is meant to anyone – so take it with a pinch of salt and have a laugh.

IS “MILITARY JUSTICE” AN OXYMORON…? 

A Spoof By Vikram Karve

CATCH-22

I am glad I read the classic war novel CATCH-22 before I joined the Navy.

It made my life easier in the Navy – as Catch-22 helped me understand the crazy ways of the Navy – and – I could draw parallels between the characters in Catch-22 and the eccentric characters I encountered in the Navy.

Written by Joseph Heller – Catch-22 is a fictional spoof – a satire.

But then – isn’t humor the best way to tell the truth…?

In his inimitable satirical style – Joseph Heller encapsulates the essence of the Military Justice System in Chapter 8 of Catch-22 – which describes the Trial of Cadet Clevinger.

TRIAL OF CADET CLEVINGER 

Dear Reader – With a view to give you a glimpse into the military justice system – I will give you select “nuggets” from Chapter 8 of Catch-22 here (extracts quoted from the book are in italics)

Military Style “Justice” is the theme of Chapter 8 of Catch-22 – which describes Cadet Clevinger’s Trial – a profound satire on institutional justice in general – and military justice in particular.

Clevinger, an Aviation Cadet at Cadet School, is under the command of Lieutenant Scheisskopf, an ambitious officer.

Clevinger is a Harvard undergraduate who is an intellectual genius.

Joseph Heller satirically describes Clevinger as “a very serious, very earnest and very conscientious dope”.

Lieutenant Scheisskopf resents Clevinger’s cerebral intellect – especially the fact that Clevinger is proved right (and Lieutenant Scheisskopf  is proved wrong) every time – so Lieutenant Scheisskopf is waiting for an opportunity to take revenge and “fix” Cadet Clevinger.

“Clevinger was a troublemaker and a wise guy.

Lieutenant Scheisskopf knew that Clevinger might cause even more trouble if he wasn’t watched.

Yesterday it was the cadet officers; tomorrow it might be the world.

Clevinger had a mind, and Lieutenant Scheisskopf had noticed that people with minds tended to get pretty smart at times.

Such men were dangerous, and even the new cadet officers whom Clevinger had helped into office were eager to give damning testimony against him.

The case against Clevinger was open and shut.

The only thing missing was something to charge him with…”

Dear Reader: Please look at the last sentence above:

“The only thing missing was something to charge him with…”

In normal circumstances – an individual commits an offence – and then – he is charged for that offence.

But here (in the military “justice” system):

First – you decide to “fix” someone.

Then – you decide what “offences” to charge him with.

You follow a “Topsy-Turvy” Procedure.

First – you find a “scapegoat” – or – a “difficult” individual who you want to “punish” (like Clevinger)

Then – you find a suitable “offence” to charge him with.

Dear Reader – have you seen this happen – especially if you have served in the military – or in civilian life too…?

As I told you earlier – Lieutenant Scheisskopf is waiting for an opportunity to “fix” Cadet Clevinger.

One day – Clevinger stumbles while marching to class.

The next day Clevinger is formally charged with “breaking ranks while in formation, felonious assault, indiscriminate behaviors, mopery, high treason, provoking, being a smart guy, listening to classical music, and so on…”

In short – they throw the book at him – and soon – Cadet Clevinger is facing Trial for the alleged “offences” he is charged with committing.

There are 3 “Judges” in the “Action Board” to conduct the Trial of Cadet Clevinger:

  1. A bloated Colonel – with a big fat mustache
  2. Major Metcalf – who is trying to develop a steely gaze
  3. Lieutenant Scheisskopf

Yes – Lieutenant Scheisskopf is a member of the “Action Board”…

“…as a member of the Action Board – Lieutenant Scheisskopf was one of the judges who would weigh the merits of the case against Clevinger as presented by the prosecutor.

Lieutenant Scheisskopf was also the prosecutor.

Clevinger had an officer defending him.

The officer defending him was Lieutenant Scheisskopf…”

Lieutenant Scheisskopf is Clevinger’s “Prosecutor”, “Defender”, and a “Judge” in the Trial Board too.

And – of course – as Clevinger’s Commanding Officer – Lieutenant Scheisskopf is the“Accuser” – who has charged Clevinger with the “offences” for which he is on Trial.

Ha Ha – Lieutenant Scheisskopf is a “4-in-1” judicial authority:

  1. The “Accuser”,
  2. The “Prosecutor” 
  3. The“Defender” 
  4. The “Judge”…

The description of Clevinger’s Trial is hilarious – and – you must read it in Chapter 8 of Catch-22.

Clevinger is tried for a list of nonsensical charges that neither Clevinger nor the three judges can make much sense of.

However – since he has been accused – the aim is to find Clevinger guilty.

Guilty of what…?

That does not matter.

He has to be found GUILTY – that’s all.

So – Cadet Clevinger is found “Guilty” – simply because he was “Accused”

In a unanimous decision – the Trial Board finds Cadet Clevinger GUILTY.

“…Clevinger was guilty, of course, or he would not have been accused, and since the only way to prove it was to find him guilty, it was their patriotic duty to do so…”

MILITARY JUSTICE – COURT-MARTIAL – UNANIMOUS DECISIONS  

To the best of my knowledge – a Navy Court-Martial comprises between 5 and 9 Members (Judges) – and – I guess that Military Courts similarly comprise multiple members – probably odd numbers.

So – a Military/Navy Court-Martial is akin to a “Bench” of a Civilian Court – a “Bench” can comprise of a number of Judges.

However – there is one big difference.

A “Bench” of a Civilian Court may give a “unanimous decision” – or it may deliver a “majority verdict”.

In case of a majority verdict – all the judgements are made public – including the dissenting judgements.

This is not so in a Navy Court-Martial.

To the best of my knowledge:

  1. In case the findings are not unanimous – and there is difference of opinion between Members of the Court-Martial – the verdict is decided by the vote of the majority.
  1. In case of a majority judgement – the names and views of the dissenting members are not made public – only the decision is announced in open court (unlike in a Civilian “Bench” where names of dissenting Judges and their Judgements are made public)

I don’t know whether it is the same in a Military Court-Martial (Army/AirForce).

But – as far as Navy Court-Martial is concerned – let me quote the relevant sub-sections from Section 118 of the Navy Act, 1957:

Section118 – Drawing up of the finding

(1) The trial judge advocate shall then draw up the finding as announced by the court.

(2) The finding so drawn up shall be signed by all the members of the court by way of attestation notwithstanding any difference of opinion there may have been among the members and shall be countersigned by the trial judge advocate.

…

(5) Neither the court nor the trial judge advocate shall announce in open court whether the finding was unanimous or not; but the president shall make a record of the division of voting on each finding without disclosing the vote or opinion of any particular member of the court-martial and such record shall be communicated to the trial judge advocate for transmission to the Judge Advocate-General of the Navy.

IS “MILITARY JUSTICE” AN OXYMORON…? 

To sum up – as illustrated in the case of Cadet Clevinger in Catch-22 – does Military “Justice” follow a rather “Topsy-Turvy” procedure…?

First – you decide to “fix” someone.

Then – you decide what “offences” to charge him with.

Yes.

First – you find a “scapegoat” – or – a “difficult” individual whom you want to “punish” – like Clevinger in Catch-22. 

Next – you find a suitable “offence” to charge him with. 

Then – you hold a “trial” – and reach a “unanimous” verdict. 

The Accused person is declared “Guilty” – simply because he was “Accused”.

Dear Reader:

After reading this – do you feel that “Military Justice” an Oxymoron…?

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

  1. This blog post is a fictional spoof, satire, pure fiction, just for fun and humor, no offence is meant to anyone, so take it with a pinch of salt and have a laugh.
  2. All Stories in this Blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved) 

Link to my original post in my Blog Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2017/09/is-military-justice-oxymoron.html

Also posted in my writing blog at urls:  https://karve.wordpress.com/2019/01/09/humor-in-uniform-is-military-justice-an-oxymoron/and https://karve.wordpress.com/2017/09/20/humor-in-uniform-military-justice/

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General KS Thimayya – A Military Legend

March 28, 2019

Sharing an interesting piece from Brig Tejinder’s Blog (with his permission)

General KS Thimayya – A Military Legend

THINGS YOU DON’T KNOW

Please take a minute to read and reflect on the immense contributions of General KS Thimayya aka Timmy, a military legend.

His birthday comes up next week, on the 30th March.

General Kodendera Subayya Thimayya was an outstanding soldier, a natural leader with vision beyond his years.

He belonged to Coorg in present day Karnataka, a proud region with long martial traditions.

Gen Thimayya graduated from The Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College, the present day RIMC, at Dehradun.

He was one of the only six Indians to be selected for officer training at Royal Military College, Sandhurst, UK.

However, later as an Indian Officer in the British-dominated Army, he had a running feud with his British officers over their snobbery and racism. He never gave in.

Some unknown aspects of his life, from yet unpublished documents, and some known aspects from his biography ‘Thimmaya of India’ by Humphrey Evans:-

1) He was the first Indian officer to ever command an Infantry brigade during World War II.

2) His elder brother Ponappa served in the INA, while his younger brother Somaiah was killed in action in Kashmir in 1948.

3) He wanted to quit the Army and join the freedom movement , was however dissuaded by Motilal Nehru.

4) During Quit India Movement he gave orders for troops not to fire on the protesters.

5) He oversaw the surrender of INA at Rangoon, his brother was one of the POWs.

6 ) After the Korean War, he played a major role in repatriation of POWs winning plaudits from the US Gen Douglas MacArthur.

7 ) During the first Kashmir War in 1947, personally led from the front in a tank to capture the Zozi La Pass. In fact, getting tanks to Zozi La which was proving to be impregnable, was a masterstroke, as never before the tanks were deployed at these icy heights.

8 ) He asked Pandit Nehru for just three months to beat back the raiders supported by Pakistan’s regulars in Kashmir, however latter referred it to the UN. We still don’t have the complete Kashmir.

9) As Army Chief from 1957-61, he had a running feud with the Defence Minister V.K. Krishna Menon over undue interference in Army, and had in fact resigned as the Army Chief, but was persuaded by the PM to withdraw his resignation.

10) Had the foresight to recognize the dangers from China much before any one with the possible exception of Sardar Patel.

11) His proposal to appoint Lt. Gen Thorat as Army Chief was shot down by Nehru, who instead appointed Gen Pran Nath Thapar.

He spent his last days in Cyprus, heading the UN Peacekeeping Force during the Civil War. Timmy passed away in Cyprus in 1965, due to a heart attack, aged just 59 years. No important person attended his funeral, he was buried in a nondescript site at Wilson Garden Cemetery. When the President of Cyprus, came to India, specifically to honour him, our government woke up, and hastily erected a memorial at ASC Centre, Bangalore. When General Thimayya died in Cyprus, the Cyprus Govt. declared 10 days of mourning , and flew their Flag was at Half Mast !!

No befitting memorials to General KS Thimayya exist today apart from the small Bangalore memorial, a memorial at Madikeri, Coorg recently renovated with public support, and his school RIMC naming the main gate as Thimayya Gate.

On his birth anniversary please do fwd this to as many as you can.
Jai Hind

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Simple Philosophy

March 28, 2019
After retirement – I have become a non-entity..
At times – events happen – that make me feel low.
But – there is nothing I can do – except be a mute spectator.
On such occasions – I remember the words of Epictetus:
“…Some things are within our control – and some things are not in our control
Once you learn to distinguish between the two – then inner tranquility and outer effectiveness become possible.
Events don’t hurt us – only our attitude towards them does.
Don’t demand or expect that events happen as you would wish them to.
Accept events as they actually happen.
That way peace is possible…”
So whenever I feel demoralised – in order to raise my morale – I pull out a book from my bookcase – read it – and – I contemplate.
The book is called:
“Epictetus – The Art of Living: The Classic Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness…”
Let me tell you about the book…
THE ART OF LIVING
A Philosophical Approach
EPICTETUS IN A NUTSHELL
The Classic Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness: Epictetus

Book Review

By
VIKRAM KARVE
I have got a wonderful book in my bookcase.
The title and details of the book are as follows:
The Art of Living: The Classic Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness, a new interpretation by Sharon Lebell, published by HarperCollins in 1994, ISBN 0-06-251346-X
This compact book encapsulates in a nutshell the salient teachings of Epictetus, the great Stoic philosopher.
Whenever I buy a book I write my name, the date and place of purchase on the first page. I bought this book from one of my favorite bookstores – Gangaram’s Bangalore – on 18 August 1999.

Those were the glorious days, in the 1990s, when I used to visit Bangalore very often.
I ensured I stayed somewhere near MG Road, and spend the evenings strolling in the delightful area around MG Road and Brigade Road.
A delightful meal of the scrumptious Kerala delicacies like Stew, Appams, Parotta and the Ghee Rice at Imperial on Residency Road, baked delights at Nilgiri, Rosogullas at KC Das and Book Browsing at Gangarams Book Bureau were an absolute must.
It’s been 20 long years now – I cherish those memories and hope I get a chance to visit Bangalore soon and enjoy strolling, eating and browsing in my favourite places.
Now let’s have a look at a few gems from this witty and wise book which delves on two basic questions pertaining to the Art of Living :
How do I live a happy, meaningful, fulfilling life…?

How can I be a good person…?
Epictetus advises:
“Approach life as a banquet…”
Think of your life as if were a banquet where you would behave graciously.
When dishes are passed to you, extend your hand and help yourself to a moderate portion.
If a dish should pass you by, enjoy what is already on your plate.
Or if a dish hasn’t been passed to you yet, patiently wait your turn.
There is no need to yearn, envy, and grab.
You will get your rightful portion when it is your time.
Happiness and Freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle:
Some things are within our control – and some things are not in our control
And once you learn to distinguish between the two (what is in your control and what is not in your control) then inner tranquility and outer effectiveness become possible.
Events don’t hurt us – only our Attitude towards them does.
Don’t demand or expect that events happen as you would wish them to.
Accept events as they actually happen.
That way peace is possible.
Create your own Merit.
Never depend on the admiration of others.
Personal merit cannot be derived from an external source.
Remember – there is no such thing as vicarious merit.
These are a few gems from the book – every page radiates simple implementable wisdom.
Whereas society regards professional achievement, wealth, power, and fame as desirable and admirable – Epictetus views these as incidental and irrelevant to true happiness.
What matters most is what sort of life you are actually living – a life of virtue – a life celebrating and caretaking the present moment.
Authentic happiness is always independent of external conditions – your happiness can be found within.
This captivating book has had a profound effect on me and my way of thinking and living and this motivated me to delve into the life and works of Epictetus in more detail.
And – it was heartening to see the congruence and harmony of the teachings of Epictetus with Eastern philosophical wisdom and precepts.
I am glad I bought this splendid book.
It cost me only 95 Rupees.
Go down to your neighborhood bookstore and browse through it.
I am sure you will love to have a copy in your bookcase.
I assure you that you will enrich your inner self every time your read this delightful book.
Dear Reader – do get a copy of this book and tell me if you like this breathtakingly simple philosophy of life – which is so easy to implement in daily life.
Yes – it is simple “implementable wisdom”.
Dear Reader: I wish you authentic happiness and good health.
VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

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