Autistic Marine?
Joshua Fry had a difficult time at boot camp. It isn’t uncommon for many young men and women to struggle a bit, but Joshua had some pretty extreme troubles.
He was confused by the orders drill instructors shouted at him. He was caught stealing peanut butter from the chow hall. He urinated in his canteen. He talked back to the drill instructors. He refused to shave.
Drill Instructors helped Joshua make it through the rest of recruit training, but he soon faced trouble again. He was arrested for dissertation and possession of child pornography. Those two actions are enough to make a lot of service members shoot for some kind of personal vengeance and not wait for the legal system to run its course. However, Joshua really couldn’t help his behavior even if he wanted to.
At the age of 8, Joshua was diagnosed as autistic. His parents, both of whom were addicted to drugs, were not fit to raise him, which led to bouncing from foster home to foster home. He was even ordered to a 15-month stay at a facility for psychologically disturbed youth. His grandmother was given conservatorship over him shortly after his 18th birthday, which prevents him from signing any type of contract without her permission. Joshua should have never been able to enlist. Joshua now sits in a Camp Pendleton brig waiting for the Marine Corps to complete the legal process.
Needless to say, there was a sever breakdown in the recruiting process. The investigation is still on going, so I’m not here to lay blame. My point is rather simple. Joshua should have never enlisted. Since he was able to break the recruiting screening process, he should be discharged and not prosecuted. There is nothing to gain, no example to set, for this young man to be sitting in the brig. He needs treatment and to return to the group home in Irving where he lived prior to enlisting.
I truly hope the Marine Corps administratively separates him so that he gets help, not prison.
Katherine
July 13th, 2009 at 3:12 pmAs a person who works with children with Autism, and also a Blue Star Mom (Army), I hope the Marine Corps has the good sense to get this young man some help and not send him to prison.
In my eyes, sending this young man to prison would go against everything the Marines and the Military stands for.
Claire
July 13th, 2009 at 8:50 pmHoly smokes! With my background in mental health my head is spinning even trying to imagine a young man with autism facing the stresses and strains of boot camp. Man… I can not imagine what he went through and the fact that he didn’t totally break shows that he does have some resiliency.
This young man needs a good home, a safe place to live his life with good direction and people around him who care. I hope the Marine Corps shows mercy to him and he gets the support he needs in the civilian world.