August 1, 1973, Wednesday

I was kept awake most of the night by Virgil s yelling. He didn’t have a blanket. He kept asking the Turnkeys to give him one. They said fuck you, you don’t deserve a blanket. It was cold last night, I was glad to have a blanket. They let him yell for a few hours. Then I heard him getting a beating. It didn’t stop him from yelling, he was slightly muted. After a while they beat him once more, they told him to shut the fuck up about a blanket. The only thing he was getting was more beatings. I could hear him whimper in pain all night.

I have to stay in the cell for three days. This is brig orientation. They gave me a file full of laminated papers, these are the rules. Tomorrow I get to test on the rules. Depending how I score is what barracks I get placed in.

I walk the length of the cell to get some exercise. I’m not allowed to use the bed, except at night for sleeping. I do have a chair for sitting and writing.

I get my meal delivered to me. I am not allowed to mingle with the general population.

The Turnkey told me this is a brig for the navy and the marines. The navy guys stay in one of two barracks. The marines stay in a separate smaller barracks. When a Sailor gets sent here he is a prisoner. When a marine gets sent here he becomes a Turnkey. He has to guard us and himself. That’s missed up.

He explains it this way. The marines’ main mission is to guard the navy’s stuff. Yes they fight the ground wars, the navy doesn’t. The marines are part of the navy. That’s the way it’s always been. When they get sent here, like the rest of us they have to work. Hence they do what they do, they guard us. Later.