Sailor Charged in Murder of Seaman August Provost

I have posted previously about the violent murder of Seaman August Provost (pictured at left) at Camp Pendleton, California and the rumors and speculation that his death might have involved a hate crime. Finally, an arrest has been made although the Navy is claiming that there was no evidence that the killing was a hate crime - not that the Navy would be likely to admit it even if a hate crime had occurred. As time goes by perhaps we will learn more as to the real circumstances. Here are some highlights on the arrest from the San Diego Union-Tribune:

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SAN DIEGO – A sailor has been charged with fatally shooting and burning a gay serviceman last month at Camp Pendleton, but Navy officials said Thursday it was part of a crime spree not related to the victim's sexual orientation. Prosecutors accuse Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Campos of killing Seaman August Provost during an arson attack against the compound of Assault Craft Unit 5 on June 30, said Capt. Matt Brown, a spokesman for Navy Region Southwest. Brown again stressed that there's no evidence of a hate crime or gang-related activity.

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Campos, 32, of Lancaster, faces 16 charges, including murder, arson, unlawful entry, theft of military property and wrongful possession of a firearm. He also is charged with soliciting a civilian in San Diego to murder another sailor the day after Provost's killing. Brown said Campos and Provost served in the 500-member assault craft unit, whose members are trained to pilot jet-powered hovercraft onto beaches for amphibious operations. They likely had met before, he said, but there's no evidence to suggest they knew each other well.

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Sometime before 3:30 a.m., Navy officials allege, Campos approached the guard shack, shot Provost several times and stole his 9mm Beretta service pistol. Campos then allegedly set fire to the shack – with Provost's body still inside – using gasoline and a lighter. “He apparently did it to destroy evidence,” Brown said.

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Campos also is accused of planning to set fire to one of the unit's landing craft, but he never made it into the compound. Brown didn't specify why Campos became a suspect, but he did say that Campos failed to show up for work before being arrested July 1. The defendant is being held at the Miramar Naval Consolidated Brig.

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Provost's death has prompted concerns from gay-rights leaders and some of his family and friends who believe he might have been killed because of his sexual orientation. Gay activists held a candlelight vigil July 10 near Camp Pendleton's main gate. On Thursday, Provost's aunt said she's still not sure what to think about the killer's motive. “We just want justice to be done, and we hope to one day understand why the killer would target someone as good and responsible as my nephew,” said Rose Roy of Beaumont, Texas.

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The whole matter seems very strange and like Provost's aunt, I'm not sure what to think of the information released so far.

No Gays in the Military, But White Supremacists Okay

The recent murder of Boatswain’s Mate Seaman August Provost continues to be an example of the military stonewalling on the release of information since Provot's murder may inadvertently lead to other questions that the military doesn't want to talk about: while it is busy expelling qualified gays, the military has been allowing its ranks to be filled with white supremacists, gang members and felons. As the Navy Times is reporting, at least one member of Congress is angered by the Navy's stonewalling:

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Officials have not identified the suspect, who remained at the Camp Pendleton brig following a confinement hearing Wednesday, said Brian O’Rourke, a spokesman for Navy Region-Southwest in San Diego. No charges had been filed as of Thursday, O’Rourke said, adding that it may be several days before that could take place.

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Navy officials said they don’t believe the shooting was gang- or terror-related. They also continued to dispute rumors that Provost was killed because he was gay, despite contentions raised by several relatives and gay advocacy groups who claim the sailor had been harassed at the unit because he was open about his homosexuality.

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Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., has asked Navy and Marine Corps officials for additional investigations into Provost’s death. Provost “made the selfless and courageous decision to serve his country, regardless of his sexual orientation; he should be treated with honor and respect,” Filner wrote in letters to Defense Secretary Robert Gates; Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway; Col. Nicholas F. Marano, who is Camp Pendleton’s base commander; and Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., who chairs the House Armed Services Committee.

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Filner said he was frustrated with a lack of information from the Navy and the Marine Corps, particularly over the suspicion that Provost’s sexuality might be connected to his death, which would raise questions about consequences of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. "They don't want that discussion to take place," he said.

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Meanwhile, Daily Kos has been reporting about the types of undesirables that have been admitted into the armed services even as witch hunts for gay and lesbian service members continue. Here are some highlights:

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In 2006, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)--a watchdog group that tracks hate groups in American--informed Donald Rumsfled that "thousands" of active duty troops appeared to be affiliated with hate groups in violation of military policy. The problem was acknowledged by some military commanders, recruiters, and the FBI, but nothing was done.

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In a recent article in the military publication Stars and Stripes, writer Kevin Baron discusses the issue:

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Military personnel must reject participation in organizations that espouse supremacist causes," the rule states. "Active participation, such as publicly demonstrating or rallying, fund raising, recruiting and training members, organizing or leading such organizations, or otherwise engaging in activities in relation to such organizations ... that are viewed by command to be detrimental to the good order, discipline, or mission accomplishment of the unit, is incompatible with Military Service, and is, therefore, prohibited." But military officials gave conflicting answers this week when asked how policies governing racist behavior are being enforced.

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The Army spokesman then referred Stripes to the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command for more information. But that office refused to comment on Army policy on hate groups, saying that the issue of extremists infiltrating the ranks was "an Army-wide issue" that should be addressed at the service command level. Conversely, no one in the military seems to be confused about how to apply "Don't Ask Don't Tell," as any of the 619 enlisted men and women kicked out of the military last year for being homosexual can tell you.

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The SPLC describes Newsaxon.com, where several soldiers have profiles, as a community site for white supremacists. Here is a quote from one active duty soldier with a profile under "WhitePride85" at the site: I have been in the Army for over 5 years now ... I am a SSGT ... I have been in Iraq and Kuwait ... I love and will do anything to keep our master race marching. I have been a skinhead forever.

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In 2006, the SPLC documented the neo-Nazi activities of Matt Buschbacher, who became a Navy SEAL: In 1999, he was the head of the [World Church of the Creator] Cincinnati chapter when Chicago member Benjamin Smith went on a three-day, two-state shooting spree that targeted Jews, Asians and blacks. Smith killed two people and wounded nine before committing suicide as police closed in.

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Buschbacher joined the navy in October 2001. In August 2002, while an active duty SEAL, "Buschbacher attended the National Alliance's invitation-only "leadership conference" at the neo-Nazi group's West Virginia compound." What's clear is that for years after becoming a SEAL, he violated military regulations without repercussions by staying active in the neo-Nazi movement.

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Truth be told, in my opinion, DADT remains in place while racists and felons and other undesirables are recruited for one simple reason: many senior military commanders are racists and homophobes themselves. No one wants to admit the extent of the problem because then it would track right up to the highest echelons of the armed forces and people like Admiral Mike Mullen.

Gay Sailor’s Family Blames Military After his Death

In what seems to be an all too familiar scenario, the family of slain Navy Seaman August Provost, III, are complaining that Provost had been complaining for over a year about harassment and the Navy higher ups did nothing. Apparently, strict discipline and punishment do not apply when the target of harassment is gay. The sad truth is that many military commanders turn a blind eye to anti-gay harassment and take a "boys will be boys" attitude and/or yuck it up when the harassment targets a "faggot." What is especially disturbing is the brutality to which Provost was subjected - reflecting an all too prevalent attitude that somehow gays are not fully human. Instead of barring gays from the military, it is the bigots who should be barred since they likely commit atrocities in places like Iraq against others who they likewise see as less than human. Here are some highlights from the Houston Chronicle:

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Relatives of a slain sailor are calling the 29-year-old’s death a hate crime. Rose Roy of Beaumont said her nephew, Navy Seaman August Provost III, had complained a year before about being harassed for being gay. Roy said she advised Provost to report and document the incidents, but she said the military did little to help. “He went to the Navy to serve and protect,” she said in an interview with Beaumont’s KFDM News, “he didn’t get protected at all.” Roy told The Associated Press that the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy discouraged her nephew from asking for help. “That phrase is just stupid because it tells them they have no one to speak to,” she said.

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The 29-year-old Houston native was found dead Tuesday at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego. Roy said the family was told that Provost was shot three times, had his hands and feet bound, his mouth gagged, and body burned. The family plans to hold funeral services July 10 in Houston.

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Democratic Rep. Bob Filner of San Diego said Thursday he wants a Defense Department investigation into the death, after leaders of the city’s gay community asked him to intervene. Investigators have called the sailor’s death a random act unrelated to the his sexuality and have taken a “person of interest” into custody. No charges have been filed.
Roy said Provost joined the Navy in March 2008 to pay off college debt.

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Living in this area with a huge Navy presence, I have zero confidence that the Navy would ever admit that Provost's death was an anti-gay hate crime no matter how overwhelming the evidence. What is equally frightening is that the mindset of someone who would treat another human so brutally is daily reinforced by the Christianists who allege gays seek to destroy the family or bring God's wrath down on America.

Navy Man Killed in Possible Hate Crime

The San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that a 29 year old U.S. Navy man (pictured at left) has been found apparently murdered at Camp Pendleton. Some gay activist believe the death was a hate crime that occurred after an argument over the victim's sexual orientation. A "person of interest" is being held for questioning. Sadly, because of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, LGBT servicemembers have nowhere to go when threatened because of their sexual orientation and likewise cannot seek counseling without likely ending their military careers. As a result, they are often sitting ducks for simple harassment and/or worse. Here are some story highlights:

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CAMP PENDLETON — The body of a 29-year-old sailor was found in a Camp Pendleton guard shack Tuesday, and a “person of interest” was taken into custody in connection with the suspected homicide, Navy officials said yesterday. The body of Seaman August Provost of Houston, Texas, was discovered about 3:30 a.m. on the western edge of the base, said Doug Sayers, a spokesman for Navy Region Southwest.

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An autopsy was completed yesterday, but authorities were waiting for results of toxicology tests to determine a cause of death. A “person of interest” was being held in the Navy brig at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. No charges have been filed.

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The death has local gay activists calling for a formal investigation into whether Provost was slain because of his sexual orientation. “We're definitely monitoring this and trust and hope the military will investigate this in the professional way it should,” said Nicole Murray-Ramirez, chairman of San Diego's Human Rights Commission. Murray-Rameriz also has contacted Reps. Susan Davis and Bob Filner, asking that they make official inquiries to the military concerning an investigation. The Navy would not comment on whether Provost's orientation had anything to do with the death.

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Provost's boyfriend, Kaether Cordero, said yesterday that Provost was openly gay but kept his private life quiet for the most part. “People who he was friends with, I knew that they knew,” Cordero said from Houston. “He didn't care that they knew. He trusted them.” Provost had recently complained to his family that someone was harassing and bothering him, and they advised him to tell his supervisor, said his sister, Akalia. “He's the type that if someone comes at him, he walks away. He never stands and argues,” she said. “He didn't deserve anything but a good life.”

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As I have stated over and over again, the blight of DADT needs to be repealed NOW.