The Hunt for Red October
“Theirs was not to reason why. Theirs but to do or die.” The great underlying issue in “The Hunt For Red October” is that of a military service person to disobey orders in order to obey his conscience. Without this issue, the events in the book would never have taken place. Although “The Hunt For Red October” is a fictional account it is loosely based upon real events the mutiny on the Storozhevoy and the sinking and salvage of K-129, the concept of blind obedience to military orders has become a growing International concern. In the Post World War II Nuremberg Trials, the Nuremberg Court ruled “that every individual is responsible for his own conduct, even in times of war.” This finding solidified the notions that the crimes were not just committed by the Nazi Regime but also by “the men who act as well as those who plan the act.” . From World War II to Vietnam to Abu Ghraib the responsibility of common soldiers to resist immoral orders is growing. Perhaps someday in the future, someone will write, First they must reason why, then they must do or die.
But, how can a soldier decide? They are part of a chain of command. After World War II the Nuremberg Court rejected the plea of ’Ich war nur ein kleine Mann,’ or ‘I was only a small man’ . Although the most determined searches, the stiffest penalties were reserved for the highest-ranking officers, the court repeatedly “ ruled that every individual is responsible for own conduct, even in times of war. And so, war crimes committed by the Nazi regime are committed by the men who act as well as those who plan the act.” .
During the Vietnam War Era, the American public first became aware of the atrocities carried out against civilians by military personnel. It brought the issue of the soldiers’ responsibility to follow immoral orders under the scrutiny of protesters and professors. . One notable study by Stanley Milgram, focused on the willingness of individuals to follow orders and torture other people. .
When United States Military personnel are sworn into service, they take the following Oath of Service.
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Under Article 90 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), it is a crime for a military member to willfully disobey a superior commissioned officer. Article 91 of that code makes it a crime to disobey a superior Noncommissioned or Warrant Officer. Article 92 of that code removes the word “willful” and makes it a crime to disobey any lawful order, so any disobedience to a lawful order, even an inadvertent one. Moreover, the penalty for disobedience in the time of war can be a death sentence..
In the case of Abu Ghraib, that was the most widely publicized of recent military morality offences, the death of Manadel al-Jamadi was determined to be a homicide. The private contractor received granted qualified immunity and none of its employees was charged with a crime. Civil prosecution seems unlikely since a recent Supreme Court decision let stand a federal appeals court ruling that the president has the power to stop a civil suit to protect national security . On the military side, eleven soldiers were convicted, sentenced and dishonorably discharged. The commanding officer Brigadier General Janis Karpinski was reprimanded and demoted. She served no jail time or discharge. In the Abu Ghraid incident, the higher up the chain of command, the lower the chance of investigation and prosecution. An article that appeared in the New Yorker the year the Abu Gharib scandal broke closed with the following observation about Major General Antonio M. Taguba who helped bring the abuse to national attention,” He’s not regarded as a hero in some circles in the Pentagon,’ a retired Army major general said of Taguba. ‘He’s the guy who blew the whistle, and the Army will pay the price for his integrity. The leadership does not like to have people make bad news public.’” .
This is not always the case. Some leaders take steps to insure their forces are not held responsible for their commander’s actions. Another leader included the following in a letter”I have ever acted from a principle o love to my country,The same principle of love to my country actuates my present conduct, however it may appear inconsistent to the world, who very seldom judge right of any man’s actions.” . In the case of “The Hunt For Red October” and the underlying “Man From Red October” the moral judgment was made and acknowledged by an officer. In the book, Captain Marko Alexandrovich Raimius of the Soviet submarine Red October for a variety of reasons. The two overwhelming ones were as a preemptive action not only to avoid the potential for wholesale destruction, and to avoid upsetting the balance of power that kept the two World Superpowers at bay. However, his discontent with the Soviet regime started long before then. The nation he identified with was not the “Rodina” or Russian Motherland it was Lithuania. He viewed the Soviet Union as a slovenly giant careless of the filth it left behind in its wake or spewed out on the earth. He resented his father’s actions in rounding up his compatriots in support of the Soviet cause and was ashamed to be related to him. When he decided to take action, it was considered and decisive. He did this after long cold assessment of the far-reaching implications of what he was about to do. As a result, his officers were men loyal to him. He also gave the opportunity to the men who did not agree with him and participate to escape with their lives and reputations. Part of this involved locking the crew below decks. To further guarantee their innocence, Captain Raimius sent a letter off to acknowledge his actions. . Just like the last military man mentioned he wanted the world, and his commanding officers to know that his action was for a cause. Captain Raimius succeeded in delivering Red October and received sanctuary. His crew was not held responsible. The Man From Red October succeeded in doing the same although he is spending the remainder of his life separated from his true homeland. The first man I quoted, he was not so lucky. His plans were thwarted. A coconspirator was seized by the military and the plans unveiled before they could be carried out. He tried to escape, but he was eventually captured. His betrayal shocked the nation, and especially his commanding officer who said “Whom can we trust now.” In the end, we executed him. His name was Benedict Arnold.
Bibliography
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Williams, C. J. (2011, 5 17). Five foreign men lose 'extraordinary rendition' case. Retrieved 3 5, 2013, from Los Angeles Times: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/17/local/la-me-rendition-20110517
Zagarins, J. (n.d.). The Man From Red October. Retrieved from LABAS: The Lithuania E-Zine: http://www.angelfire.com/tx/LABAS/edition4.html
