Suicide of Danny Chen

Danny Chen
Born (1992-05-26)May 26, 1992
Manhattan, New York, United States
Died October 3, 2011(2011-10-03) (aged 19)
Kandahar province, Afghanistan
Cause of death Suicide
Nationality United States
Other names Chén Yǔhuī (陳宇暉)
Alma mater Pace University High School
Occupation Private
Parent(s) Suzhen Chen (mother)
Yan Tao Chen (father)

Danny Chen (simplified Chinese: 陈宇晖; traditional Chinese: 陳宇暉[1]; pinyin: Chén Yǔhuī; May 26, 1992 – October 3, 2011) was an American U.S. Army soldier who served in Afghanistan. Chen was racially harassed and beaten by his fellow soldiers before his death on October 3, 2011.[2] Chen was found shot to death in a guard tower in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. The military described his wound as self-inflicted.[3]

Early life

Chen was born and raised in Chinatown, Manhattan, New York City, New York[4] where his father works as a chef and his mother as a seamstress.[4][5] His parents are immigrants from Taishan, a coastal city in Guangdong province, China.[6]

Danny graduated from Pace University High School in Manhattan in 2010. He received a full scholarship offer to Baruch College in Manhattan. However, he joined the army in January 2011, and planned on returning to New York City to serve with the New York City Police Department.[6]

Career

Pvt. Chen served with C Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, which is based in Fort Wainwright, Alaska.[2] He was later deployed with his unit to Kandahar province in Afghanistan.[7]

Mistreatment

Military investigators found that Chen was the target of ethnic slurs and endured physical attacks at the hands of his fellow soldiers before his death.[7][8] Chen had been physically and verbally abused by his superiors who singled him out for being Chinese-American. This occurred on a daily basis for six weeks.[6][9][10] As the only American soldier with Chinese ancestry in the unit, he was singled out, endured taunts including racial slurs like "gook", "chink", "Jackie Chan", "Soy Sauce" and "dragon lady,",[11] assigned excessive guard duty to the point of exhaustion, made to do push-ups while holding water in his mouth, put in a “simulated sitting position” and kicked by other soldiers using their knees, among other abuses.[12]

He was allegedly pelted with stones by fellow soldiers and forced to crawl across gravel until his suicide.[13] On September 27, 2011, a sergeant dragged Chen out of bed and over 15 metres (49 ft) of gravel, leaving visible bruises and cuts on Chen's back. Although the incident was reported to Chen's platoon sergeant and squad leader, it was not reported to superior officers.[12] On October 3, 2011, the day he died, other soldiers forced him to crawl on gravel for over 100 metres (330 ft) while carrying equipment, as his comrades threw rocks at him.[14]

Burial

Chen received a military funeral at a cemetery in Valhalla, New York, on October 13, 2011.[15]

Investigation and legal consequences

On December 21, 2011, the US Army charged eight soldiers with various crimes relating to Chen's death:

All the defendants belonged to C Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. They faced various charges, including assault, dereliction of duty, involuntary manslaughter, maltreatment, making false statements, negligent homicide, and reckless endangerment.[16][17]

Following a series of Article 32 hearings on March 5, 2012, investigators dropped the most serious charge, involuntary manslaughter, which carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison, against the defendants. However, four of the eight soldiers were then recommended for court-martial on the remaining charges such as negligent homicide, which carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison. Subsequent trials were held at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.[18][19]

A 2009 graduate of West Point, Daniel Schwartz of Maryland was Chen's platoon leader. Following a pretrial hearing at Kandahar Air Field, he was recommended for court-martial on February 12, 2012.[20] He faced eight counts of dereliction of duty, including failure to promote "a climate in which everyone is treated with dignity and respect, regardless of race" and "to prevent his subordinates from maltreating and engaging in racially abusive language." Furthermore, he stood "accused of failing to report two soldiers for consuming alcohol in violation of military rules and failing to report one of those soldiers for 'recklessly' detonating a hand grenade near their base."[21][22]

Reaching a deal with prosecutors in December 2012, Schwartz did not face trial, and the charges against him were dropped. Instead, he was dismissed from the Army, following a nonpublic Article 15 proceeding. Specifics regarding his punishment were not disclosed.[22][23]

Courts-Martial

Adam Holcomb

30-year-old Sgt. Adam Michael Holcomb of Youngstown, Ohio was the first of the soldiers involved in Chen's death to stand trial. He faced charges including negligent homicide, reckless endangerment, communicating a threat, assault, maltreatment of a subordinate, dereliction of duty and violating a lawful general regulation, which combined carried a maximum prison sentence of up to 17 years and 9 months. He pleaded not guilty. The trial was conducted at Fort Bragg.[24][25] He was cleared of most of his serious charges, and was sentenced to thirty days in jail for assault, along with demotion by one rank and a fine.[26] His sentence outraged members of the community, including Asian Americans and civil rights activists.[27]

Ryan Offutt

In August 2012, it was reported that Spc. Ryan J. Offutt pleaded guilty to one count of hazing and two specifications of maltreatment. Offutt made a plea deal, resulting in charges of negligent homicide and reckless endangerment being dropped. Offutt had called Chen "chink," "gook," "fortune cookie," "squint eye" and "egg roll," and had kicked and thrown rocks at Chen. He was sentenced to six months in prison.[27][28]

Travis Carden

In October 2012, it was reported that Spc. Travis Carden received a "bad conduct discharge" and was demoted to private after pleading guilty to charges which included attempting to impede an investigation, and striking and pushing another soldier and negligently discharging a pistol in a government van during the altercation. Carden had previously been found guilty of ordering Chen to perform demeaning physical tasks, and calling him racially disparaging names. He was sentenced to ten months in prison.[29][30]

A portion of Manhattan's Elizabeth Street is now also Pvt. Danny Chen Way.

Andrew J. VanBockel

In November 2012, a military jury convicted Staff Sgt. VanBockel of hazing, dereliction of duty and maltreatment of a subordinate. He was demoted two ranks, reprimanded and forced to perform 60 days of hard labor, of which only 45 days were credited due to pre-trial confinement. In Afghanistan, VanBockel was Chen's squad leader at Combat Outpost Palace.[31]

Legacy

A stretch of Elizabeth Street in Chinatown, Manhattan is now Private Danny Chen Way, renamed in honor of Chen.[32][33]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 陳宇暉出殯 數百人送行. World Journal (in Chinese). 13 October 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  2. 1 2 Gardiner, Sean (12 October 2011). "Army Probes Events Behind Soldier Death". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  3. ↑ "Danny Chen". New York Times. 18 December 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  4. 1 2 Semple, Kirk (21 December 2011). "8 Charged in Death of Fellow Soldier, U.S. Army Says". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  5. ↑ Leitsinger, Miranda (6 January 2012). "Army reveals 'sensitive' material to family of dead Chinese-American soldier". MSNBC. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 Gonnerman, Jennifer (2012-01-06). "Pvt. Danny Chen, 1992–2011". New York Magazine. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  7. 1 2 Leitsinger, Miranda (21 December 2011). "8 US soldiers charged in death of fellow GI". MSNBC. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  8. ↑ "8 US soldiers charged in comrade's death". Associated Press. 21 December 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  9. ↑ Beekman, Daniel; Braden Goyette; Corky Siemaszko (21 December 2011). "8 soldiers charged in death of Pvt. Danny Chen in Afghanistan". New York Daily News. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  10. ↑ Semple, Kirk (30 October 2011). "Soldier’s Death Raises Suspicions in Chinatown". New York Times. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  11. ↑ Stjepan Mestrovic (2015). Postemotional Bully. Sage.
  12. 1 2 "Shocking Details Of Private Danny Chen Case Revealed". Bowery Boogie. 6 January 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
  13. ↑ Fractenberg, Ben (5 January 2012). "Army Pvt. Danny Chen Pelted with Rocks Just Before Death, Advocates Say". DNAinfo. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
  14. ↑ Riechmann, Deb (6 March 2012). "Afghan Suicide: U.S. Troops May Go on Trial". Time. Associated Press. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
  15. ↑ Cuza, Bobby (October 11, 2011). "Parents of Manhattan Solider {sic} Killed Overseas Question Son's Treatment". NY1 News. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
  16. ↑ "8 Soldiers Charged in Death of Fellow Serviceman". CNN. December 21, 2011. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  17. ↑ Londoño, Ernesto; Davenport, Christian (December 21, 2011). "8 US Soldiers Charged in Death of Comrade in Afghanistan". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  18. ↑ Shapiro, Julie (March 6, 2012). "Accused Soldiers in Danny Chen's Death Will Not Face Manslaughter Charges". DNAinfo. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  19. ↑ Semple, Kirk (April 11, 2012). "Any Trial in Soldier's Death Would Be at Fort Bragg". The New York Times. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Military Investigators Recommended Courts-Martial for 2 Charged in Pvt. Danny Chen's Death". CBS New York. February 16, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  21. ↑ "8 Soldiers Charged in Death of Fellow Serviceman". CNN. December 21, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  22. 1 2 Semple, Kirk (December 17, 2012). "Army Officer Reaches Deal in the Suicide of a Private". The New York Times. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  23. ↑ "US Army Soldier Faces Discharge After Asian-American Soldier's Hazing". The New York Times. December 17, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  24. ↑ "Court martial begins in death of Chinese-American solider {sic}". USAToday. Associated Press. 23 July 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  25. ↑ "Trial to start in alleged hazing, death of Asian-American soldier". Reuters. 23 July 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  26. ↑ "US military (News),US news,World news". The Guardian (London). 31 July 2012.
  27. 1 2 Semple, Kirk (Aug 14, 2012). "Danny Chen". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  28. ↑ Beekman, Daniel (August 13, 2012). "Second soldier to go on trial in Pvt. Danny Chen?case pleads guilty?". New York Daily News. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  29. ↑ Beekman, Daniel (October 12, 2012). "2nd soldier pleads guilty in Chen hazing case". New York Daily News. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  30. ↑ "Soldier discharged after pleading guilty in hazing". Wall Street Journal. Oct 11, 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  31. ↑ Brooks, Drew. "Staff Sgt. Andrew VanBockel receives reprimand, reduction in rank in Danny Chen suicide case". Fayetteville Observer.
  32. ↑ "'Private Danny Chen Way' named in honor of Chinatown soldier driven to suicide from hazing". NY Daily News. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  33. ↑ "Private Danny Chen Way is dedicated in Chinatown". The Villager Newspaper. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
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