Matthew McKeon
Encyclopedia
Matthew McKeon was a Staff Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps
who gained notoriety during the Ribbon Creek incident
which occurred at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
, South Carolina
, on April 8, 1956. He was also a combat veteran of World War II
and the Korean War
.
during World War II
aboard the . He toiled in a factory before joining the Marine Corps in 1948. He mentioned how harsh the training at Parris Island was at the time. For example, he and his fellow recruits were once forced to crawl through pig manure as part of a drill. McKeon served in the Korean War for fourteen months as the leader of a machine gun squad.
After the war, McKeon was selected for drill instructor
training. He completed the rigorous school graduating 14th out of 55 (90 students had begun the course). His superiors thought him bright, hard-working and alert. The psychiatrists who examined him found no evidence of mental abnormality, but did mention he had a tendency towards acting before thinking.
The ill-fated march set off immediate repercussions which shook Marine Corps training from top to bottom. Moreover, an uninterrupted flood of publicity by the press, radio, and television divided the country into two camps, those who condemned McKeon for what had happened and those who sympathized with him.
His court-martial began at Parris Island on July 16, 1956. Retired Marine Corps icon LtGen
Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller
testified on McKeon's behalf. McKeon was represented by noted defense attorney Emile Zola Berman
.
The sentence was a $270 fine, nine months of confinement at hard labor, rank reduced to private and a bad conduct discharge. The Secretary of the Navy later reduced the sentence to three months in the brig, reduction to private with no discharge and no fine. McKeon was transferred to a Marine base in Cherry Point, North Carolina, and attempted to rebuild his shattered career. He was forced to take a job in the enlisted men's kitchen to augment his meager pay. He eventually was discharged as a corporal in 1959 due to medical problems. McKeon lived out his life in West Boylston, Massachusetts
, and made his living as an inspector of standards for the states. In 1970, he told Newsweek
that he was always haunted by the Ribbon Creek tragedy and the fact that the young men who drowned would have now had families of their own. He said he prayed every day for forgiveness and to keep the boys in God's safekeeping. He was survived by his wife, five children and eight grandchildren.
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
who gained notoriety during the Ribbon Creek incident
Ribbon Creek Incident
The Ribbon Creek incident is the most common term for events which occurred on the night of April 8, 1956, when Staff Sergeant Matthew McKeon, a junior drill instructor at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, marched his assigned platoon into Ribbon Creek, a swampy tidal...
which occurred at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island is an military installation located within Port Royal, South Carolina, approximately south of Beaufort, the community that is typically associated with the installation. MCRD Parris Island is used for the training of enlisted Marines...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, on April 8, 1956. He was also a combat veteran of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
Combat experience
McKeon was born into a very large, close family of the Roman Catholic faith. He served in the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
aboard the . He toiled in a factory before joining the Marine Corps in 1948. He mentioned how harsh the training at Parris Island was at the time. For example, he and his fellow recruits were once forced to crawl through pig manure as part of a drill. McKeon served in the Korean War for fourteen months as the leader of a machine gun squad.
After the war, McKeon was selected for drill instructor
Drill instructor
A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
training. He completed the rigorous school graduating 14th out of 55 (90 students had begun the course). His superiors thought him bright, hard-working and alert. The psychiatrists who examined him found no evidence of mental abnormality, but did mention he had a tendency towards acting before thinking.
Ribbon Creek incident
McKeon was assigned to Platoon 71, "A" Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion. On Sunday night, April 8, 1956, between 2000 and 2045, he marched 74 men of Platoon 71 from their barracks to Ribbon Creek, one of the tidal streams on Parris Island, and led the men into the water. Some of them got into depths over their heads, panic ensued, and six recruits drowned in the resulting confusion.The ill-fated march set off immediate repercussions which shook Marine Corps training from top to bottom. Moreover, an uninterrupted flood of publicity by the press, radio, and television divided the country into two camps, those who condemned McKeon for what had happened and those who sympathized with him.
His court-martial began at Parris Island on July 16, 1956. Retired Marine Corps icon LtGen
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller
Chesty Puller
Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller was an officer in the United States Marine Corps. Puller is the most decorated U.S...
testified on McKeon's behalf. McKeon was represented by noted defense attorney Emile Zola Berman
Emile Zola Berman
Emile Zola Berman was a Jewish-American criminal defense lawyer. He was named for the famed French novelist Emile Zola . During World War II he was an intelligence officer in the 10th Air Force in Burma where he received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Bronze Star...
.
Aftermath
McKeon was acquitted on August 4, 1956, of charges of manslaughter and oppression of troops. He was found guilty of negligent homicide and drinking on duty.The sentence was a $270 fine, nine months of confinement at hard labor, rank reduced to private and a bad conduct discharge. The Secretary of the Navy later reduced the sentence to three months in the brig, reduction to private with no discharge and no fine. McKeon was transferred to a Marine base in Cherry Point, North Carolina, and attempted to rebuild his shattered career. He was forced to take a job in the enlisted men's kitchen to augment his meager pay. He eventually was discharged as a corporal in 1959 due to medical problems. McKeon lived out his life in West Boylston, Massachusetts
West Boylston, Massachusetts
-Library:The West Boylston public library was established in 1878. In fiscal year 2008, the town of West Boylston spent 1.6% of its budget on its public library—some $37 per person.-External links:******...
, and made his living as an inspector of standards for the states. In 1970, he told Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
that he was always haunted by the Ribbon Creek tragedy and the fact that the young men who drowned would have now had families of their own. He said he prayed every day for forgiveness and to keep the boys in God's safekeeping. He was survived by his wife, five children and eight grandchildren.
Literature
- Court-Martial at Parris Island: The Ribbon Creek Incident (1999) ISBN 1-55750-814-3
- The U.S. Marine Corps in Crisis: Ribbon Creek and Recruit Training (1990) ISBN 0-87249-635-X