‘Local Populations Remember’

Col. Mark Wilkinson gives the third annual Honors Week Faculty Lecture. -- VMI Photo by Sarah Brown.

Historian Tells How Misconduct of the Few Can Affect History

LEXINGTON, Va., March 27, 2012 – Col. Mark Wilkinson, VMI professor of history, told VMI’s Corps of Cadets how two men, a U.S. sailor and a Chinese rickshaw puller, affected the course of history in a talk Monday in Gillis Theater. His talk, the third annual Faculty Lecture, was one of a number of presentations and inductions marking VMI’s Honors Week

The history of Shanghai, an “excellent vehicle” for studying the interaction between Chinese and American history, also offers insight into the sensitive and even awkward position uniformed American military personnel occupy when they serve in foreign countries, Wilkinson told the cadets.

Encountering a dispute between a drunken foreigner and the Chinese rickshaw puller, the American sailor’s first response was to try to defuse the situation. Unable to prevent violence, he apparently felt responsible for protecting the foreigner’s safety and punched the rickshaw puller. The blow resulted in the death of the man, a “tremendous outpouring of protest,” and a trial that satisfied no one, least of all the Chinese population, which was then in the midst of a Civil War pitting the communists against a conservative government supported by the United States.

The encounter was indicative of the brawls, rickshaw crashes, and assaults on women that accompanied the discontent of American servicemen who wanted and expected to be repatriated to the United States at the end of World War II.

“We’re only talking about a small minority of this group of American personnel,” said Wilkinson. “It’s possible for a small minority to create outsized problems.”

The court martial declared the charge of manslaughter not proved and found the sailor innocent, after which he was repatriated and discharged. Chinese witnesses who had testified at preliminary hearings did not show up for the court martial, and their characters were called into question. Even the American commanding officer, who of course wished to protect the sailor, apparently felt that the prosecution had not been vigorous and that the sailor was likely guilty.

“Chinese people of all political persuasions were humiliated,” said Wilkinson, by the failure of the Chinese government to get justice for the rickshaw puller.

Wilkinson concluded the talk by outlining some of the lessons this story offered the cadets.

“This kind of misconduct is likely to have serious negative impacts on the mission, on your career aspirations,” he told them. “Local populations see and remember the actions of individual Americans and their leaders.”

Reflecting on his own study of the Chinese language through Jackson-Hope grant, Wilkinson noted that one of the best “entrées” to another culture – which can prevent the huge cultural voids illustrated by this story – is language. “I urge you to commit yourself to finding some language that you can make a part of you, that you can use as an entrée.”

He also urged the cadets to “take to heart” the proposition that the populations of the world are worthy of their care and attention. “They are real human beings with life stories and their own aspirations. It will help you professionally and it will help you personally.”
 

Honors Week events continue today.

 Tuesday, March 27 

9:25 a.m. – Senior thesis presentation: Colin Roberts, “Gwinnett County's Evolving Water Shortage Crisis,” Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, adviser: Maj. David Johnstone

10:50 a.m. – Senior thesis presentation: Jenna Pickett, “Assessment of the Bush Administration’s Policies Towards Improvement of the Living Conditions and Quality of Life for the Women of Afghanistan,” Department of International Studies and Political Science, adviser: Brigadier General Charles Brower IV

Noon – Psi Chi Induction: International Honor Society in Psychology, Turman Room, Preston Library, Faculty and friends of inductees are welcome to attend, Dress: Cadets Grey Blouse, Faculty: Class B

12:15 p.m. – Sigma Tau Delta Induction: International English Honor Society, Room 239, Scott Shipp Hall, Invitation Only  

1 p.m. – Senior thesis presentation: Ryan Schaedel, “Trace Gas Detection of Oxygen with Cavity Ring-down Spectroscopy,” Department of Physics and Astronomy, adviser: Lt. Col. George Brooke IV

2:25 p.m. – Senior thesis presentation: Troy Warcewicz, “The Application of Slow Sand Water Filtration in Developing Countries,” Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, adviser: Maj. David Johnstone

4:30 p.m. – Pi Tau Sigma Induction: International Mechanical Engineering Honor Society, Nichols Engineering Library, Faculty and friends of inductees are welcome to attend      

 Wednesday, March 28 

11 a.m. – Senior thesis presentation: Boris Duvnjak, “Incentivizing Cooperation in Bosnia & Herzegovina,” Department of Economics and Business, adviser: Col. Atin Basuchoudhary

12:15 p.m. – Beta Beta Beta Induction:  National Biological Honor Society, Maury Brooke Hall Science Library Faculty and friends of inductees are welcome to attend, Dress: Cadets Grey Blouse, Faculty: Class B

1 p.m. – Senior thesis presentation: Michael Shafer, “Is Value Investing a Fitter Strategy? – An Evolutionary Game Theory Approach,” Department of Economics and Business, adviser: Col. Atin Basuchoudhary

2 p.m. – Senior thesis presentation: John Alerding, “Flapping-Wing Mechanism Design and Dynamic Structural Deformation Measurement using Videogrammetry and Simulation using Finite Element Analysis,” Department of Mechanical Engineering, adviser: Col. Joseph Blandino

3 p.m. – Senior thesis presentation: Dallas Disbro, “A Study of the Deployment of Wind Power as a Renewable Energy Source: Spain's Feed-in Tariff v. Texas' Renewable Portfolio Standard,” Department of Economics and Business, adviser: Col. Robert Moreschi

 Thursday, March 29 

8:15 a.m. – Senior thesis presentation: Kippur Taylor, “A Mexican Car-tale: The story of the Communication, Competition, and Cooperation of Mexico’s Drug Cartels told by Game Theory Modeling,” Department of Economics and Business, adviser: Col. Atin Basuchoudhary

Noon – Omicron Delta Kappa Induction:  National Leadership Honor Society, Marshall Museum, Faculty and friends of inductees are welcome to attend, Dress Cadets Grey Blouse, Faculty: Class B

1 p.m. – Senior thesis presentation: Maxx Hipko, “Tactical Strength, Strategic Weakness: The Unforeseen Consequences of the CIA Drone Campaign,” Department of International Studies and Political Science, adviser: Brig. Gen. Charles Brower IV

2:25 p.m. – Senior thesis presentation: Michael Everett, “CFD Investigation of a Co-Flow Jet's Effect on the Central Jet of a Concentric Nozzle System,” Department of Mechanical Engineering, adviser: Maj. Ryan Taylor

–VMI–