PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WILLIAM T. SANTIAGO USMC (Michael DeLorenzo), in A Few Good Men, was the murder victim in the case of United States Government v. Lance Corporal Harold W. Dawson USMC and Private First Class Louden Downey USMC. The two were charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and conduct unbecoming United States Marines, in the death of Pfc. Santiago.Pfc. Santiago was a member of Second Platoon, Bravo Company, Rifle Security Company Windward, Marine Ground Forces, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He was, as no one suspected at the time, a very sick man. His sickness was subclinical, which would make his death the more tragic. His heart simply was not up to the stresses of Marine life.How he got through Basic training at Camp Pendleton, the narrative does not make clear. How he got assigned to RFC Windward at Gitmo, the narrative is even less clear. He fell behind on runs, and kept a barracks that was anything but shipshape. Once he fell behind on a run with a full kit over rough terrain near the fenceline. His sergeant pushed him down the trail, and he blacked out. The hospital doctor (Commander Stone) diagnosed heat exhaustion. Santiago wrote to everybody but Santa Claus, as the Marine Force commander, Col. Nathan R. Jessup USMC, would derisively observe. This included the CINCLANT office and the office of his home United States Senator.His break--as he thought--came the night of 2 August 1990. His squad leader, Lance Cpl. Harold W. Dawson USMC, fired over the fenceline into Cuban territory. Santiago could see no reason for the move. Or so he told himself. (Dawson would say later his mirror engaged.)Santiago wrote to the Naval Investigative Service, saying that in exchange for his transfer, he would share information about an illegal fenceline shooting that occurred the night of 2 August.He heard nothing more from NIS.On midnight 7 September 1990, Santiago awoke to find L. Cpl. Dawson and Pfc. Louden Downey standing over him. They seized him, stuffed a rag down his throat, taped his hands behind his back, and taped his ankles together. His lungs began to fill with blood, and he cried out. Until he choked on his own blood.And then he felt, heard, saw, and thought no more.Commander Stone received him as an emergency admission at 0012 7 September. He pronounced him dead at 0037. At 0300 he diagnosed acute pulmonic hemorrhage due to lactic acidosis, cause unknown. At 0500 hours he revised that to suggest internal poisoning. That revision would ultimately cost him his command. Show less «