$30M Abuse Case Began at Boot Camp

[livvy]

Scott DiDonato said Marine Corps drill instructors would make the recruits in his platoon chug several quarts of water after chow, and then the recruits would be denied head calls and forced to urinate and even defecate in their uniforms.


$30M Abuse Case Began at Boot Camp

Former Marine alleges torture, lies and cover-up
By Trista Talton - Staff writers
Posted : Sunday Feb 8, 2009 8:55:42 EST

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — Scott DiDonato was no stranger to the military when he arrived at Parris Island in October 1999. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 1991 after serving nearly 3½ years. He said he cut his enlistment short to be with his mother, who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Eight years later, he enlisted in the Marines and started over again. It would be a long, convoluted and difficult tale. Today, nearly a decade later, he is angry, bitter and suing the Marine Corps for $30 million.

DiDonato, now 38, went to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., in the hopes of launching a career in law enforcement. But shortly after stepping on the yellow footprints, DiDonato says, he endured torture at the hands of his drill instructors, setting off a chain of events that led to a hernia, a botched surgery, an other-than-honorable discharge and, he claims, lies and a cover-up performed by a series of high-ranking Marine Corps officers.

A Marine Corps spokesman, Maj. David Nevers, said the service would not comment on the case except for this short statement: “The Marine Corps is aware of the claims by Mr. DiDonato; however, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on this matter at this time.”

DiDonato, who changed his name from Scott Toelk in 2007 to honor a family member, also alleges Marines conspired to alter a congressman’s letter of inquiry into his claims of abuse at boot camp.

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http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/02/marine_didonato_020809w/%2e

[Captain Hilts]

1. It will be interesting to see the responses this article gets given that it's in the MCTimes. nt