Caine Mutiny, The - Herman Wouk [240]
CHAPTER 35
The Court-Martial-Second Day, Afternoon
Dr. Forrest Lundeen was a stout, pink-faced commander with gold-rimmed glasses, and straight blond hair fading to gray. He was chief of psychiatry at the Navy hospital, and had headed the medical board which had examined Queeg. He sat comfortably in the witness chair, answering Challee’s questions with good-humored alertness.
“How long did your examination last, Doctor?”
“We had the commander under constant observation and testing for three weeks.”
“Who comprised the board?”
“Myself, Dr. Bird, and Dr. Manella.”
“All three practicing psychiatrists?”
“Dr. Bird and Dr. Manella have been civilian psychiatrists. They are reserve officers. I have specialized in psychiatry in the Navy for fifteen years.”
“What was the finding of the board?”
“Commander Queeg was discharged with a clean bill of health.”
“No evidence of insanity was found?”
“None whatever.”
“Does that mean that Commander Queeg is absolutely normal?”
“Well, normality, you know, is a fiction in psychiatry. It’s all relative. No adult is without problems except a happy imbecile. Commander Queeg is a well-adjusted personality.”
“Do you consider it possible that two weeks before you began your examination Commander Queeg was insane?”
“It is utterly impossible. The commander is sane now and has always been sane. A psychotic collapse leaves trauma that can always be detected.”
“You found no such trauma in Commander Queeg?”
“None.”
“Commander Queeg was summarily relieved of command of the U.S.S. Caine on December 18, 1944, by his executive officer, who stated that the captain was mentally ill. Do you consider it possible that on that date Commander Queeg was in such a state of psychotic collapse that the executive officer’s act was justified?”
“Absolutely impossible.”
“Is it possible for a sane man to perform offensive, disagreeable, foolish acts?”
“It happens every day.”
“Assuming for a moment-this is a hypothetical question-that the conduct of Commander Queeg throughout his command was harsh, ill tempered, nasty, oppressive, and often showed bad judgment. Would that be inconsistent with your board’s findings?”
“No. We did not find that he was a perfect officer. We found an absence of mental illness.”
“From your knowledge of the commander, would you say he is capable of ill temper and harshness?”
“Yes. It’s in the picture.”
“Having discovered all that, you still say that the act of the executive officer in relieving him was unjustified?”
“From a psychiatric standpoint, completely unjustified. That was the unanimous conclusion of the board.”
“Describe the background of your colleagues.”
“Bird has special training in Freudian technique. He’s a recent honor graduate of Harvard Medical School. Manella is one of the best-known psychosomatic men on the West Coast.”
“State their present whereabouts.”
“Bird is still on my staff. Manella was detached last week and is en route to the Philippines.”
“We will place your report in evidence and hear Dr. Bird. Thank you, Doctor.”
The judge advocate allowed himself a direct glance into Greenwald’s eyes, and a thin cold grin. Greenwald came shuffling toward the witness platform, rubbing his nose with the back of his hand, looking down at his feet, and presenting a general picture of flustered embarrassment. “Dr. Lundeen, my background is legal, not medical. I hope you will bear with me if I try to clarify technical terms. I’ll probably ask some elementary questions.”
“Perfectly all right.”
“You said Commander Queeg, like all adults, had problems, to which he was adjusted. Can you describe the problems?”
“Well, most of that information comes under the heading of clinical confidences.”
“Yes, sir. Suppressing all confidential information, can you still describe in general the problems?”
Challee called out, “I object. Commander Queeg is not on trial. Lieutenant Maryk is. The question constitutes irrelevant probing of medical confidences.”
Blakely looked to Greenwald. The pilot shrugged. “I rely on the judgment of the court. Evidence regarding disturbing