We have been reporting on corruption in the American military since 1986. Yours truly has been observing the military since 1971, when I signed up in the Navy’s Aviation Reserve Officer Candidate (AVROC) program.
Eventually, Major Glenn MacDonald started up a new website called “MilitaryCorruption.com.” Your humble correspondent would frequently write articles for MC.com. The point is this; we have been observing examples of military injustice for over fifty years, but nothing, and we mean nothing quite compares to the abomination of justice that Colonel Daniel H. Wilson suffered at the hands of the United States Marine Corps.
We are convinced that only under Russia’s dictator, Vladimir Putin, or China’s balloon-launching dictator Xi Jinping would Colonel Dan Wilson have encountered more injustice than he did in our own military. Ironically, when the military finally got the green light to shoot down a balloon, it splashed in the water about a mile from Colonel Dan Wilson’s residence.
Over the years, many of our readers have inquired about the status of Colonel Daniel H. Wilson. After three years in prison, and now three years of freedom, we decided to provide everyone an update on a great man who was stabbed in the back by his own people.
Dan (as he likes to be called in retirement) is getting along well since his release from the American military gulag system. To refresh everyone’s memory, Dan and his wife were having some drinks at home with a woman who was borrowing their washing machines. The woman was married to another officer and in a tight spot between military PCS moves. She desperately needed to get caught up with the family laundry.
THE UPDATE
Shortly after the “laundry party,” Colonel Dan Wilson was falsely accused of molesting the laundry lady’s 6-year-old daughter. The Marine Corps went blind with anger. They surely would have executed Colonel Wilson without trial if Congress permitted such things.
About halfway through Wilson’s 5 1/2-year prison sentence, the military appeals court threw out the military’s case against Col. Dan Wilson. The Marines discovered the coerced testimony of a six-year-old girl was simply not enough evidence to send a man to prison for five-and-a-half years.
Oh sure, there have been far worse atrocities if we include the civilian court system. In 2017, for example, after serving 28 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Bernard Young sat in a courtroom as he heard the words he has long waited to hear: “Your case is dismissed.”
More people than our country cares to admit, have been falsely accused and horribly punished. But, we expect more from our military because the juries are comprised of men of honor… yeah right!
Colonel Daniel H. Wilson was exonerated on 1 July 2019, by the Navy & Marine Corps’ Appellate Court, but a cabal of vile and diabolical military lawyers were able to keep him behind bars until 18 October 2019. They were applying pressure on Col. Dan to sign a crappy agreement that was designed to provide cover for the evil bastards who sent an innocent man to prison.
Wilson reluctantly signed an extremely unfavorable agreement. He signed under extreme duress. The threat of indefinite confinement for months, if not years, was too much for him (or any man) to bear.
As the convening authority, Lt. Gen. Beaudreault could have ordered Col. Wilson freed from prison immediately after the appeals court ruled the evidence against Col. Dan was pathetic at best. Unfortunately, the general went along with his so-called legal advisors and allowed them to play their tortuous mind games on their political prisoner.
Watching Col. Dan suffer under his sadistic jailers, may have been a sort of perverse pleasure for LTG Beaudreault and his gestapo-like legal advisors. Because there are no real checks and balances in the military judicial system, the evil bastards could do whatever the hell they wanted.
Admittedly, no one pointed a gun at Col. Wilson’s head forcing him to sign the agreement. But the extreme duress with the never-ending threat of continued confinement was a metaphorical gun indeed. We maintain an agreement to get out of prison after the appeals court threw out the conviction was an illegal act.
The convening authority and his henchmen lawyers were playing with a man’s life.
The message was clear! Either sign this agreement, or you will remain indefinitely confined at the Hotel California (aka: Camp Pendleton’s Brig) while we drag our feet for several years. And, while we intentionally make the “wheels of justice” grind slowly, you will be languishing behind bars with no end date.
The United States military cannot bring itself to admit when a mistake was made sending an innocent man to prison. They don’t have the courage or personal sense of honor enough to own up to their misconduct. Consequently, many people wrongfully suffer at the hands of unscrupulous individuals called admirals and generals.
When the Marine Corps presented him with an option of being released from prison, Col. Dan had been incarcerated three years. He could get out and go see his wife and family, all he had to do was sign a piece of paper that would punish him financially for the rest of his life.
Col. Wilson had more than enough of prison life. The evil bastards in the JAG Corps knew this all-to-well. They craftily used his depleted mental state and longing to be free as leverage to pressure Colonel Dan Wilson to sign something he didn’t want to sign.
The military knows how to break a man, much in the same way our adversaries do when being held in a concentration camp. Mental torture is torture, none the less.
FLASHBACK:
Recall Abu Ghraib prison and the tortuous mental games the United States Army and CIA operatives were “enjoying” at the expense of their captives. The Army and CIA called their sadistic methods, “enhanced interrogation techniques.”
Eleven soldiers in the Abu Ghraib scandal were charged with a multitude of UCMJ infractions. Between May 2004 and April 2006, these same eleven soldiers were court-martialed, (and of course convicted), sent to prison, and Dishonorably Discharged.
Commanding Officer of Abu Ghraib prison, Brigadier General (Janis Karpinski) was reduced one rank and “encouraged” to retire quietly on a hefty retirement pension with an Honorable Discharge. Equal Justice Under Law, give us a break!
Col. Dan Wilson was denied release from confinement on 2 October 2019, by Marine Major General “Dog Food” Iams. MG Iams disingenuously asserted that Col. Wilson was a flight risk, saying that Wilson might flee the country to avoid facing a hearing on the remaining minor convictions.
And by minor, we mean REALLY minor; like a General Court Martial conviction for sending an innocuous prank email from a government computer, or a conviction for being UA (Unauthorized Absence) for two days between Christmas and New Year’s of 2016, after being told he could “come and go as he wished” from his temporary office, and that he had NO/ZERO daily reporting instructions. “If we need you, we’ll call you in…don’t call us, we’ll call you!”
The “flight-risk” B.S. was a ploy to keep Colonel Wilson in prison. Dog Food Iams undoubtedly got orders from his superiors to make sure Wilson stayed behind bars. The strategy was to keep the pressure on Col. Dan Wilson in the hope he would buckle and accept almost any terms from his jailers in order to be set free.
SIGN THIS AND YOU’RE OUT OF PRISON
Requiring Col. Wilson to sign a document under these conditions was a severe form of mental torture. He told me that he prayed about it, but felt his Higher Power (aka God) was leading him to sign the document in which he gave up several key rights; like the right to a Board of Inquiry to determine his recommended characterization of service.
The convening authority in turn, agreed to do away with a resentencing hearing for the remaining minor, and frivolous convictions, with a sentence of NO PUNISHMENT.
But, convening authority immediately reneged on his agreement with Wilson, and ensured SEVERE punishment by taking the recommendations of his senior SJA (Staff Judge Advocate) who had lots of skin in the malicious game to take Wilson down – the very same SJA who had been involved from the get-go, conducting a separate command investigation that ginned up numerous frivolous charges for the court martial, completely unrelated to the original charge. Wilson’s one original charge, ballooned to 27 before his day in court.
Folks, this is a typical prosecutorial tactic of file loading. If one can rack up enough charges, no matter how ridiculous they are, the judge or jury will be more compelled to find the accused guilty of something. It’s all about notches on a gun handle.
At the time of Wilson’s release from prison, prosecutors were in revenge mode. The appeals court and Col. Wilson by proxy had made them look incompetent and foolish. The military lawyers had blown the biggest case of their careers. Instead of seeking justice, they were seeking revenge. Facts were just obstacles getting in the way of exacting punishment for the embarrassment they suffered due to their own prosecutorial misconduct.
Since they couldn’t get Colonel Wilson legally, they might still exact a “pound of flesh” by attacking his retirement. After retiring from the Marine Corps on 1 March 2020, Colonel Wilson had accumulated a whopping thirty-nine (39) years of active duty service, both as an enlisted Marine, and as a Marine Infantry Officer.
BTW, HERE’S AN OTH FOR YOU
One of the stipulations in the pre-release agreement was that Col Wilson immediately file for “voluntary” retirement. He was ready to retire anyway, so this wasn’t a stipulation that Wilson had an issue with. However, it became a poison pill when the convening authority recommended to the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) that Wilson be retired as a MAJOR with an “Other-Than-Honorable” (OTH) characterization of his thirty-nine years of distinguished military service.
How can the service of a “Mustang” infantry officer with eleven global deployments and fifty-two awards and citations (including for heroism!) not be considered “honorable”? Many of the generals at Headquarters, Marine Corps, couldn’t swallow that recommendation, and changed the reduction to Lieutenant Colonel upon retirement.
The Department of the Navy’s Manpower Chief, acting on behalf of the then SECNAV, decreed that Colonel Wilson be administratively reduced for retirement pay to Lieutenant Colonel on the first day of his retirement – 1 March 2020.
The military skillfully maneuvered to engineer a punishment for life that included the dark cloud of “Other-Than-Honorable” military service. In a society where one is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, Colonel Wilson was innocent because the appeals court ruled they did not meet the bar for acceptable evidence to convict a man based on the coerced testimony of a six-year-old child.
Characterizing Wilson’s 39 years of military service as being “Other Than Honorable,” (technically excluded him from VA benefits), and the loss of $2,000.00 per month for life due to his rank reduction from Colonel to Lt. Colonel.
IT WAS THE FATHER’S DNA
The original investigation by military lawyers in October 2016 was initiated, after DNA testing in NCIS’s investigation against Wilson came back with zero results. There was a one in 3.2 TRILLION chance that the DNA was Wilson’s! Actually, the DNA was a perfect match for the father of the alleged victim.
Would it not be a red flag for any unbiassed investigator to wonder why Daddy’s DNA is all over the inside of his daughter’s underwear? It didn’t faze the NCIS investigators whatsoever in Wilson’s case; even after both parents in separate sworn statements asserted that Daddy’s laundry was NEVER washed with Mommy and daughters’ laundry.
If the DNA wasn’t exculpatory, then how about the “day after” medical exam that was literally conducted under a microscope with NO medical anomalies, and the alleged victim not complaining about anything. Or, that the Mother admitted in her original NCIS statement that her daughter had repeatedly denied that Col Wilson had ever touched her inappropriately.
NCIS never came up with a single photo, witness, or set of fact patterns to indicate that Col Wilson ever had any proclivities toward children. Any reputable investigative agency would have told the DA, absolutely nothing to corroborate a drunk Mother’s psycho imagination, fogged up even more by the anti-anxiety medication (Xanax) she was taking.
The accuser should not have been drinking alcohol at all, much less the potent vodka she was gulping down at his quarters. She then needlessly jeopardized the lives of her entire family by driving home in a drunken rage. Need we mention, the same psycho who repeatedly changed her testimony, before, during, and after Wilson’s court martial.
Also, the same woman filed a 25 million dollar lawsuit against the Marine Corps for compensation against Wilson. Needless to say, but I will, that outrageous case of extortion was tossed out the second after Wilson was exonerated of her original false allegation.
LET’S ASK HIS X-WIFE
NCIS’s abject failure to corroborate the crazy person’s heinous original allegation against Wilson, caused his convening authority to turn to a Command Investigation (aka Witch Hunt!) that military lawyers were more than happy to prosecute. Wilson’s entire career was scrutinized for any dirt; even to the point of consulting with his first wife whom he’d been divorced from for thirty (30) years.
Her response to two NCIS agents asking her for dirt was, “I have nothing but good things to say about Dan Wilson. Now, kindly get the “f” outta my house!”
The up and coming military lawyers wanted to make a name for themselves by taking down a full-bird Colonel, just as the “Me Too” movement was rising to prominence with the mantra of… always believe the female accuser, regardless of whether she’s telling the truth or not!
Actual wokeness in the Marine Corps! CANCEL any male Marine, even if the allegation is patently false! Maybe military lawyers were jealous of Wilson’s massive ribbon rack – the military version of “penis envy” – “ribbon envy!”
Even though Wilson wasn’t awarded a single award for his last seven years on active duty, he retired as one of the most highly decorated officers of his era with fifty-two (52) medals and ribbons. Col. Dan didn’t have enough room on his uniform to display all the medals and ribbons he earned.
If the military will trump up charges on an officer like Colonel Dan Wilson, what chance does an airman last-class have when also being falsely accused.
The Command Investigation ginned up numerous additional charges that were piled onto Wilson’s court martial. Minor stuff, completely unrelated to the one original charge. One military lawyer was rewarded by being elevated to the position of SJA for the Commanding General of II MEF (Marine Expeditionary Force HQ, Camp Lejeune).
Before, during, and after Wilson’s court martial, a Colonel with complete animus towards Wilson, was advising Wilson’s convening authority on what to do next. The convening authority was merely rubber-stamping what the military lawyers wanted, because everyone in the military knows that woe be unto that dumb-ass leader who fails to heed the advice and recommendations of his military legal advisors!
Was Col. Wilson’s original charge was tossed out (set aside with prejudice) by the Appellate Court Judges for FACTUAL and LEGAL insufficiency? The message from senior Judge Angela Tang to Wilson’s jury of cowardly generals was essentially, yes, even in today’s military, you have to have actual facts, witnesses, evidence, and DNA of the accused. Not the DNA of the father of the child for Heaven sake.
APPEALS COURT MADE IT CLEAR
The appeals court was basically saying that military lawyers failed to do the right thing. They were moral cowards lacking in personal honor and decency.
The appeals court decided to hand down a scathing ruling making it as if Wilson’s conviction never even took place. They set aside Wilson’s sentence in its entirety, recommending NO PUNISHMENT for the minor stuff, and ORDERING the moronic military lawyers to ensure Wilson was paid restitution for all of his lost pay, allowances, and benefits.
The intent of the court was clear, reinstate Colonel Wilson ASAP on active duty as a full-bird Colonel in the Marine Corps.
Shockingly, Col Wilson doesn’t have any beef with the institution of Marine Corps; only with certain Generals and government lawyers who tried to bury him with false charges, then doubled down by stacking frivolous charges when the evidence wasn’t lining up in their favor.
Whenever Congress has hearings on changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), Col Wilson should be included in those conversations. He has personal experience like none other, having served himself as a convening authority for seven years in three separate command billets.
In today’s military, an accused is treated as if they are already guilty, then NCIS and military lawyers make it their mission to find them guilty. We’ve reported before that if a member of the military (for the past few decades) is ordered to stand trial in a General Court Martial, there is a 98 percent chance of obtaining a conviction.
Contrast that to a typical civilian court that usually achieves a 70% conviction rate.
Sixteen of Wilson’s charges were serious felonies, and the rest were frivolous – not even close to misdemeanors in the federal judiciary. Wilson was found innocent of fifteen felony charges at the court martial. However, the jury of cowards (mostly generals) found Wilson guilty of one felonious charge, but only gave him a sentence equivalent to one-fifth of the maximum sentence.
THE JURORS KNEW WILSON WAS INNOCENT
The jurors knew Wilson was innocent, so gave him a light sentence to assuage their personal guilt for betraying their mandate to find the truth. They couldn’t handle the truth – that Col Wilson was innocent! The jury was hand-picked by military prosecutors with the convening authority’s rubber stamp of approval.
Wilson’s own step-daughter and daughter were NOT allowed to testify to his good character, due to changes to the UCMJ in 2014, engineered by male-hating congressional legislators. We are convinced, having communicated previously with Wilson’s step-daughter, that had she been allowed to testify on his behalf, Wilson never would have been convicted – not even by a jury of cowards!
They knew that if they let Wilson go free, their careers would be in jeopardy. Most civilians don’t realize that any Senator can have a prospective general promotee removed from the selection list for any reason. The typical court martial arrangement always has an issue with undue command influence that needs to be addressed.
In other words, if the generals had not convicted Wilson on something, anything, to put him behind bars, a female Senator (likely) could have had one of their names removed from any current or future promotion list – they feared that they would never see another star on their collar, which prompted them to throw Wilson under the bus! We’ll let Col Wilson himself tell you in his upcoming book he’s working on.
Wilson’s case is literally a modern version of David vs. Goliath. Col Wilson (aka David) took on, and defeated, the entire corrupt military legal system (aka The Giant). He had countless military, and civilian, lawyers arrayed against him. Wilson’s metaphorical stone that he picked up and slung with purpose and precision at the giant was his INNOCENCE.
He conquered the giant in an era where such victories are rare. One of his appellate attorney’s said of the Appellate Court’s decision to set aside his conviction. It’s like the White Sox winning the World Series. It never happens! Thankfully for Wilson, the Appellate Court Judges who reviewed his case, saw that the Emperor wasn’t wearing any clothes – the United States Marine Corps had convicted an innocent man.
They sort of were able to put Humpty Dumpty (Wilson) back together again, but there is much room for improvement.
MilitaryCorruption.com sent a letter to President Biden asking for his intervention. We will be asking POTUS to reinstate Wilson’s retirement rank to full-bird Colonel, back-dated to 1 March 2020, the day he officially retired from the Marine Corps. Additionally, we will be asking POTUS to change Col Wilson’s characterization of service to HONORABLE, as was specified in the original documentation he received from the Commandant of the Marine Corps.
We will send a copy to the Secretary of the Navy who is also able to overturn the unjust decision of his predecessor. Please help us do the right thing in restoring honor and dignity to a man who repeatedly put his life on the line for his fellow citizens from 1981 to 2020 in protecting their constitutional rights, many of which Col Wilson was personally denied when he was persecuted (aka prosecuted) as a Marine!
MOST RECENT INFORMATION:
In April 2021, 13 months after Dan Wilson retired, his pension was docked by the Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS) for $4,000. A week after notification of that zinger, he received a letter from USMC bean counters who claimed they had erroneously paid him $10,000 for 26 days of leave he still had on the books at retirement.
Since Dan received an OTH discharge, the bean counters said he was not authorized to be paid for leave on the books and attacked his pension payments. DFAS invoked a policy about the same time of not collecting on debts for the services, due to COVID.
DFAS policy was recently lifted and last week, Colonel Dan was notified they were taking out an additional $6,000 from his retirement pay and reporting him to all the credit bureaus for a debt “delinquency.”
But, the crazy irony is the fact the USMC bean counters still owe Dan Wilson $25,000 for 60 days of leave that accrued while he was behind bars. You see, regardless of the policy, rules, procedures, or accepted practice, the military can do whatever they freeking want to.
Even three years after being wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, the military is still doing all they can to hound and harass Colonel Dan Wilson.
Tell us again why people are volunteering to enter military service. We can hear the retort, “That’ll never happen to me.” Well, good luck with that. Hope that works out for ya. People may want to think twice before signing in the dotted line and surrendering all your rights away. Until reforms are made, entering the military is not a smart move.
FINAL NOTE:
The real evil of this story has yet to be uncovered and exposed. There are people on our staff here at MilitaryCorruption.com, some of whom have years of experience as police officers that feel there is much more to this story.
Their gut instincts say the father was molesting the child and to protect her husband, the mother decided to falsely accuse Colonel Dan Wilson of molesting her daughter. As a side benefit, maybe she could sue the military for a ton of money and get rich in the process.
No one really knows what happened. In order to find the truth, you first have to want to find the truth. The United States Marine Corps couldn’t be bothered with truth, they were more interested in a conviction.
If anyone has any information they feel should be included in the above article, we encourage them to send it to us immediately. What happened to Colonel Wilson should never happen to anyone.
What happened to the child also should have never happened. We believe the real perpetrator got away thanks to the stupidity and outrageous zealotry of military lawyers.