Private Danny Chen, a 19-year-old American soldier touring in Afghanistan, was found shot dead in a guard tower after suffering abuse at the hands of his own comrades for several months.  It’s still not clear if his death was a suicide, Chen’s desperate attempt to escape the bullying, or a homicide, the result of harassment that got out of control.  The military is a perfect example of an organization based on a hierarchical structure, inherently giving leaders a great deal of power.  When Chen’s platoon leaders failed to intervene, the abuse became worse, sealing Danny’s fate.  This story highlights why moral courage is especially required of those with the authority to protect the vulnerable.

Danny Chen was one of the few Chinese-American soldiers serving in the Army.  In letters to his parents, Chen described the kind of racism and humiliation he faced.  “Since I’m the only Chinese person here, everyone knows me as Chen. They ask if I’m from China like a few times day. They also call out my name in a goat like voice sometimes for no reason. …”

The wives of Chen’s military friends have commented on what they saw.  One wife noted that he was a different person when he was around his platoon.  A normally outgoing person, Chen became withdrawn at work.  Another wife said she knew that in Army culture it was a bad sign that Chen was not only being harassed by his peers, but even his superiors.

Through the Organization for Chinese Americans (OCA), the Chen family has learned what happened just before Danny died.  He was dragged out of bed and across 50 feet of gravel, leaving cuts and bruises across his entire back.  Then he was forced to crawl on the ground in full-gear and in the heat while rocks were being thrown at him by his comrades.  Throughout this ordeal, Chen was taunted with ethnic slurs.  Just 30 minutes afterwards, a gunshot was heard coming from the guard tower.

The military headquarters in Afghanistan is in the midst of conducting an investigation on the matter.  So far, the Army has admitted that higher-ranked officers knew about the abuse leading up to and on Chen’s final day, but did nothing.  In the military, just one command from a higher-ranked officer to stop the harassment would have been enough to give Chen peace of mind and a chance to enjoy serving his country.  Instead, by not intervening, his platoon officers essentially encouraged the abuse.

Elizabeth OuYang, president of the New York chapter of OCA stated it best, “It is important that a strong signal be sent that this type of banned misconduct has no place in the Army…To die not from enemy fire but from mistreatment by superiors at his own base is totally unacceptable, uncondonable and must be punished.”

So far, eight soldiers have been charged in Chen’s death, including Officer First Lieutenant Daniel J. Schwartz.  Schwartz has only been charged with dereliction of duty – a light charge considering how much power he had to end Chen’s ordeal.  This does not send the needed message that all Army officers are responsible for stopping any bullying of by their direct reports.

In an environment surrounded by the very people expected to protect him in battle, Chen’s constant bullying kept intensifying and no one stopped it – including the leaders he should have been able to depend on.  This lack of moral courage is not acceptable by any leader anywhere, but is even more disappointing to find in those chosen to protect their country.  In his famous 1966 speech in South Africa, Robert F. Kennedy stated, “Moral courage is a more rare commodity than bravery in battle…”  The circumstances surrounding Chen’s death are a reminder of that.