A Momma's heart ...

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  My son enlisted in the U.S. Navy at 17 and it was sure a proud day at Naval Station Great Lakes when that door rolled up and I saw James Hart march in for graduation on Thanksgiving Day 2017. (Yes, the U.S. Navy did that. Graduation is held every Thursday, no matter what.) Shortly thereafter, he left for A-School in San Antonio, where he shot expert in both rifle and pistol during his first attempt on a qualification course. And so began his career as a sailor. A real marksman. My father, his grandfather served in WWII. His paternal grandfather served in Korea. My brother is a retired U.S. Army Colonel. His cousin proudly served in the U.S. Air Force. We’re even direct descendants of Gen. William Lee Davidson, who was with George Washington at Valley Forge, having served in Washington’s main army. Davidson College and Davidson County, North Carolina are both named in his honor. We are a long line of American patriots from way back. 

Unfortunately, Hart wasn’t able to do everything he needed to do, because his ADHD got in the way. He was serving on a destroyer, the USS Paul Hamilton out of San Diego. He had been all over the Pacific, crossed the equator and went south to Mexico looking for Cartel. They chased the Chinese off the coast of San Diego, as the Chinese were launching surveillance drones. They continued on farther west through the Pacific to the South China Sea, where they were then chased by Chinese Navy. They conducted intelligence and counter intelligence toward China and went through the Straight of Malacca, through the Indian Ocean and into the Persian Gulf, while constantly being harassed by Iranian military and Iranian proxy militant groups. They further conducted maritime security operations, as well as anti-piracy operations, stopping in Hawaii on the way - where Hart rendered honors to the USS Arizona. It was a real honor for Hart to participate in a burial at sea in the Leyte Gulf with full military honors for a WWII Veteran. 

The average age on a ship is 19 in the U.S. Navy and females are on board. It hasn’t been, “just the guys” for a while. There is one female for every four males. Everybody is immature. That frontal-lobe cortex isn’t developed in male teens and young adults until 25 or 27. You know, it’s responsible for problem solving, judgement and decision making. EXTREMELY close quarters, lots of frustrations. Emotions run high on a ship! Keep in mind, morale among all branches of the enlisted military is at an all-time low. And, suicide numbers are consistently climbing higher and higher. Navy chaplains were acutely aware of all of this and the stigma caused by asking for any kind of help. Not really a way on the ship to deal with inner concerns or frustrations.
 

DEI gave women a lot of power, as a protected class. For my son and others like him, they enlisted to serve their country as a proud American. They loved Toby Keith, the red, white & blue and a good beer. Yet, for others, enlisting was an escape from something or because they couldn’t do anything else. Lots of baggage, in other words. Being a female, I can say this – women have lots of drama and deal with issues differently, often terribly vindictive. I cannot imagine the frustrations as a woman serving on a U.S. Navy ship. Men, especially those with a strong love of their country, are rough and ready. Just a different mentality. Hart clashed with a couple of female sailors. Nothing serious ever became of it, or so he thought. But, it was a different administration and a different political climate.

Hart’s Last promotion to Petty Officer Third Class was on December 21, 2020. However, around that time, there was a faction against him brewing. Reverse discrimination was happening. Then, January 6, 2021 happened. Or, J6 as we all know. He was making plans post Navy to be a firefighter or a police officer back in Arkansas, after his service ended.
 

The U.S. Navy did not have a good system for dealing with 20YO backwoods, hunting, country boys, and females with an attitude and a chip on their shoulder. Ask any lower rank enlisted sailor, male or female. The NavyMoms Facebook groups were chocked full of constant complaints, mostly from mothers of sons. As someone with management training, the supervisors in the middle ranks didn’t have a clue how to appropriately deal with male vs female. The other complaints on the NavyMoms Facebook groups were dealing with constant theft on board the ship, which the U.S. Navy did nothing about. I replaced seven cell phone charging cords in 2.5 years. Twice a month, I sent a box full of snacks, toiletries, beef jerky, you name it. Every time I sent it, the shipping cost was around $50. James always shared with others, because they had no one and they were hungry.
 

James Hart was reported for social media posts in support of J6 and arrested on January 13, 2021, as a scapegoat for the U.S. Navy. A mere 7 days following J6, they arrested him. He maintains to this day, he did not make social media posts in support. The country was mad about J6 and the U.S. Navy used him.

“A tip that Hart posted content on social media … prompted NCIS and San Diego FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force to open an investigation into Hart in January,” a Navy Times article wrote on August 27, 2021. The article further stated: “Ultimately, the investigation found that Hart voiced support for the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.”

He was charged with illegal possession of a gun, stolen gas masks and his support for J6. James Hart was very likely the first person in the U.S. Navy charged related to J6. He was coerced into signing the six charges, which he says were fabricated. Here is his explanation:
1. the gas masks were obsolete property/in a DRMO pile to be disposed of
2. & 3. gun in barracks & ammo ... lots of lower ranks keep a personal weapon in their barracks or trucks, as they have no other option for storage. Rarely, if ever, once caught, does any punishment come from it. Ammo is the same. Additionally, his barracks entrance/exit and parking lot was on a bad side of town. It suited the USN to punish him for this, so they did.
4. Dealing firearms: A friend was scared, because of the political climate and asked for help, getting a gun for protection. “So, I did. He backed this up. In the civilian world, this wouldn’t have been illegal. “It only was for me, because I was a J6 supporter,” said Hart.
5. Advocating extremism The USN prosecution repeatedly called Hart “Kingpin” during the court martial. “They said I was the leader of a group of spies, which included my girlfriend and best friend (back in Arkansas),” James said. This was completely fabricated and untrue. Never proved. They attempted to destroy two other lives and good friends.
6. Negligent discharge of a gun. “They had a very old, undated video from back in Arkansas where I was shooting a gun from a vehicle … out in the woods,” he said. Stupid, but old.
 

He served approximately 9 months pre-trial detention in the Brig in San Diego, before he was transferred to the Naval Consolidated Brig Chesapeake, Virginia. Horrible conditions existed in Chesapeake, even abuse. James Hart came home to Arkansas on December 12, 2022, just 4 days before his 24th birthday.
 

Lastly, let me say this, if you think the U.S. Navy doesn’t make obvious and incredibly, stupid mistakes, think again. Once my son was transferred to the Brig in Virginia, they continued paying him his Navy paycheck, unbeknownst to us. I sure did not have access to his account and he was in the Brig. Money was continually being deposited into his Navy Federal Credit Union bank account. Month, after month. After month. After he got out of the Brig and was back home in Arkansas, he received a letter stating it was “in error” and that it “had to be paid back. All $11,758.42.” (James had bought a new truck with saved money in his account, not knowing some was deposited while in Virginia in the Brig.) He was given a 2 – 3 months to return it, before interest would begin and accumulate. Geez.

His dad wrote a check to the U.S. Navy for $11,758.42. And, he has a nice, Chevy truck with low mileage for sale in Arkansas now.