A Few Good Men (play)

Author of A Few Good Men Aaron Sorkin

The play takes place after the death of US Marine Private Santiago as the result of an ill-advised, and extrajudicial, punishment labeled a "Code Red" at a US naval base in Guantánamo Bay. Private Downey and Lance Corporal Dawson are the two Marines put on trial for the murder of Santiago.

The two men are assigned a lawyer, US Navy Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee. Kaffee is an unmotivated lawyer who goes into his cases looking for a plea bargain and the shortest sentence. He seems to be following that path until US Navy Lieutenant Commander Jo Galloway makes an appearance in Guantanamo Bay. Kaffee and Galloway do not see eye to eye as she believes this is a serious case of misconduct while Kaffee cannot be bothered to find out anything more than the bare facts. He even goes as far as trying to drop the case.

Santiago had reported witnessing a guard illegally fire his gun at night while off the base, and, therefore, the "Code Red" was nothing more than retaliation for reporting the shooting: it seemed to be a clear-cut case of two men trying to cover up a mistake and eliminate a loose end. In the course of investigating, Galloway and Kaffee learn that Santiago's effort had been substandard for a Marine stationed at Guantanamo. After Galloway finally convinces Kaffee to make an effort, they spend much of the play prodding information from both men—they will not give information without a clear question—revealing that they had been ordered to discipline Santiago, but it had gone wrong due to an unknown medical condition suffered by Santiago.

This all leads up to the climax as Kaffee finally has all the information he needs. Kaffee goes for the two head men at the camp, Col. Jessep and 2nd Lt. Kendrick. Kaffee puts Jessep in a corner, first establishing that all orders must be followed to the letter, then questioning Jesseps' statement that Santiago was in danger: if all orders are followed, and Jessep ordered Santiago not to be touched, then how could he be in danger? Finally, Jessep explodes with rage and yells, "You can't handle the truth!" This leaves the courtroom stunned and Jessep being charged with the murder of Private Santiago and escorted out of the courtroom. But this was not the end as Dawson and Downey were found not guilty of murder but were dishonorably discharged for conduct unbecoming a Marine.

• LTJG Daniel A. Kaffee – The main lawyer who defends both Dawson and Downey. He starts as a plea-bargain-happy lawyer and, with help from Joanne Galloway, he develops into a lawyer who is willing to fight for his clients.
• Pfc. Louden Downey – One of the two men accused of the murder of Santiago. He is the quiet member of the two soldiers and lets Cpl. Dawson do the talking for him.
• LCDR Joanne Galloway – A hardworking and determined lawyer who finds and brings light to the murder case.
• CAPT Isaac Whitaker – The commanding officer in Washington. He sends Galloway to Guantanamo Bay.
• Lt. Jack Ross – The lawyer who oversees prosecuting Dawson and Downey.
• Cpt. Matthew A. Markinson – Worked with Jessep and suggested moving Santiago.
• Lt. Col. Nathan R. Jessep – The commanding officer in Guantanamo Bay. He ordered the "Code Red" of Private Santiago.
• LCpl. Harold W. Dawson – One of the two men accused of the murder of Private Santiago.
• 1Lt Jonathan James Kendrick – Santiago's platoon commander.

Sorkin got the idea for the play from a phone conversation with his sister Deborah, who had graduated from Boston University Law School and was serving a three-year stint with the Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps.[1] She was going to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base to defend a group of Marines who had come close to killing a fellow Marine in a hazing ordered by a superior officer. Sorkin took that information and wrote much of his story on cocktail napkins during the first act of the musical La Cage aux Folles while bartending at the Palace Theatre on Broadway.[2]

Several former Navy JAG lawyers have been proposed as the model for the character of Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee, USN, JAG Corps. These include Donald Marcari, David Iglesias, and Walter Bansley III.[3][4] The court martial was Macari's first big court case.[5] However, in a statement released by his spokeswoman, Sorkin said, "The character of Dan Kaffee in A Few Good Men is entirely fictional and was not inspired by any particular individual."[6]

Once Sorkin completed a draft, his theatrical agent sent it to producer David Brown, who wanted the film rights. Sorkin sold Brown the rights, getting Brown to agree to also produce A Few Good Men as a play.[7]

The play is based on events that took place at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in July 1986, though various details were changed for dramatic purposes. Members of Rifle Security Company, Windward Side, 2nd Platoon believed that one of their number, Pfc. William Alvarado, was a malingerer and had informed about a Marine firing across the border into Cuba.[3] In a retaliatory hazing (called a "Code Red"), ten Marines seized Alvarado, blindfolded him, stuffed a rag in his mouth, beat him, and shaved his head.[3] Alvarado was seriously injured, but did not die.[3] Of the ten Marines, seven accepted other than honorable discharges as part of a plea bargain, but three, including David Cox, refused to accept the plea bargain and went to court.[3] Cox was defended by Don Marcari. Cox was found not guilty of aggravated battery but guilty of the misdemeanor charge of simple assault. He was sentenced to time already served in the brig and returned to active duty.[3]

Cox was honorably discharged from the Marines in 1989. When he saw the film version of A Few Good Men, he was upset at the liberties taken with the event, most notably that the Marines in the case were dishonorably discharged, and considered suing the filmmakers. Cox disappeared in 1994. He was found murdered, along a riverbank near Medfield, Massachusetts.[3]

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• A Few Good Men at the Internet Broadway Database