Marine Faces Second Charge of Desertion
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WASHINGTON — The Marine Corps on Monday filed a second charge of desertion against Douglas G. Beane, the enlisted man who spent the last 17 years living in Australia after disappearing from his unit in Vietnam.
Lt. Col. John Shotwell, a Marine spokesman, said the new charge was filed against Beane on Monday, setting the stage for a hearing before a military magistrate later this week.
Beane is being held in the brig at the Quantico, Va., Marine Base.
When Beane disappeared from his unit in Vietnam in 1970, he was already facing one count of desertion from an earlier attempt to flee his unit, along with seven other charges, including dealing in the black market and threatening to kill another Marine.
According to Shotwell, the corps cannot bring a charge of desertion against a Marine until he is back in military custody.
Beane, a native of Rochester, Vt., surrendered to Marine authorities last week after spending 17 years in Australia. He returned to the United States voluntarily in hopes of visiting his father, who is ill.
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