Depot soldiers put on curfew

This story was published Tue, Nov 26, 2002

By Karen Spears Zacharias
Herald Oregon bureau

UMATILLA -- Two hundred National Guardsmen at the Umatilla Chemical Depot are under an alcohol ban and early curfew after a soldier was accused of driving his truck into people and other vehicles outside a Hermiston tavern.

The soldiers were sent to Umatilla in August to help protect the 3,717 tons of deadly chemical munitions stored at the depot.

Capt. John Sturgill, company commander for the Texas unit, said the curfew and alcohol ban were established after a soldier was arrested by Hermiston police for an alleged assault and hit-and-run.

He declined to talk about the incident, but police records show Anthony W. Clifton, 39, of Kaufman, Texas, was arrested Nov. 16 on suspicion of second-degree assault and hit and run with injuries and property damage. An Umatilla County grand jury is considering possible charges.

Clifton was booked on the charges, then released, police said.

A tavern employee, who did not want to be named, said the incident occurred shortly after the Midway Tavern closed. The bar, which is off Highway 395 just north of downtown Hermiston, closes at 2 a.m.

"My understanding is that the (soldier) called the other guys a bunch of names, racial slurs. Then he tried to run them over with his truck," she said.

Police said the victims were Humberto Kelly Medelez, 20, Jamie Gonzalez, 25, of Hermiston, and Carlos Cabrera, 26, of Umatilla.

Only Medelez suffered some injuries, but he refused treatment, police said. Two vehicles reportedly had $3,500 in damage.

The tavern employee said soldiers have regularly visited the tavern and, for the most part, they've caused no trouble.

But another National Guard soldier, Adam Herrera, 23, of Woodland, Texas, is facing manslaughter charges for allegedly driving drunk in September and killing another soldier who was thrown from the car when it rolled over while traveling back from the Tri-Cities.

Preliminary police reports indicate Herrera's blood alcohol level was about twice Oregon's legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Umatilla County District Attorney Chris Brauer said Monday that Herrera still is recovering from his injuries.

Capt. Sturgill said the order for the soldiers to "not consume alcohol off the depot" is an attempt to prevent any more problems.

Also, until further notice, the soldiers cannot leave the depot after dark. They can make trips into town only from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., he said.

"My job is to help get them through their deployment and get them home alive. I took an oath to do that. I'm carrying out my oath," Sturgill said.

Unlike other installations, Umatilla does not have a bar. Plans are being made to fix that problem, said Army spokesman Jim Hackett. He said finding ways to entertain the soldiers during their yearlong assignment is an Army concern.

Sturgill said the curfew and alcohol ban may appear stringent but are necessary. "We were seeing a trend developing," he said. "We wanted to ensure the soldiers' safety."

He said the curfew will give soldiers "ample time to do what they want to do in town." The curfew will remain until the commander of the brigade determines it isn't needed anymore.

Morale among the soldiers was low at first, Sturgill said, "But the soldiers understand we are here doing a mission. They understand they might not have the nightlife they used to have, but their morale is back to where it was before. It's high."

And, he added, many of the soldiers will be returning to Texas for a holiday break.

 

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