◆ SpookStack

e ip &. sald coach Jobe Sean eat 1 tranquillity, Stutte remembers one Yuma when Platt accidentally ran over 2 small mutt. He slammed ag the brakes, humped out of the cer and beld the dead antmal tn his wwme—He Was overcome with ef Mieemebasnnnnnt te xtt {fromiA Gacipiine for bis three boys: short hair, restriction or physical pun- ‘ Ishment for disobeying orders. The “father gave bie gona the same amiddie name, Lee, Mike was the okiest, quietest and seemingly Other acquaintances tn Yuma. egddest. Tim was the youngest, recall a very determined teen-ager friendliest and happiest. Dave was = with pent-up fury, Bhoit! ether two from what an okt geighbor called a “a bad home aftuation.” - *} hope Marion. ien't blaming bimeli," gid Bi Myers, aa oa family friend. “He may d¢ think- ing that he didn’t bring him up ke Platt, with his Seat buddy, Larry Stutts, worked part time at a Ser’s Roast Seel and went to high achool in Yuma, Ariz. & duaty desert town ating of a5 earthquake fault, 20 miles north of Mexico. The family home, with f and carport, wes landscaped cacti. earby is a Marine training dase for chopper pliote and « mililon- with work savings, he fsifled to come home one night. His father accused the Stutises of stealing his won, The fether also claimed the Malta belonged io him and sald he was polng to call police’ and have Mike arrested for theft. That's what happened, Stuttces ald. “Marion left Aim fo Juvenile Hall for the weekead to teach Rim a lesson,” Myers added, in 1872. ater greduatog, iis chaei Platt jeft home. He married for a brief Ume. Investigators Gon't Know who his firet wife wes of what became of ber. That year, Piatt enlisted in the Army. ‘ “Why ie the hell are you dolag that?” Stutts asked then. - testing ground where the “You have to Jearn t& protect Anny rehearsed ite 1980 Iranian = yourself,” Platt replied. rescue attempt. - * +*& ~* Platt, a boy with few elec frienda, tock up dow-and-arrew hupting and Iarned to shoot @ We o-cali ber nile. He showed lets interest in girls. was alway real peasimistic,” said Larry Competitive, anxious to Sve up On leave, Platt stayed away | frors Yuma. He wrote sometimes. Stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky. Company B, Srd Battalion, 187th infantry, be took a desert bio course and eventually made the Army Rangers, the efits fice. father’s expectations, Play Sree commands t es oe euated ta the top 20 “gor of | out gereiltonry for more heavily class. , wae of ta. sto big marters” oa Kola High's Platl, 6 @foot, muscular man basketball team, the yearbook With Penetrating “haze! tyes and declared. He was great fo tight sary brown balr, wanted tp. be games, sometimes scoring 2) «Bamebody. - points. “He could think ahead to fongis fatigues ond heey ee aul ack Ficviniey. te "preservation, He marched through ‘wasnt one to get ratios fan a othe tas sotuctat to be regimens “Petlons. He fraloed in the desert. ted,” sald Ds, Lewis Shoop. the be a cosch’s favorition, Piatt ~ opinionsted for sight and bine nme had @ gitet disdsinwton tame Hee,” Stutia anki. ns. : Paster in between. Mike protected the | Patt bought a bise Chevy ‘anos | He had his head shaved, wore the swamps. He made Hoon two & night and Emiteg OOS there was a killer night tnt made stast sergeant. He earned a Good Conduct Medal and Guaiified as an expert in the Mol§ wifle, Im Rerss fy i977. 78, be ; fained for close-In, Intensive com- ; bat. Up in a tree, Platt would balboa ine porter # & divided ores. fe thought Koug's pard- on was “stupid.” “He sald It would bave been so ; easy for someone to pick him off,” | Mary Stutte said, eit Pats SOUR nat fed ; letters, be denoun ® ddiakers, the Catholic Charch and sbabhinedinntiimmaaeaehcdieene ten re ‘io~snonernaneunononntersoneysem vata thoan aarti mnniRiaRRNNGiey ee aes