The Navy Years - Cummins Prison

How I spent my Thanksgiving in 1968

I was in Navy Avionics training in Tennessee after boot camp until being station at the Ream Field Naval Air Station at Imperial Beach California.

During my four years of service I was able able to spend every Christmas at home. However that was not the case with Thanksgiving. I didn't have a car but some of the other sailors did . I used to bomb around with a guy who had a classic jaguar. It was great fun. He invited me to join him in New Orleans but unfortunately that exceeded the distance we were allowed to travel on leave (home was the exception).

Tearing up the road in Memphis Tennessee on the weekends. I regret not going to New Orleans.

I had another invite from a friend whose family lived in Pine Bluffs, Arkansas. It was within the distance requirements from Memphis and they were most hospitable. I had a great dinner with wine and conversation.

My friend's dad worked as a cook at the Cummins Unit of the Arkansas Department of Corrections. He asked if I would like to visit the prison (as a guest, not as an inmate). I went along with my camera which probably was a mistake.

In 1968 Arkansas reminded me of Connecticut in the 1950s. People thought I was a hippie because I didn't have a buzz cut and I was a Yankee. Cummins was understaffed and prisoner trustees did much of the work. I enjoyed chatting with them. I ate at the mess hall looking at the guards in cages with rifles. I was glad I was just a guest. The food was pretty good, tasted like the stuff we got in the Navy mess hall.

Later it got a bit uncomfortable to me. I didn't photograph any of the prisoners but I took this shot of a prison bus. While I was doing that I was approached by staff member asking why I was taking photos. They explained they had some "problems" with photos in the past and later I found out what kind of problems.

In Jan 29th, 1968 Prison Superintendent Tom Murton with members of the press unearthed three skeletons buried on the at Cummins Prison. The discovery of "Bodiesburg" led to Murton being fired and banished from prison management. Later stories of torture and murder came to light.

And here was this Northern Yankee with a camera taking photos at the prison just 11 months after the expose. I was nervous about this but because I was 22 I felt invincible and managed to talk myself out of this. I even managed to keep the photo.