As a veteran, married to a retiree, it made me livid when I saw Don Gower walk into the Lampasas courtroom day after day with his U.S. Army Class A uniform on. He has disgraced the Non-Commissioned Officer's Corps, the U.S. Army as a whole, all veterans, all who have given their lives for this country and those who have lost a loved one in combat.

I could understand his being in uniform if he were being court-martialed because that is protocol. However, he was on trial in a civil court. I feel the defense team did it as a ploy to get sympathy for him as a wounded soldier. Wounded soldier or not, you don't plan to have your spouse killed after you've married her twice.

As a witness to the entire trial, I can tell you the defense had no case and rested as soon as the prosecution finished. All this is about is that he got money hungry.

I guess a life insurance policy looks good when you're 16 payments behind on your vehicle, and you've got a drug habit, per prosecution testimony. He had only one year left before he would have received a disability retirement, tax-free. Why couldn't he just divorce her again? He could have had all his disability retirement to himself. A former spouse receiving child support and/or alimony cannot touch the part of retirement that is disability.

I heard the testimony from the entire case, and I didn't hear one thing that made me think he was anything but guilty. His defense team said they would appeal the decision, and Mr. Gower declined to use the same lawyers. An entire 13 months waiting for his day of justice, and the jurors said "guilty," and the automatic sentence was life without parole.

The U.S. Army will have the last word. He will be reduced to the lowest rank (none), and all pay and allowances will be taken away. As far as his military disability, I don't know what Uncle Sam will do with that. Oh, and he will be given a bad conduct discharge from the U.S. Army. Justice has been served.

To all those who have served and are serving honorably, thank you for your service.
L. Brown
Killeen