The Boy and His Birds
David Apperson, aka The Black Knight, was born on 3 Sep 1959 at Oregon Health Science University. Partly due to the fact he was once known as an illegitimate child, he was deemed by the State of Oregon to be a juvenile delinquent and a ward-of-the-state in 1959, the year of his birth.
In November of 1961, at the age of two David was taken illegally to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay without legal adoption documentations by an active duty Seabee with the US Navy.
A short time after arriving at GITMO, David had his pinky fingers broken because he accidentally shut a sliding door on a cat's tail.
On 22 October 1962, on orders from the President, 1703 individuals were evacuated from Guantanamo Bay. Of this number 100 were three year old children, with The Black Knight being one of the 100.
Cuban Missile Crises in World History
· Dept of State History of the Cuban Missile Crises
· Adlai Stevenson Address to the United Nations
· John F Kennedy Speech from the Oval Office
The situation was handled by John F Kennedy and his adviser, Dwight D Eisenhower, on effective military and political strategy.
During the evacuation, the White House released to the press that all identities of evacuees were properly vetted. In contrast, evacuees headed toward Norfolk, Virginia in four ships, including the USNS Upshur with 4,000 Army Rangers originally headed to Panama for Jungle Training.
However, paperwork of a few evacuees was falsified. At least three children had their names, records, and documents illegally modified, whereby The Black Knight was the youngest of the three.
According to official Naval documents and press releases; a small Southern Baptist Church in the state of Texas gathered coats, jackets, and sweaters for children as the temperature in Virginia is much colder than the island of Cuba.
When the crisis ended evacuees returned to Guantanamo Bay.
Due to the stress of the Cuban Missile Crises, and having a rifle pointed at his head, David started sucking his thumb at the age of three. As a child, David was constantly whipped and beaten for this action until, at the age of five, The Black Knight was beaten so badly that he had black, blue, and red welts over his back and legs.
From five to ten years of age, The Black Knight endured some extremely traumatic events:
· At five David was made to walk a mile or so alone in midnight darkness to get home
· David had numerous beatings that left black, blue, and red bruises over his body
· At eight years old David was locked and chained to a metal bed because he wanted to Tricker Treat on Halloween
· At nine years of age, his abuser stabbed David with a fork in his left arm, . . . the same arm David would later be bayoneted with while serving on the DMZ in Korea
· David had a bottle of Tabasco sauce poured down his throat while being held down because he wouldn't eat peas
· On his 10th birthday (1969), David received a severe head wound from his abuser, treated at the Port Hueneme Naval Hospital in Port Hueneme, California. This abuser spent 10 days in jail and was subsequently court-martialed by the United States Navy.
From the age of 10-15, David spent time in foster homes, juvenile halls, reform schools, and even a camp for kids run by the State of Oregon. During this time period, David spent three-plus months in solitary confinement.
At 12 years old and weighing less than 70 pounds, David put down an armed guard three times his size at the Ventura County Juvenile Facility in Ventura, California. The Black Knight was subsequently kicked out of the state and sent back to Oregon, the place of his birth.
In just a few months back in Oregon, David drew a picture for the 'Keep America Beautiful' campaign started by Ladybird Johnson. He won the top prize of $250 USD. However, after being featured in the local paper on Thursday 12 Apr 1973 at 5-6pm, the townspeople realized the hidden message within the drawing, and David was in trouble. He was confined for three months in the Crook County Jail and sentenced to nine months at MacLaren School for Boys for being out of parental control.
He was later transferred to the Tillamook Boys Camp, whereby he escaped. During that cold winter night of freedom he had to decide to if he should leave two other escapees or save them at his own peril. He chose the right path. He surrendered to authorities and was sent back to MacLaren and spent two weeks in solitary confinement and then back to his original cottage.
A little over three months after his escape from the Tillamook Camp, David was sent to the Double T Boys Ranch in Bend, Oregon. And shortly after arriving at the ranch, he became a paid firefighter at 14 years of age. He was also the map reader and radio operator for the last teenage fire crew in Oregon.
Image of The Black Knight in black hat and another teenage firefighter in summer of 1974.
It was during this summer that David put an (x) between the eyes of a US Marine.
When 15 the State of Oregon sent David back to the same abusive home situation, whereby an assault was still on record in 2015 at the Crook County Sheriff Dept from 1975, even though the perpetrator is now deceased.
Not lasting long in Prineville Oregon (Crook County), David went back to the Double T Boy's Ranch, where as a 15 and 16 year old he worked as a night counselor for other foster kids and a cook at the Snow Bunny and McDonald's Restaurants in Bend to help pay his expenses and finish high school, after which he entered military service when he turned 17 years of age.
US Army image . . . Fort Leonard Wood.
David was a firefighter, yet did time for another kid's arson. He was treated like a criminal, yet he excelled in law enforcement while stationed in South Korea. As a machine gunner, David, searched for the answer to peace wherever he traveled and that path always seem to return him to his love of military pigeons (i.e., carrier or messenger pigeons).
In 1981, on the recommendation of Wayne Hamilton, David was the first inmate invited as a guest speaker who had previously spent time in MacLaren School for Boys . . . and David is still encouraging young people to be participators to solution to abuse rather that just a spectator to the evil.
David Apperson Professional Memberships
In November of 1961, at the age of two David was taken illegally to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay without legal adoption documentations by an active duty Seabee with the US Navy.
A short time after arriving at GITMO, David had his pinky fingers broken because he accidentally shut a sliding door on a cat's tail.
On 22 October 1962, on orders from the President, 1703 individuals were evacuated from Guantanamo Bay. Of this number 100 were three year old children, with The Black Knight being one of the 100.
Cuban Missile Crises in World History
· Dept of State History of the Cuban Missile Crises
· Adlai Stevenson Address to the United Nations
· John F Kennedy Speech from the Oval Office
The situation was handled by John F Kennedy and his adviser, Dwight D Eisenhower, on effective military and political strategy.
During the evacuation, the White House released to the press that all identities of evacuees were properly vetted. In contrast, evacuees headed toward Norfolk, Virginia in four ships, including the USNS Upshur with 4,000 Army Rangers originally headed to Panama for Jungle Training.
However, paperwork of a few evacuees was falsified. At least three children had their names, records, and documents illegally modified, whereby The Black Knight was the youngest of the three.
According to official Naval documents and press releases; a small Southern Baptist Church in the state of Texas gathered coats, jackets, and sweaters for children as the temperature in Virginia is much colder than the island of Cuba.
When the crisis ended evacuees returned to Guantanamo Bay.
Due to the stress of the Cuban Missile Crises, and having a rifle pointed at his head, David started sucking his thumb at the age of three. As a child, David was constantly whipped and beaten for this action until, at the age of five, The Black Knight was beaten so badly that he had black, blue, and red welts over his back and legs.
From five to ten years of age, The Black Knight endured some extremely traumatic events:
· At five David was made to walk a mile or so alone in midnight darkness to get home
· David had numerous beatings that left black, blue, and red bruises over his body
· At eight years old David was locked and chained to a metal bed because he wanted to Tricker Treat on Halloween
· At nine years of age, his abuser stabbed David with a fork in his left arm, . . . the same arm David would later be bayoneted with while serving on the DMZ in Korea
· David had a bottle of Tabasco sauce poured down his throat while being held down because he wouldn't eat peas
· On his 10th birthday (1969), David received a severe head wound from his abuser, treated at the Port Hueneme Naval Hospital in Port Hueneme, California. This abuser spent 10 days in jail and was subsequently court-martialed by the United States Navy.
From the age of 10-15, David spent time in foster homes, juvenile halls, reform schools, and even a camp for kids run by the State of Oregon. During this time period, David spent three-plus months in solitary confinement.
At 12 years old and weighing less than 70 pounds, David put down an armed guard three times his size at the Ventura County Juvenile Facility in Ventura, California. The Black Knight was subsequently kicked out of the state and sent back to Oregon, the place of his birth.
In just a few months back in Oregon, David drew a picture for the 'Keep America Beautiful' campaign started by Ladybird Johnson. He won the top prize of $250 USD. However, after being featured in the local paper on Thursday 12 Apr 1973 at 5-6pm, the townspeople realized the hidden message within the drawing, and David was in trouble. He was confined for three months in the Crook County Jail and sentenced to nine months at MacLaren School for Boys for being out of parental control.
He was later transferred to the Tillamook Boys Camp, whereby he escaped. During that cold winter night of freedom he had to decide to if he should leave two other escapees or save them at his own peril. He chose the right path. He surrendered to authorities and was sent back to MacLaren and spent two weeks in solitary confinement and then back to his original cottage.
A little over three months after his escape from the Tillamook Camp, David was sent to the Double T Boys Ranch in Bend, Oregon. And shortly after arriving at the ranch, he became a paid firefighter at 14 years of age. He was also the map reader and radio operator for the last teenage fire crew in Oregon.
Image of The Black Knight in black hat and another teenage firefighter in summer of 1974.
It was during this summer that David put an (x) between the eyes of a US Marine.
When 15 the State of Oregon sent David back to the same abusive home situation, whereby an assault was still on record in 2015 at the Crook County Sheriff Dept from 1975, even though the perpetrator is now deceased.
Not lasting long in Prineville Oregon (Crook County), David went back to the Double T Boy's Ranch, where as a 15 and 16 year old he worked as a night counselor for other foster kids and a cook at the Snow Bunny and McDonald's Restaurants in Bend to help pay his expenses and finish high school, after which he entered military service when he turned 17 years of age.
US Army image . . . Fort Leonard Wood.
David was a firefighter, yet did time for another kid's arson. He was treated like a criminal, yet he excelled in law enforcement while stationed in South Korea. As a machine gunner, David, searched for the answer to peace wherever he traveled and that path always seem to return him to his love of military pigeons (i.e., carrier or messenger pigeons).
In 1981, on the recommendation of Wayne Hamilton, David was the first inmate invited as a guest speaker who had previously spent time in MacLaren School for Boys . . . and David is still encouraging young people to be participators to solution to abuse rather that just a spectator to the evil.
David Apperson Professional Memberships
- American Racing Pigeon Union
- Disabled American Veterans
- Faith Center Institute
- Jewish War Veterans of the United States
- Korean War Veterans Association
- National Fraternal Order of Police
- Veterans of Foreign Wars
