Fifteen for Five: A Lieutenants Resolution

Caitlin Singbeil September 25th 2011

Deciding the lives of twenty men is never a simple task. With every difficult moral decision there will always be both a positive and a negative outcome. In the short story "Gentlemen, Your Verdict" Lieutenant-Commander Oram had the unimaginable task of making such a decision. When a submarine crashes and lands at the bottom of the ocean with little air left inside, Oram must choose which man lives and which man dies. There is not enough air to last twenty men, but there is enough air for five men. Lieutenant-Commander Oram was justified in making his decision because he acted as a leader, the decision he made was merciful and he showed heroism.

To lead others is a very difficult job, but Oram made it look as easy as breathing. Oram was a great leader because he was extremely calm in a time of crisis. Despite all of the commotion and panic, he still managed to steadily give out orders; he did not get flustered, nor did he lose his self control. For example, as soon the accident happened the Lieutenants voice instantly rang over the up roar. Oram began to give orders as fast and as calmly as possible. He was a great role model to his crew during such a stressful time. Similar to LieutenantCommander Oram is Captain Marko Ramius. Marko Ramius, from the film The Hunt for Red October, also had to make a moral decision, and he, as well, was a very composed leader. Ramius had to choose between doing what he was told, and doing what he thought was right, and this he did steadily. He was the captain of a ship which was supposed to start a nuclear war, but he wanted no part in this; he didnt think it was appropriate. In the end Ramius did what he thought was morally right, even though it entailed betraying his country. Both Ramius and Oram

showed great leadership qualities. In addition to being composed, Oram was also very responsible. He did not let fear take him over, instead he did his job. Oram was particularly responsible because he called the shore station several times. By calling the shore station, he was able to assess the situation and be sure of all possible options. Moreover, the Lieutenant wrote up a report before he sacrificed himself, and left another crew member, Lieutenant Paull, in charge. Not only was Oram calm and responsible, but he was also a very quick thinker. He knew there was little time to spare, and made the decision accordingly by wasting no time or air. After speaking with the shore station and assessing all possibilities, Oram silently and swiftly made the decision unaided. By being such a quick thinker he was able to save as many lives as possible. Based on these examples it is appropriate to say that Lieutenant Commander Oram was a born leader.

In addition to being a leader, Oram showed true compassion. One might say that killing fifteen men in order to save five was a horrible thing to do, but Oram did this as mercifully as he could. He was merciful because he made it so that his crew members would die a painless death. Oram used poison to kill them; therefore they did not suffer nor did they feel any pain. The Lieutenant gave every man a glass of whiskey and secretly put poison in fifteen of the glasses. Not only did his men die, but they were also unaware of the situation. Although they knew they were stranded, the crew was uninformed of the gravity of the situation; Oram did not enlighten his men that there was not enough for the entire crew. The Lieutenant once stated; Now all pass here with your mugs, married men last, and well drink a toast. No early sipping and no heeltaps, and then well get on with our next job. (Page 3) By keeping the poison a secret from his men, the crew died completely oblivious, without any trepidation. If Oram decided to tell his crew

about the situation there would have been major chaos; his clandestine plan could not be revealed. Evidently, not informing the crew about his plans was the best and most compassionate option. Lastly, he was merciful because he considered the wives of the men. In the 1940s widows were treated very poorly. A widow could not get a job, and as a result would not be able to support her family. Furthermore, in that time era a womans reputation was everything- and a widow would not have a good reputation. By sparing the married men, the wives would not have to live a difficult and challenging life alone. Evidently, Oram and his decision were both extremely merciful.

Finally, Lieutenant Commander Oram was nothing if not heroic: first of all, he saved as many men as he could. There was not enough air in the submarine to last twenty men for seven days, so Oram made a decision that would benefit as many people as possible. Although opponents may argue that Oram facilitated the murders of fifteen individuals, it is important to remember that without this sacrifice all twenty men would have perished. By poisoning fifteen, five of his crew members would be able to survive until they could be rescued. Secondly, deciding which men should live was not easy- but the Lieutenant made this decision with valor. Oram realized that the men with families must live because they had something to live for. Oram chose Lieutenant Paull, Engineers Nordin and Jenvey, Torpedoman Preece and Coxswain Speer to survive because they were wedded. Married men had the responsibility to care for and look after their families; hence, they should be the ones to subsist. Thirdly, Oram had to be a very brave man in order to sacrifice himself. He told his fellow crew members that as soon as he had given his report he would join his crew. (Page 2) By dying with his crew the Lieutenant proved

that he was doing everything he could for his men, and not just for himself. The definition of a hero is a man of courage, and Lieutenant Commander Oram was just that.

There is no easy way to make such an imperative moral decision; one must be very courageous because no matter what there will always be a positive and negative outcome. It is extremely unfortunate for Oram to be put in such a horrible position, but he tried his best to do what he thought was right. Lieutenant-Commander Oram was justified in making his decision because he acted as a leader, his decision was merciful and he showed heroism. Based on the key facts above, Oram made a truly responsible decision and should go down in history as a very courageous individual.