Lakin: 'I chose the wrong path'

Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin

FORT MEADE, Md. – Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin apologized today for forcing the Army to court-martial him in hopes of compelling President Barack Obama to prove his Constitutional eligibility to serve as commander-in-chief.

Convicted on all four charges against him, Lakin told his court-martial panel he is through disobeying orders and would resume his military career if the Army would let him.

"I am extremely sorry for everything that has come of this," Lakin said during unsworn testimony in the sentencing phase of his trial. "As a military member, I was wrong."

Lakin faces as much as 42 months in prison, forfeiture of pay and retirement benefits, and dismissal from the service after being convicted of four felonies. The court-martial panel found him guilty of two counts of disobeying orders to report to his commanding officer, one count of failing to report to his new unit, and, most seriously, missing the movement of an airplane that was to take him to his new post.

Lakin will be sentenced tomorrow.

"I didn't want it to end this way," said the 17-year veteran flight surgeon. "I want to continue to serve the military" by applying his extensive medical expertise to wounded soldiers on the battlefield.

Stripped by trial judge Col. Denise Lind of any opportunity to defend himself by introducing evidence or expert testimony, Lakin had little choice but to plead guilty on three charges and mount only a token defense on the "missing movement" charge.

During his remarks, Lakin explained that he chose to disobey orders because of concerns that all military orders may be illegal when their authority rests ultimately on a commander-in-chief whose legal eligibility to occupy the Oval Office remains unproven.

Now, however, the Lt. Col. agrees with the Army that orders given to him by his superior officers were valid apart from Obama's legal status.

"I am angry about this," said court-martial observer Dr. Catherine Vandemoer, a well-known blogger on eligibility issues who traveled from North Dakota to support Lakin.

"The system has failed," Vandemoer told WND. "They crushed him, and the questions about Obama's eligibility have still not been answered."