Mr. Jenner. But even at night when you were excused from class, did he have a tendency to join the group or not join the group on your leave card periods?

Mr. Powers. Well, there were so many things. Normally, as I recall, it wasn't a general practice that we left the base during the week. Now, we usually stayed around the barracks and either studied or go over to the gym and work out or something of this nature, and I can't recall him in the barracks except when we would have inspection on Saturdays or something in the Air Force doing the inspection, and all the marines were complaining that we shouldn't have to stay for an Air Force inspection, and again this substantiates the idea that he went home to New Orleans because I think it came once a month or something, and we happened to get in the period that we had two of them, and he was anxious to go because inspection was Saturday morning, and he wanted to get out early out of the base to leave, and he had to stand inspection.

Mr. Jenner. Was this a fair statement, Mr. Powers, whether or not he went to New Orleans on his weekend leave, he did not remain in the Biloxi area, is your impression?

Mr. Powers. I couldn't say truthfully because I don't know what you mean by the "Biloxi area." At least he did not remain on the Air Force base. He left the Air Force base. Now, if he remained in Biloxi proper, the town, the community, I'm not sure.

But it was my opinion that he was not in the close proximity. He would be traveling over a period of time, then he would return to the base.

Mr. Jenner. Our records show that at the time he left Keesler to travel to El Toro, he was rated 4.2 in conduct and 4.5 in proficiency. What is that? What do those grades mean in terms of the maximum or the minimum?

Mr. Powers. I'm not sure what the scale—I cannot recollect what the scale is. I think it was 5.0 is the top.

Mr. Jenner. You're right. And would 4.2 in conduct and 4.5 in proficiency be a pretty fair rating?

Mr. Powers. Well, going back to what you said, he graduated seventh out of 30, it would be 4.5, which would be pretty good in the upper third of his class, so to speak. 4.2 couldn't be too far behind. So I would imagine on a five scale, 3.0 would be average. So 4.2 would be B plus.

Mr. Jenner. How did that compare with yours, by the way?