Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Gamecocks n Connection! r-V. lOMH kamecocks— f kamecocks exm«4. streak with d»™a;’ victory ovm coueret.ee malm overtime Wavers celebrate! 1 Williams Brice Stadium rocks! Your source for Gamecocks news alerts right on your wireless phone! Get up-to-the-minute news about the Gamecocks, from the Gamecocks, on your wireless phone. Log on to www.vtext.com and select "Coaches Corner!" Subject to Customer Agreement and Calling Plan. $35 activation fee may apply- $175 early termination fee applies. Requires credit approval. Subject to taxes, charges and other restrictions. See verizonwireless.com/bestnetwork for network claim details. Digital phone required. Verizon Wireless post pay customers charged 20 per message received and 100 per message sent. Verizon Wireless prepay customers charged 50 for messages received and sent. Network not available in all areas. ©2004 Verizon Wireless IRAQ • CODTIIIUCD FROfTl I injuries. Though he was knocked unconscious by the blast, Geiger recalls coming to when two Marines asked if he was OK and pulled him out of the vehicle. His first thought: Was anyone else hurt? After being reassured that no one else was injured and that they hadn’t been ambushed, Geiger slipped into a morphine-induced haze. He didn’t know the extent of his injuries at the time, just that “something was wrong,” he said. Geiger, who graduated in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in political science, said that before his deployment to Iraq he hadn’t considered the possibility of getting injured. “You never expect to get hit going over there,” he said. “You never expect you’re the one who’ll get hit, but you know it’s out there. You train for it and mentally prepare yourself, but I was knocked out cold and totally taken by surprise by the whole situation.” Geiger has been training for the military for many years, first at a military high school in Virginia, then as a Marine ROTC student at USC. He met his fiancee, a 2004 USC graduate and member of the Navy ROTC, when the two groups trained together. He represents the third generation of his family to have served in the military. “We’re very proud of Him and we know God was looking out for him when this happened,” his sister Elaine Geiger said. His father, Dr. Michael Geiger, shares Elaine’s pride and said he is “thankful that it wasn’t any worse than it • » IS. “There are plenty of soldiers injured a lot worse than he was that week and some of them died so we’re thankful,” he said. For now, the younger Michael Geiger does administrative work for his platoon while vyaiting for his foot to heal. He said he is following the advice of his doctors for the fastest recovery possible so that he can return to full active duty, but another force motivates him as well: He wants to dance at his wedding. “The one thing I asked all the doctors was if I could dance by May 20,” he said. “They are all very positive about me making a full recovery.” Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocknews@gwn.sc.edu hB MCXSON# SKI SNOLUBORRD PRRTV ^dL5_ Bays/Night * Lift Tickets Condo Lodging Serious Nightlife I From only 299 1 1.800.999.ski.9 ■ SKITRAVEL.COM I -jnmoTC • conunuED proid i as an example of someone who died for a lesser crime. “Many of those already executed had multiple murders, there was premeditation, there was tortures,” Norris said. “Most of those are not someone who was engaged in an attempted armed robbery and only fired one time in the direction of the victim.” Humphries doesn’t want to die, Norris said. “But if he is going to be a number, he would rather be No. 1,000.” Sal Macias, a University of South Carolina-Sumter professor and death penalty opponent, said he can appreciate Humphries’ desire to be remembered because the merits of his execution are questionable. “If any good can come out of this, I can understand why Mr. Humphries might wish it to be so,” Macias said. “I’m sure he recognizes the futility of hope for his own case.” Humphries was denied a final stay by the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday. His last chance to avoid execution rests with a clemency request in the hands of Gov. Mark Sanford. The governor’s spokesman has said Sanford is not inclined to grant the request, but the governor will make a decision by Friday morning. Humphries, now 34, was convicted of murder in 1994 fof the shooting death of Simpsonville store clerk Mendal Alton “Dickie” Smith. Prosecutors said Humphries, then 22, and a friend decided to rob the store after drinking beer all day. Surveillance tape at his trial showed Humphries going into the store and flashing a gun at Smith. When Smith reached under the counter, the tape showed Humphries fire a shot and run away. Smith was struck once in the head. The friend, Edward Gerald Blackwell, stayed in the store and told police what happened, according to testimony. He is serving a life sentence. 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