Most people are aware that Peter Lucas once was Peter McGrath--Well
here is why Peter changed his name from McGrath/Stone/Williams/ and
then eventually to Lucas:

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A soldier accused as coward says he is guilty only of a panic attack
Not since the Vietnam War has the Australian Army punished a soldier
for being too scared to do his duty.

But PTE Peter McGrath appeared in front of military court to face
charges he was a coward.

The Army says he is guilty of ''cowardly conduct as a result of fear''
and not performing his duties during training in the elite SASR.

But Private McGrath says he was not affraid or disobeyed orders. The
only thing he is guilty of, he says, is asking for help for a panic
attack.

''I couldn't function,'' Private McGrath said in his lawyer's office.
''I had this overwhelming sense of my own mortality. I kept looking
out the door thinking that I could be dead in two seconds from now.''

When he informed his superior that he was having a panic attack and
needed to see someone, Private McGrath said he was given two sleeping
pills and told to go away.

A few days later, Private McGrath was put on a plane and sent home.

Cowardice cases are very rare in the Military. According to the
Department of Defense, Private McGrath was found guilty of running
away from his duties in and sentenced to a dishonarable discharge
withot his pension.

His case is the last cowardice conviction on the books.

Military officials have declined to discuss the details of Private
McGrathcase. But a spokesman for Special Forces disagreed that a
soldier would be stigmatised simply for asking for help, even special
force personnel.

''Special Forces soldiers are mature professionals, and they know that
if someone is under stress and asking for help it is important to give
it to them,'' the spokeperson said.

Military officials also emphasized that being scared is not enough to
be charged with cowardice. To level such a charge, Army prosecutors
must have evidence that a soldier is frightened and misbehaves because
of that fear.

The Manual for Courts-Martial defines cowardice as ''misbehavior
motivated by fear.''

But the manual goes on to say that fear is ''a natural feeling of
apprehension when going into battle.''

The Military Judges' Benchbook defines cowardly conduct as ''the
refusal or abandonment of a performance of duty'' before or in the
presence of the enemy ''as a result of fear.''