Charlie Whitman Was a Friend of Mine is a true story. Charlie Whitman was one of the first mass murderers in the modern TV era. Charlie became infamous in 1966, when he went into the University of Texas Tower and started killing innocent strangers in the grassy fields below. Charlie's story has been told before. This telling is unique for two reasons. First, the story is told by a former US Marine Corps friend of Charlie. Charlie was the last Marine the author shook hands with and bid farewell, when the author completed his active duty at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. Second, this story is told in the poetry style of rhyming verses. To our knowledge this is the first time a serious story of a mass murder has been presented in a serious poetic format. The author believes this affords the reader the opportunity to gain an uncommon insight into the tragedy.During the time the author served with Charlie, he was impressed with y served together. This was two years before the Texas Tower mass murder occurred. At that earlier time, due to Whitman's professional bearing and manner, the author believed Whitman was one of the most interesting Marines he had met. He considered Whitman to be a Marine's Marine and felt Whitman would have been the ideal candidate for a Marine Corps recruitment poster.The author had unique insights concerning Charlie. First, they were next door neighbors. Second, the author was the Battalion payroll clerk. Charlie came to him for assistance when he lost both rank and pay. Court Martial The author advised and helped Whitman during this challenging time.