Robert H. Laflower v. United States of America

BREYER, Circuit Judge.

After soldier Gary LaFlower was killed in an automobile accident, his parents sued the United States and Prudential Insurance Company to collect the proceeds of his U.S. Army life insurance policy. The relevant statute says that “such insurance shall cease ... at the end of the thirty-first day of a continuous period of ... absence without leave (AWOL).” 38 U.S.C. § 768(a)(1)(B) (1982). And, the district court, after trial, found that the government proved that Gary LaFlower had knowingly been absent without leave for several months prior to the auto accident that caused…