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FORT HOOD THREE DEFENSE COMMITTEE 5 Beekman Street, 10Th Fl

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FORT HOOD THREE DEFENSE COMMITTEE 5 Beekman Street, 10Th Fl FORT HOOD THREE DEFENSE COMMITTEE 5 Beekman Street, 10th fl. 5% New York, N.Y. IOO38 Urgent August 26, 1966 Dear friends: We have jus t been informed by ;Stanle y Faulkner, attorney for the: Fort Hood Three , that the court'-martia l. of the three soldiers is now schedul ed to begin on September 6. Since ii; was understood that th e court -martial would not be c onven.id until after the middle of Sept ember5 the Defense Committee confronts an emergency and calls for help. The trial is expected to last at least several days. The three men, PFC James Johnson, Pvt. Dennis Mora, and Pvt. David A. Samas, were ordered on July ll| to proceed to Vietnam, and when they refused, were arrested and charged by the military authorities with refusing to obey a direct order of a superior officer. The case of these three remarkable young men is of the utmost importance because it constitutes a clear test as to whether the government, military or civil, can constitutionally and legally compel G.I.'s who are not pacifists but who refuse to fight in Vietnam to do so. It Is a matter which involves the civil rights of all men in the armed services, their right to think for themselves, to discuss the issues raised by the war in Vietnam, and to refuse to obey orders to commit what they believe to be war crimes. Preparations are under way here in New York and vicinity for a big turn out of supporters at Fort Dix itself and other places immediately on September 6 and succeeding days. We are sending you this alarm to urge you to do everything in your power to carry on activities in your community calling for freedom for these men and educating people on the issues involved. Our defense committee members and the relatives of the Fort Hood Three are unanimous in thinking that at this time we have a fine opportunity to reach G.I.'s in the various services and further stimulate discussion among them which we know is already going on. The enclosed leaflet, of which you can secure copies from us or are free to run off copies of your own, is therefore specially directed toward men in the armed services, although also suitable for civilians. We hope that you will concentrate as much as possible in mass leafleting of G.I.'s either at military installations where possible or at bus terminals and other places where they can be found. We should also like to remind you that funds are urgently needed at this time in order for us to mount the most effective defense possible. Sincerely yours, • - W / " ,-•.,..-. A. J.' Mus te Go-chairman IS IT AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION FOR THE ARMY TO SEND G.I.'S TO VIETNAM? WHY WON'T THE ARMY LET THE CIVIL COURTS ANSWER THIS QUESTION? The Fort Hood Three -- \PFC James Johnson, Pvt. Dennis Mora, and Pvt. David Samas -- are three G.I.'s who have refused to follow an officer's orders to board a plane for Vietnam because of their belief that the war there is, "immoral, illegal, and unjust." On June 30, their attorney filed an injunction against the Army in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to prevent their being sent to Vietnam on the grounds that the war violates the U.S. Constitution, the UN Charter, and many other laws. On July 11, the District Court ruled against the injunction. On July 7, while the case was still pending on appeal In the Circuit Court of Appeals the military police arrested the 3 G.I.'s and held them under "administrative restriction" -- basically a suppression of their rights to free speech -- without filing any official charges against them. (Major Blair Buckley, Jr, one of the Army officers investigating the case for preliminary hearings, declared, "Testimony of witnesses...indicates that Pvt. Mora and PFC Johnson were unlaw­ fully apprehended and detained...") On July 17, they were ordered to board a plane for Vietnam. When they refused they were confined to the stockade at Fort Dix and placed in virtual solitary confinement. Not until August 15, were they formally charged with disobeying an officer's orders, a violation of Article 90 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. On August 19, the Army refused a motion of the Fort Hood Three that the courts- martial be postponed until after their case was heard in civil court. The courts-martial is now expected to began at Fort Dix on Sept. 6. The Army is probably going to court s-martial these men and imprison them without regard for the fact that the basis of the Army's very action is being questioned in the civil courts. The Army has apparently made a unilateral decision to bypass the courts without regard for the process of civil law. G.I.'S ARE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY AND ARE ENTITLED TO THE RIGHTS OF CITIZENS. Among these rights Is the right to test the Constitutionality of an undeclared war. G.I.'s have a right to question the actions of their government in a war for which G.I.'s are being called upon to give their lives. Furthermore, servicemen should be entitled to all the rights of free speech, open discussion, and unlimited questioning which all citizens are entitled to: WHY DOES THE ARMY SEEK TO LIMIT THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF THE THREE G.I.'s WHO DECLARE: "WE WON'T GO!" Join the hundreds of thousands of Americans opposed to the war in Vietnam who support the Fort Hood Three. Join the hundreds of thousands of Americans who support the right of G.I.'s to free speech and open inquiry. Support the G.I.'s right not to go to Vietnam. DEMAND: FREE THE FORT HOOD THREE! WRITE: Secretary of the Army, Stanley Reser, Pentagon, Wash., D.C. Commanding General John Hightower, Fort Dix, N.J. ., (This leaflet prepared by the Fort Hood Three Defense Committee, 5 Beekman Street, 10th floor, New York, N.Y. 10038) D. Wig È D ml) uiüö Lh«»l•" 2 AoJ. MUSTE, STAUGHTON LYND-J.^CO-CHAIRMEN DAVE DELLINGER-"--»-SECRETARY THESE YOUNG DRAFTEES WHO HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO VIETNAM, WHILE ON FINAL LEAVE BEFORE EMBARKATION SOUGHT A COURT INJUNCTION AGAINST BEING SENT ON GROUNDS OF THE IMMORALITY AND ILLEGALITY OF THE WAR. THEY ARE WILLING TO STAND COURT MARTIAL IF NECESSARY. THEY WILL FACE THE MOST EXTREME PRESSURE AND IT IS VITAL THAT ALL GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS OPPOSED TO THIS IMMORAL WAR DEMONSTRATE SYMPATHY FOR THEIR HEROIC STAND AND APPLY PRESSURE TO ASSURE THAT THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS ARE NOT VIOLATED. WE NEED YOUR HELPS PLEASE CLIP AND MAIL TO: FORT HOOD 3DEFENSE COMMITTEE 5 BEEKMAN ST. 10th FLOOR N.Y., N.Y. 10038 TEMPORARY PHONE —96_|.-0071 YOU CAN USE MY NAME AS A SPONSOR OF THE DEFENSE COMMITTEE ENCLOSED FIND CONTRIBUTION TO THE FORT HOOD 3 DEFENSE COMMITTEE. MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO A.J. 'MUSTE,TREASURER PRO TEM. NAME: ADDRESS : CITY; STATE: ZIPCODE: TELEPHONE NO: ORGANIZATION (for identification purposes only) THE NEW YORK TIMES, FRIDAY, JULY 1, !«• 3 G.Us/Armounce They Will Not Go to Vietnam By MARTIN ARNOLD civilian clothes, were seated àt a Johnson had numerous "bull country does not exist for him. Three Army privates who table. sessions" while in basic train­ "Just as the Negroes are have orders to report this month Pvt. Dennis Mora, 25 years ing about United States involve­ fighting for absolute freedom old of New York City, a former for embarkation to Vietnam social worker for the Welfare ment in Vietnam. and self-determination in the said yesterday they would Department read from a joint City College Graduate United States, so it is with the not go. statement in which the three Vietnamese in their struggle soldiers declared: "We have "You don't know how' it was : They denounced the war as being a Puerto Rican in Span­ against the Americans." made our decision. We will not To Private Samas, "America "immoral, illegal and unjust," be part of this unjust, immoral ish Harlem," he said after the and likened the United States' and illegal war. !.';.- news conference. "My folks has no role in Vietnam except that of instigator and conquer­ involvement in some ways to "We want no part of a war had to fight hard to get mc the Nazi aggression .in Europe. of extermination. We oppose the where I am." He was gradu­ or." He asked: "Are we fight­ The three; are on; »furlough criminal waste of American ated from City College with a ing the Fascists, the Commu­ now and will report to Oakland, lives and resources. We refuse B. A. in January, 1964,.and was nists or arc we killing little to go to Vietnam." brown peasants who in turn Calif., as they have been or­ employed by the city as a case There was loud applause and worker from May, 1964, until are fighting for their free­ dered, but they said that they some shouts of "bravo" from he was drafted in December. dom?" would refuse to board a troop the 50 or so persons seated in There was an atmosphere of The three soldiers identified transport for Vietnam. the hall. the revival meeting in the three themselves as members of the In Washington, an attorney The two other soldiers were soldiers' news conference. As 142nd Signal Battalion, who Pfc. James A. Johnson, 20, of for the three started legal action each read quietly his own state­ were given furloughs on June New York, and Pvt.
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