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Supporting Materials for Sir! No Sir!
Servicemen Chain Selves To Freedom
Nine servicemen in San Francisco testified to the rising opposition to the war by rank and filers when they resigned from the military chain gang, but chained themselves together in a show of brotherhood and resistance.
The nine represented the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.
They began their defiance on Monday July 15, by chaining themselves together and to clergymen at the Haight Ashbury Community Church.
After a bomb threat they moved to another church, this one in Marin County.
At 9AM Wednesday, MPs and a county sheriff pushed their way into the church through the densely packed people and arrested the nine men. To cut the chains, the MPs used bolt cutters.
Arrested were: James Seymore, 20, of Deer Park, N, Y,; John Robinson, 18, Westport, Conn. Steve Anderson, 17, Las Vegas, Nev.; Keith Mather, 21, San Bruno, Calif.; Phil Howard, 20, Roy, Utah; Dale Herrin, 20,Garland, Tex.; Chuck Jones, 20, Femandina Beach, Fla.; George Dounis, 23, Atlanta, Ga.; Oliver Hirsch, 21, Washington, D,C,
The military dictatorship charged them with various crimes ranging from AWL to desertion. Their real crime, of course, was refusing to become killers for the money-men.
(One of our Bondsmen (girl) was present in support of them. She wrote the New York office of the Bond:)
July 17
Last night there was a bomb threat at the church so everyone moved across the Bay to Marin City (a black ghetto). This is St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, It's brand new and is integrated. I attended several services when I lived in Marvelous Marin.
The nine beautiful guys are fine so far. Will call this A.M. Left them early last night to go to work.
Japanese girl students from Japan visiting and we claimed them as ''international observers,
Joan Baez and David Harris sang and rapped.
Has the story of the liberated GIs broken in New York yet?
Will keep you informed.
Yours for liberation,
Shirley
The Bond, vol. 2, no. 8