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Supporting Materials for Sir! No Sir!
38 Prisoners Charged In Fort Dix Rebellion
On June 5, Dix stockade prisoners rebelled after harassment, abuse and even deliberate torture. The Brass used tear gas to put down the rebellion and MPs brutally beat several of the prisoners, including ASU organizer Bill Brakefield.
The Union revealed the mistreatment in the stockade and demanded the right to investigate conditions in the stockade.
On June 20, the Army answered the ASU. In a letter written for the Secretary of the Army by Col. James C. Shoultz, Jr. ("Acting the Provost Marshal General"), the Brass denied that GIs in the Dix stockade had been abused, denied overcrowding, denied that MPs used "physical contact" with the prisoners (but admitted that nine prisoner had been hurt), denied that tear gas, was used, and refused to allow the ASU to investigate the stockade or see medical records.
In addition to imprisoning and then further mistreating these citizen soldiers, the Army now proposes to try them for their resistance.
Of the 150 involved in the rebellion 38 have now been charged as a result of this resistance. Ten have been singled out for special charges of riot, inciting to riot, conspiracy to riot, arson, etc. Four of these ... are ASU organizers. One is Terry Klug who returned from Europe several months ago, where he worked with RITA--GI resisters.
Another is Tom Tuck, a black GI who earlier led the "Dirty Dozen" at Fort Knox, Ky. Bill Brakefield received sanctuary at City College in New York last fall when he refused orders for Vietnam. Jeff Russell joined the Union while confined in the stockade.
It should be made perfectly clear that the Army has no right to try them. It has no more right to try them than General Motors has a right to try workers who go on strike against them.
The ASU is not only busy publicizing the vicious injustice of this Brass attack, it is rallying support among civilians as well as GIs to fight back.
The Bond, vol. 3, no. 7