Library - Reading Room
Supporting Materials for Sir! No Sir!
A Cloak For The Kangaroo
It has become evident to the brass that the small group of GI `s who spent their free time last summer calling themselves “GI's United Against the War” have become increasingly, if not fully, effective in their demands for GI rights and an end to racism at home and in the war in Vietnam. As their voices are raised, so too are those who would be most affected by their demands (the brassouls), raising their iron arm to squash them.
But let it be said that they are not led by the typical fool that usually wears the gold braid and stars. Gen. Tolson is highly aware of the fact that the Army cannot afford and should not produce more martyrs for the movement. He is still in their pitching, however, doing his best to stop us through “legal” means. Thus, the cloak of legality is spread and under the auspices of the cloak, Rik Penn struck out. Strike one; he was one of the men who filed suit against the CG and Resor. Strike two: he is a spokesman for GI's United. Strike three; he is black.
Now I am not saying that when Rik was found guilty of missing a noon formation and subsequently busted and put on suspended restriction, that his membership in GI's United and the fact that he is black had anything at all to do with the action taken against him, for we all know that justice is blind--or is it the judge?
Before CIT What's-his-name had the pleasure of reducing Rik to the rank of PFC, he had discussed the infamous paper Bragg Briefs at a company formation saying that it was put out by a subversive group whose only goal was violent overthrow of the government. But he never let personal opinion interfere with his, impartial judgment .
But the taste of blood was good and now What’s-his-name wants to court martial PFC Penn for heinous crime, only it is a frame up and we are not going to let him get away with it. Based on the report of an ex–NCO–now–2nd LT (you know the kind) who is in the same company as Rik and CPT What’s-his-name. Anyway, th is ex-NCO-now-of f icer (you know the kind) claims to have heard Rik snoring while on guard duty. One, he was not sleeping. Two, he had a permanent profile prohibiting him from pulling guard duty.
Yet they persist to charge him of violating an unlawful order, an order which he was legally incapable of carrying out in the first place.
But again I must recall that justice is blind. Blindfolded she is, but what material is it that covers her eyes? Is it a solid black bandanna or a strip of OD mosquito netting? A special court martial will give us the answer to this. It has been said that military justice is to justice what military music is to music--for military music serves its purpose for marching and drilling while the myth of military justice serves it’s purpose for discipline by serving as a cloak for the kangaroo. Let it be known that no one has pulled the wool over our eyes.
Bragg Briefs, vol. 2, no. 4