How You Stand

The most recent issue of the Broken Arrow brought various reactions from different individuals throughout the branches of service here at Selfridge. They ranged from furious accusations of Communist conspiracy undermining the government to muttered approval of telling it like it is.

The majority of GIs here are still skeptical of the movement and exactly what it stands for. As a result, many of the lower echelon troops are still afraid to venture any involvement or support of the Broken Arrow, ASU or GI movement.

Recently charges have been brought against 5 Marines for massacre of civilians in Vietnam. You are trained as an American fighting man to be agressive, ruthless, and quick to react in order to survive in a combat situation. In regard to the Viet Nam war, you are taught to be suspicious of every Vietnamese peasant and look upon him as a probable Viet Cong querrilla [sic]. Simply by following these guidelines, you are subject to a “bust” for massacre or other war crimes.

Your involvement in this illegal war is not left to your own discretion. By present military standards, you have no choice but to follow your orders and training issued by our present established government. It seems to me that the guilt for any war crimes lies somewhat farther up the rank scale.

So now you're not in Viet Nam and may possibly never be involved in a combat situation. You, as an American male citizen, are fulfilling your military obligation. You might have left a well-paying civilian job of responsibility due to your profiency or responsible character. You may now find yourself scrubbing a GI can or some other choice detail simply because yeu don't measure up to someone's personal evaluation of American standards. There is also no need for a reminder of your pay scale opposed to that of an average laborer working under the minimumun wage law. If you have never questioned [sic] why you have to put up with this while fulfilling your “patriotic duty”, then it is time you stopped to ponder this question.

The American Serviceman's Union is not advocating the complete disbandment of the military, but to the pettiness, prejudice, and complete power of command in the hands of the brass and their conformist puppets. You will be told you have all the rights of dissent as an individual, but it will go so much easier on you if you conform to their ideas. What right do they have to all this power to enforce such control over you?

The ASU is organized to oppose this sort of double talk tyranny. It may be wortwhile for you to look into the local ASU chapter. Power belongs to the people, not in the hands of a few.
Don Vaughn
Cpl. USMC/Ret.

Broken Arrow, no. 11

Library - Reading Room

How You Stand