Library - Reading Room
Supporting Materials for Sir! No Sir!
March Against Genocide
In August 7 & 8, GIs and Civilians from the Mountain Home Project marched against genocide in a 40 mile trek across the desert to Boise.
The march started August 7 at 5:30 in the morning. The troopers met in the park across the street from the Covered Wagon and from there were transported by cars to the beginning of the old Boise Highway. There the march began and four and a half miles later the marchers were met with water, salt tablets and band-aids for blisters by the support vehicles. After a ten-minute break, they were off into the desert, marching bravely on.
"At about 3:30 that afternoon after many rest breaks similar to the one described above, the trek was halved at the Indian Reservoir; 24 miles had been covered by foot. Our initial plan was to spend the night at the reservoir, but after reaching it, we ported by cars to the rest stop where we had dinner. Dinner was provided by a group of people from the Valley Peace Action Council, El-Ada (Vista Workers); and by the congregation of St. Michael's Episcopal Church.
"The next morning at 5:30, we started off from the rest stop on the last leg of the journey into Boise. At 10:00 we reached Capital Building where we took a rest break on the steps. From there we went to the Immanuel Methodist Church where we participated in the service. Steve Miller, a member of the Covered Wagon and a marcher, gave a speech as a Vietnam Veteran to the congregation and the marchers. A trio of musicians from the Wagon, played chamber music during the service.
"From the church we were bussed to Julia Davis Park, where we organized our march on the Morrison-Knudsen Company (ed. note: M-K manufactures tiger cages, among other things). All the marchers formed a huge skirmish line and marched across the grass of Julia Davis Park, across the intersection and across the parking lot at M-K where Larrie Knudsen, great-grandson of the founder of the firm and now a captain in the Air Force, gave a speech accusing M-K of being war profiteers and therefore war criminals. Mark Lane also spoke and shortly thereafter, upon the flagpoles we raised to half-mast our banners proclaiming: "WE ARE TAKING THE GI OUT OF GENOCIDE," "BRING 'EM HOME", and "BRING OUR BROTHERS HOME."
Camp News, vol. 2, no. 8