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Supporting Materials for Sir! No Sir!
Ft. Jackson GI's Being Charged
The army has announced that it is going to court-martial nine GI's, members of GI's United Against the War, at Ft. Jackson for participating in a discussion on the Vietnam war on March 20 at the fort. The men are being charged with inciting to riot, disturbing the peace, and showing disrespect to officers.
GI's United has been circulating petitions asking the brass to provide facilities for a discussion of the war. In a press statement, they said that the March 20th meeting was totally spontaneous. "It just happened, guys gathered outside the barracks and began rapping about the Vietnam war to their buddies. Upwards of 100 or more guys took part, no violence, no disturbance, just a rap session.'
They also said that several officers were present and were harassing individual GI's, but at no time was any order given to break up the meeting.
Four of the Ft. Jackson 9 are now in the stockade, and the other five are restricted to barracks.
The anti-war movement at Ft. Jackson has grown to tremendous proportions over the last few months, and now the brass is apparently getting worried. They hope to stop this movement by court-martialling some of its activists.
GI-CAP has sent a statement of support to GI's United, and is urging other groups and individuals to do the same.
Counterpoint, vol. 2, no. 6