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Supporting Materials for Sir! No Sir!
Lewis 6 Refuse Vietnam Duty
On Friday, June 26, 1970, three Fort Lewis GI's, SP/4 Carl Dix, PFC Paul Forrest and PVT Mauel Perez were confined in the Fort Lewis stockade for refusing an order to report to the Overseas Replacement Station for shipment to Vietnam. On Staurday, June 27th, PVT James Allen was also confinedin the stockade and two other GIs, PFC Lawrence Galgano and PFC Jeff Griffith were confined in their barracks for refusing the same order. Dix and Allen are still in the stockade (pre-trial confinement). Forrest and Perez have been released. All six are now awaiting trial by General Court-Martial. During the months of December, 1969, and January and March, 1970, these men had filed their first applications for conscientious objector discharges from the service. Some of these men, because they felt their applications were improperly processed by officials at Ft. Lewis, prepred themselves for denial of discharge by Headquarters,. Department of the Army (Pentagon). They petitioned Major Generaal willard Pearson, Ft. Lewis Commander, for the right to submit second applications in the event thaat their initial applications were diuspproved. The Pentaagon claims that the applications did not represent the true beliefs of the men.
The six then submitted second applications, but military officials at Ft. Lewis claimed their second aapplications were "substantially the same" as the first, and disapproved them at post level. Within a few days the men were ordered to report for sshipment to Vietnam.
The six have engaged in a long struggele to get their objections recognized and to be legally discharged. They are personaally known to many members of the community, have spoken at local churches and coffeehouses, and been individuaally interviewed and approved by locaal cleergymen. They are all enrolled in the Registry of Conscientious Objectors of the Order of Maximmilian. The records of all opf them clearly attest to their integrity and sincerity.
Instead of respecting these men and their beliefs, the Army has treated them prejudicially and contemptuously. We recognize the Army's action in trying these men as an attempt to intimidate and discourage conscientious objectors from following their consciences and filing for discharge. The six men have shown that they will not be intimidated. They have the courage of their convictions and will follow their consgiences. They deserve our support.
Ft. Lewis Free Press, no. 1