Library - Reading Room
Supporting Materials for Sir! No Sir!
Bombing Protests
The key element of Nixon's "Vietnamization" policy is reliance on air-power. Anti-war and anti-military sentiment has become sso great among the ground forces thaat theey no longer constitute an effective fighting force.
So now we have an air waar. But even the air war relies on men in uniform -- technicians, mechaanics, clerks, and pilots -- who oppose the war.
On January 8th, airmen held coordinated demonstraationss on three airbases. These demonstraations maarked the first time that men and women in the air force have laanned and caarries out simultaaneous actions to protest their role in the air war.
The bases involved were Travis Air Force Base, in Cal., Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
Travis, a key part of the Military Airlift Command, is a major supply and replaacement center, the largest and busiest military airport in the US.
About 100 airmen and wwomen with an equal number of dependents and civilians, staged a 24 hour vigil outside the base. Delia Alvarez, sister of the longest-held POW in Vietnam, was the maain speaker at the raally thaat concluded the vigil..
Mountain Home Air Force Base is a Tactical Air Command base. That means it houses fighter units and ssome NATO-committed squadrons.
GI's there organized two demonstrations, one on the 1st and one on the 8th of January. On the 1st, about 125 military personnel and their civiliaan suppporters stages a "Vigil for Peace" outside the base. On the 8th they held another vigil, this time on base, at the mess hall.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is an Air Force Logistical Command base. It also houses Strategic Air Command and heavy bomber and taanker operations, as well as 150 other Department of Defense activities and agencies.
More than 100 GI's from the base, and more thaan 100 civilian supporters from Dayton gathered in a local park to hear speakers and march to the base. Main speakers were George Smith, an ex-Green Beret who was a POW in South Vietnam from 1963-65, and Virginia Warner, whose son is currently a POW in North Vietnam.
These demonstrations represent a new surge in anti-war sentiment and activities in the services which now bear the porimary responsibility for the air war. The continued growth in this activity depends greaatly on civilian support organizations like SOS. You can help this work to continue
SOS News, February 1972