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Supporting Materials for Sir! No Sir!
Free Harvey And Daniels!!
Portsmouth, N.H. was the scene June 28 of a support demonstration for William Harvey and George Daniels--two black marines presently serving 6 and 4 Year sentences at the Portsmouth Naval Brig. What was their crime?
On July 27, 1967 at an informal bull session, Harvey & Denials described the Vietnam war as a "white man's war" and stated their belief that no black man could in good conscience support it while blacks at home continued to be oppressed. In order to protest being sent to Vietnam, the group of 14 including Harvey anti Daniels decided to request Captain's Mast-the Marine procedure for requesting to us the C.O. to present grievances.
The men were unable to talk directly to the C.0.; however a sergeant spoke to them and took statements from Harvey and Daniels. No one refused to be shipped to Vietnam; no one disobeyed any order. However, 20 days later Harvey and Danielels were arrested and charged with promoting disloyalty among the troops. At a court martial 3 months later at Camp Pendleton, California, they were both convicted--Harvey under the catch-all article 134 which punishes "all disorder and neglects to the prejudice of good order and discipline" and Daniels under a provision of the 1940 Smith Act which make, it a crime for any person to attempt "to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny or refusal of duty" by a serviceman.
Unfortunately, there was little public attention focused on the case at that time. Harvey and Daniels were 18 & 19 years old then and have by now served over a year and one half of their sentences. This past May, a Naval Board of Review reduced Daniels sentence from 10 to 4 years.
The anti-war movement and all civil libertarians must join together to demand that Harvey & Daniels be set free.
Top Secret , no. 2