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BRAGG BRIEFS is published in the spirit of the Declaration of Independence
and the Constitution of the United States. It is a free press published by
active duty GI*s stationed at Fort Bragg,
North Carolina dedicated to
establishing responsible alternatives to the current military system.
BRAGG BRIEFS
GITs United Against the war in Vietnam
This issue is dedicated to pebas Holland and Kay Lindsay who were, involved
in the organization of a civilian support element for the Fort Bragg Gl
movement. Their work at the Quaker House was essential to the development
of a potent liberation movement in the Fayetteville area.
were killed in an automobile accident in Geor ja on December
Februar
OTBrien Charges Not Dropped
Sometime between the 19th
of December snd the 13th of Jen-
ary, the authorities at Fort
Bragg decided that the court-
mertial cherges Same st David
O'Brien had not be dropped.
Col, William R. ines of the
basic trainins center informed
O'#rien of this fact on the 13th
of January. Major Bush, the
adjutent, later explained to
O'Brien that CPT Coates of his
ola unit had been told the
chsrg=s would vorobably be drop-
ped, that Coates hsd then told
him thet the charges had in
fact been dropped, but that the
final decision made was that
O'Brien would only be taken out
of trainee status and transfere
red to another part of the
training center. The error was
soparently discovered when the
Chrictmas issue of Bragg Briefs
which included an article about
the charges being dropved found
its way into the hands of the
Ft, Brags authorities. Condos in-
dicated to O*Brien a certain a-
sount of concern as to the oan-
gle� that the Bra a
Oorial board would take regarding
the retraction. There wes lit-
tle surprise at che cxenimetenes
and indecision in the Army's
latest move in the O*Brien cas
though it is still ~asOneE bie.
to see the continuing volitical
and religious oporession of
C'Brien es being legal or just-
ifiable. If tne Army hea drooged
the Charsess it would be diffi-
cult to s&: C'Brien as heaving
out ony thing over on the Army,
as 10% months of restriction
certainly seeus to be adequate
ounishment for a 21 day AWOL
offense. There are individuals
who have received less than a
courtemartial, some who have
received no punishment, Se a
similer offense. The holid
season was certainly more Wie
joyable for O*Brien though the
new year is proving to be some-
what of a "bummer". All of the
Bragg Briefs editorial board,
with the possible exception of
O'Brien, look forward to a
raucous court-martial.
Bragg loses Grand Old Man
David Shulman, othe Grand Old
Man" of GI's UNITED, has been
separated from the United States
Army to return to school. Wear-
ing only his Good Conduct Medal
and a smile, Dave left here Jan-
uary 6th knowing that GI~*s UNITED
would keep truckin®. In the fara-
way land of Reservedumb, serfs
entertain visions that a new mes-
Siah may be born.
GETATRAINSHULMANORAC 5RIGHTONRIGH
Donation
Ft. Jackson
Coffeehouse
CLOSED
Columbia, S.C...On January 13,
a warrant was issued by Judge E.
Harry Agnew ($?!) for the arrest
of five members of the UFO Cof-
feehouse staff. In conjunction
with the arrests, a temporary re-
straining order closing the UFO
was issued on the 15th, charging
the coffeehouse operators with
keeping and maintaining a public
nuisance. More specifically, the
indictment cites the UFO as a
gathering place for opersons of
evil name, fame, and conversation,
men as well as women,� as having
displayed printed matter which
was oobscene and offensive�, and
with aiding, encouraging, entic-
ing, and allowing ominors under
the age of 21 to become incor-
rigible and ungovernable or hab-
itually disobedient beyond con-
trol of his or her parents or be-
come habitually truant, associate
with immoral and vicious persons.�
The UFO has been under inves-
tigation by several agencies,
both civilian and military, since
its opening in 1967. The county
prosecuting attorney admitted
that the arrests were only part
of an effort to close down the
building; he said, oThere are a
lot of ways to do this thing� and
that they had picked a orarely
used legal move" as the oquickesv
and surest way", all of which
would indicate that the charges
are at least extraneous, if not
entirely unfounded, and that the
primary objective of this move is
to silence the UFO which has been
active in GI organizing and pro-
test against the war.
Jon Kraus, president of the
South Carolina chapter of the
American Civil Liberties Union,
has called the move by Columbia
(Ft.Jackson continued on pg.2)
Dean and Kay
lst.
Free to Bri
Brag
Suit ee
and Appealec
On January 2nd, Judge Alger-
non L. Butler denied motions of
attorneys for GI*s UNITED demand
ing immediate distribution right
on post of the publication Bragg
Briefs. The long awaited decisio
from a November 12th hearing was
less than four pages in length.
In it, Butler reviewed the facts
of the case without discussing
the points of law in favor of or
against the GI's first amendment
rights. He concluded with three
points: (1) That AR 210-10 and
Ft Bragg Reg 210-23 are consti-
tutionally valid. (2) That Bragg
Briefs constitutes a basis upon
which General Tolson could rea-
sonably conclude that distribu-
tion would present "a clear dan-
ger to the military loyalty, dis
cipline, and morale� of soldiers
stationed at Ft Bragg. (3) That
the evidence failed to establish
any denial of constitutional
rights. An appeal has already
been filed with the 4th Circuit
Court of Appeals.
(Continued on editorial page 6)
Chaplain vs Bishop
State vs Church
On January 7, Colonel Gefell
the commanding chaplain at Fort
Bragg and incidentally a Roman
Catholic priest, refused to aid
a bishop of his church who wish¢
to give comfort to the prisoner:
in the post stockade. Bishop An:
tulio Parilla-Bonnilla of Puert
Rico requested that the colonel
intercede with General Tolson t
gain entrance to the stockade aj
ter he had been refused admit=-
tance at the gates. Not only dic
Gefell turn down the bishop's
request, but he would not even
permit the bishop to use an Arm
telephone to call Tolson - sug-
gesting that the bishop use the
pay phone outside instead. The
bishop and his entourage discov-
ered what every GI who has ever
gone in for counseling, attende
a chapel service, applied for
classification or discharge as ¢
conscientious objector, or trie
to find a chaplain with moral
courage has discovered: Chaplair
are the willing tools of aggres-
Sive militarism in America.
CHAPLAINSAREMORALEUNICHSCHAPLAIT!
ate
February 1970
(Ft.Jackson continued from pg.1)
and: Richland County as "a clear
attempt to violate and therefore
undermine, their (the UFO staff
and those using the UFO) consti-
tutionally-protected rights of
free speech and assembly� and as
"a blatant attempt at political
repression.� The ACLU of SC is
also contesting the amount of
bail set for the four UFO work-
ers (One has not as yet been
taken into custody). Bail was
set at $28,500 for the four, a
clear violation of, amoung oth-
er things, the new SC Bail re-
form Act.
its
definitely
lappening man!
Yeh,
The Roger Priest Case
Free Speech vs
Roger Priest, U.S. Navy, is
inder court-martial which could
~eSult in a dishonorable dis-
~charge and up to 39 years in
rison. No, Roger isn't that per-
~on charged with over 100 counts
~f murder. Roger*s court-martial
S based upon his views and the
xpression thereof.
Under the infamous Article
34 of the Uniform Code of Mil-
tary Justice, he has been char-
ed with oadvising and urging
nsubordination and disloyalty
ith intent to interfere with,
mpair, and influence the loyal-
ys morale, and discipline of
ilitary and Naval forces."
hese charges were pressed short-
y after Roger published a news-
aper entitled OM = The Libera-
ion Newsletter,
There were 14 charges in all
iled by the U.S. Navy in June
969. Since that time some of
he original charges have been
ropped and the court-martial it-
elf has been delayed while the
eS. Court of Military Appeals
ules upon Priest's allegation of
Ommand influence in the matter,
he court-martial judge original-
y dismissed two charges but lat-
r reinstated them after the ad-
iral pressing the charges told
im to reconsider his decision,
ne decision by the Military
ourt of Appeals could set a
egal precedent for future
Surts-martial.
The most important aspect of
2#ger*s case is not the idea of
LS commander directly influenc-
1g the court-martial. The in-
Command Influence
Marches protesting the closing
were staged in downtown Columbia
on the 16th and 18th of January.
Speakers at the larger rally on
the 18th (500 attended on about
three days notice) included How-
ard Levy who was instrumental in
starting the UFO while he was in
prison for refusing to train
Green Beret medics, Mark Lane
who promised to aid and abet any-
one involved in GI organizing or
protest against the war or any-
one willing to desert to Canada
or elsewhere, and Clay Greene of
Ft Jackson. A contingent of GI's
UNITED from Ft Bragg traveled ts
Columbia to participate in th
ganizing.
4s on Radio Talk Show
Page 2
oe
-
yi J
is
. wet?
ae %
On January 11th listeners
WSSB radio station in Durham,
ve recently had the opportun-
- ty to learn more about GI or-
During the 55 minute
"phone in� Show, Harold Price of
the Black Brigade and Dave OTBrien
ment.
ers
from GI*s United spoke about
various aspects of the GI move-
The majority of the listen-
who phoned, to include a
portance of the case is the fact
that a person is being court-
martialed for speaking and ex-
pression of his views. Its a
tragedy that the military can
imprison a person for a freedom
Which is supposedly guaranteed
by the Constitution,
Roger Priest is under charges
which could result in 39 years of
imprisonment because he has ex-
pressed himself. However, Roger
continues his free expression, be-
cause he feels oas an American
citizen I have been speaking and
writing the truth as I see it to
be. If that.be a: *crime* ~it is
one I proudly admit! And I might
add that I am more than willing
to measure my ~crime*® against
those who have perpetrated the
illegal and immoral war in Viet-
Nam."
SAVE ROGER PRIEST
SPEECH -6-ist\e:.-s
- SAVE FREE
one sre crore oLoo slessliyv
ens] v-d thin tnote rho felsely
slieve tney sare fre.
ane 3 fe
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recent Vietnam returnee, seemed
very receptive to the speakers.
Actually there was only one
really negative phone call and
that listener was more inter-
ested in calling the GI organ-
izers ocowards� than in try-
ing to give rational comments
to support her views.
Bragg Briefs Editor Exiled
Several weeks after having
been thrown out of the basic
training center for having two
copies of Bragg Briefs on his
desk, Walter Guntharp has now
oe�,�en reassigned orce again --
this time from HHC 35th Sig Gp
to Motte Lake, a signal site 2
miles out in the woods. Walt'Ts
transfer was ordered by LTC
Struthers, Commanding Officer,
35th Sig Gp after Walt attempted
to hold political education clas-
ses in his companyTs day room.
Once again, the agrny i:s upheld
the rights of freedom of speech
and assembly guarenteel to its
menvers.
3
February 1970
Read
The Article on
Military Injustice in
the Feb. PLAYBOY!
Most of us in the reen
machine know the nature of
military ojustice�, from our
Own exoerience and that of our
friends. Now 4 few veovle in
the real world are beginning
to take notictr. In the Febu-ry
issue of Plryboy is an article
entitled "oJustice-Military Style",
which vnoints out the unconstit-
utional basis of he court-
martial system and the brutlity:
of the army stockades.
Beginning with a story about
a stockede susrd who was aquitted
of beating a nrisirner because he
wes"only following Orders", the
article goes on to list many
more examoles of the inhumen
conaiitions of the stockades 2nd
the brut.1l tre=tme:it of the ori-e
Sioners. Sherrill tells how we
do have supoort from those on the
outside, such as Senator George
McGovern «nd even the Americen
Legion, who offer vsrious sol-
utions to the probl=m, such as
putting some of these cesses in
the civilisn courts.
But these helf-way me»sures
will not de enough. Ve must
abolish the entire court-mertieal
system and the UCMJ, which is
Obviously unconstitutionel. Only
when the military is brought under
the control of the »eoole and
soldiers have the democrstic
rights of free men will the srmy
cease to be an instrument of
agzression and incubstor of brut-
ality.
quickies
I believe that every man in
uniform is e@ citizen first and
a serviceman second, and that
we mugt resist eny attempt to
isolate or separate the defenders
fwom the defended. . .
Pres. Richard M. Nixon, 4.June 1969
. YOU'RE WRONG, MR. PRESIDENT.
ASK L. MENDSL RIVERS!
hose gooks are
hardly human. They
have very little
respect for human into fighting.
Investi
Every last native
has been terrorized
BRAGG BRIEFS
The Haircut Policy was a Lie
The staff of Ske. Briefs has
been trying to find out just how
effective the new haircut poicy
on Ft. Bragg is doing. According
to Tolson and Dean they will now
allow the men to grow thier hair
four inches on top, two inches on
the sides, a block in the back and
sideburns down to the hole in your
ear!Without exception, the men I
have talked to in the 82nd say
that the new policy is great, be-
Cause now they can grow theeér hair
half the length of the policy whibh
is twice as long as in the old.
days? For those who dare to try
to grow théér hair to the max of
the new policy: harrassment for
something tha. is osupposedto be
legal".
This type of policy is a lot
like are constitution. They give
you four inches but only allow
two, but constantly remind you
that it is better then before.
Think about it. You are not ale
lowed to have what they say you
can have, they only say it is bet-
ter then before! Well we are fed
up with thier word games about
freedom. It is about time we step
forward and do what they say we
are allowed to do on paper bee
cause what they allow us to do
with thier words is become slaves.
HAIR NOW, FREEDOM NOW!
DARE TO STRUGGLE, DARE TO WIN....c-
of Induction Center
Medicals
Pvt. Del 2. Weaver of E-i-1,
USATCI hes more rezson then rost
of us for resenting his draft
board, for, despite the fact
the Marine Coros has proof that
he is a hemoohiliac, they saw
fit to draft him.
Pvt. Weever's disease is so
serious that h ving a tooth
extracted once reauired hin to
have 23 blood transfusions}
He also is unsble to heve his
tonsils renoved because of the
d-nger of his bl«eding to death.
GIs UNITED calls uoon the
military es:ablishment to expidite
Pvt Weaver's discharge and to
conduct a thoroucth investigation
into the conditions that allowed
this to hadpen.
And the hell of it
is, we're losing!
War is hell. We are
at war with the ten
year old children.
gation Needed
oTrain ~em to kill, not massacre....got it 2�
Trainee Sues Army
One of several GI's from Ft.
Bragg suing the Army for dis-
charge appeared in the Federal
District Court in Clinton, North
Carolina on January 7, 1970. Pvt
Dennis Halliday, an 8 month basic
trainee from Bragg, is one of the
millions ordered oto do his duty"
Unlike the majority of Americans,
Dennis refused to become a traine
killer. He refused to train in t
tactics of killing and for his re
fusal Dennis is pending a special
court-martial.
While his detention by the Arm
is being contested in the federal
courts, Dennis® lawyers got a re-
straining order. from the court pr
venting the Army from going ahead
with the court-martial. Dennis
now awaits a decision on his fede
eral court hearing, fully realiz-
ing that if he looses he will be
court-martialed for refusing to
learn how to kill.
Organize!
Most of us as GeIe~'s have
gripes and valid complaints re-
garding our involuntary tour in
the military. The term F.T.A-
is an example of how we feel
about our life as servicemen.
If we just sit around the
barracke continually griping
about the war, living condi-
tions, haircuts, chow, or what-
ever it may be, we are actually
helping the Army.
There is only one way to
bring ahout change and that
is to work together to bring
Change. We can't just gripe
about our problems. If the
60,000 soldiers from Bragg
join together then we can de-
mand and gain more important
demands. Stop griving and
start acting. G.I~'s United
helped you in gaining changes
in the haircut regulation. We
must begin now for more impor-
tant changes.
Help end the War! There are
3% million men in the service...
certainly 3% million men can de-
mand an end to the war now,
rather than waiting, as one man
wants to, for years. G.I.'s
United meet every Tuesday night
at 7:00 P.M. at the Quaker House,
324 Ray Avenue, across from the
USO club, three blocks from Sears
Feel free to call or visit any
time. (Telephones 483-5279)
February 1970 BRAGG BRIEFS Page 4 February 1970 BRAGG BRIEFS
Army does lasting harm to Family Structure in America
In vast issues, Bragg Briefs
has tried to show some of the in-
dignities and devrivations that
the average GI is forced to bear
while serving his country as a
oart of the militery machine,
Not the least of these is the
mental anguish of being separa-
ted from his wife, family, or
even his girl friend back home
for extended veriods of time,
Not only does the arny ignore
this deplorable sta_e of arfairs,
but it often uses such separa-
tions to force dissident sol-
diers into submission or to oun-
ish them for acts not demed ac-
ceotable by military standards,
How often have you
known fellow GlTs
with family strife
or marital problems?
We of GI's United submit that
this is unjust punishment and
constitutes undue mentel cruel-
ty, not only to the solcier in
question, pout also to the ver-
son or persons being deorived
of the confort of his oresence.
Though such mental anguish is
often only of a temporary nature,
it can and does destroy the mar-
riages and lives of hundreds of
people every year. To illus-
trate this voint we airect your
attention to the case of one of
the editors on our staff. Our
editor, who was married in No-
vember of 1968, received orders
for Korea in January of 1949
after heving been married for
only 2% months. At this time,
his wife began exhibiting ten-
dencies toward emotional insta-
bility which related directly to
their impending seoaration. He-
alizing that his wife~*s emotion-
al health was seriously tT ureat-
ened by such an assignme~.t, our
editor attempted to have his or-=
ders changed to oreclude his
being sent overseas. When offi-
cial channels oroduced no re-
sults, he sooke to his father,
who at that time was an active
army colonel stationed at the
Pentagon. Even this attempt
failed, and despite his efforts,
he was reassigned to Korea in
February 1949. His wife was
placed under doctorsT care in
his absence and it became more
than evident that eny further
separation would be disasterous
not only to ner health, but to
their marriage as weil. On these
grounds, our editor anolied for
a compassionate reassignment and
was turned down for the typical-
ly inane reasons the army seems
te reserve ror such requests.
As a result, his wife became osy-
chotic and he is presently fac-
ing impending divorce. Too late,
the army recognized the serious-
ness of the situation and in
September 19469, he was reassigned
to Fort Bragg, where he is pvre-
sently stationed. The dnage,
however, nsd alreacy been done,
and as it now stands, his wife
may be vernsnently criooled emo-
tionally, and an otnerwise happy
marriage has been destroyed.
If this were an isolated case,
it night be excusable, but with
minor variations it is @ common
ocurrence in the military today.
According to statistics, one out
of every tnree marriages in the
United States today results in
a divorce, and since tnis estoun-
ding figure has been true for
only a convaratively short time,
it would avpear that it relates
directly to the Vieénam build-
Ude Though the news media
tends to exvlain these figures
by citing the rising incidence
ofdrug abuse, the lowering of
American morals, and marrying
too young as the causes, we sub-
mit that the all too common ene-
forced senarations broucht about
by our presence in Vietnam and
other hsrdship tour areas has a
direct bearing on the increased
divorce rate in the US today.
Due to tneir age, most of the
married enlisted men in the low-
er five ranks have been married
only a comoaratively short time
before they are forced into mie
litary service. The time need-=
ed to develop the lasting and
permanent bonds so necessary for
a successful marriage is not a-
vailable to these youn couples,
and as &@�,�-consequence,,thsir mar-
riages are almost doomed to fail-°
ure from the start if they are
seoarated for any length of time.
How often have you known fellow
GI's with family strife or mari-
tal problems? Is the incidence
of broken or unhaooy marriages
higher among oersons in the mi-
litary than it is in civilian
life or does it just apovear that
way? It is our contention that
this isa valid theory and that
it is the callous outlook of the
military that makes it so. Une
aqeniably, family seoaration is
"_
Their marriages
are almost
doomed to failure.
a part of the military, and due
to the entire conceot of what
the military's job is, such a
separation may, at times, be un-
avoidable. This is not, howe
ever, any excuse for the army's
sk of concern over the exist-
ing situation, and, most emoha-
tically, the army's use of this
situation as a ounetive messure
cannot to any extent be condoned
by resoonsible and sane indivi-
duals, whether they be connected
with the service or not.
Proof of such inhumane oun-
ishment can be shown by the fol-
lowing incident which took polace
just recently in the USAG com-
mand. Jim Evans, voresentiy work-
Is the Divorce Rate Higher in the Military?
ing in Main Post Separations,
lives approximately 147 miles
from Fort Bragg and goes home ev-
ery weekend to visit with his
wife, who due to her job as a
registered nurse is unable to
relocate to the Fort Bragg area
for the short voeriod of time
Jim has remaining here. Last
weekend, due to home problems,
Jim received pernission to leave
early on a Friday afternoon (will
wonders never cease). In his
rush to get home, he neglected
to sign out On pass and was sub-
sequently snowed in so as to be
unable to re'urn until the fol-
lowings Monday afternoon. Real-
izing that he could not get back
on time, Jim called in Sunday
night and informed both the CQ
and his OIC of the situation and
promised to return as soon as
the roads were clear enoush to
travel. Unfortunately, the de=
lay brought to the attention of.
his OIC tne fact that he had
neglected to sign out (heinous
crime, wot?) and upon his return,
he found himself in with LTC
John Scullion, USAG conmander.
To hts credit, tie colonel did
not formally sounisn Jim. How-
ever, even thouczh he was cogni-ge
zant that Jim's only contact
with his wife was thronzh week=
end oasses and that these weekly
visits were extremely imoortant
to both of them, the colonel re-
stricted Jim to the Post fora
oeriod which ouroosely included
two weekends in a row. If this
is not considered sadism end men-
tal cruelty, not only to Jin,
but to his wif2?, wno was not
guilty of any infraction, then
it is time to start changing the
definitions in our dictionaries.
Through the imposition of this
cruel and unjust form of punish-
ment to Jim and his wife, LTC
Does the Army have
the right to destroy
a family or marriage?
Scullion has once again demon-
strated the callous lack of re-
gard that the arny has for the
needs and oroblems of its men,
and in doing so has reaffirmed
the need for drastic reforms
within the military structure
to make it more liveable for the
people presently suffering under
its unyielding ane dictatorial
thumb of suvoression and misjus-
ticee
Perheps if more actions of this
nature were brouzht to lizht, oub-
lic outery over such inhumanity
would bring about the major chan-
ges which are needed so badly.
The-army must be changed from an
unfeelinz war machine which mea-
sures its success in kill ratios
and casualty rates. Kindness,
understandins, and basic human
rights cannot be alien terms to
be treated with fear and con-
temot by our military leaders.
Nor can the army be oermitted to
deny such conceots by saying they
are seditious and therefore de=-
trinmental to the military's effi-
ciency as an organization dedi-
cated to killing and genocide.
Wars are harsh and inhumane,
but does the army that fights
them have to be the same? And
does the arny have the right to
make whole families suffer in or-
der to ounish one GI whose in-
fraction (as it was in Jim's
case) was orobably minor and al-
most alwavs unoremeditated?
And most imoortant, for it 1s
a moral issue as well as a so=-
cial one, wnen is the army with-
in its riehts to destroy a fami-
ly or a marriage simply to achieve
its own ends? With these final
questions we rest our cese and
leave the difficult oroblen of
solvins them to you, the indivi-
duel, without whose helo no so=
lution can be found to these
nost vitally innoortant questions.
IN PRISON FOR
ADVOCATING
a a en
"~ (~canoiwaTe DIU
bed »
ETS is a Lie
It all begins
with a letter in the mail,
Obey it or else
you'll wind up in jail.
The next thing you know
you're boarding a bus
And all you can do
is sit there and cuss.
When you finally arrive
and you're inside their gate,
You want to say no,
but now itTs too late.
You're to stand up stick straight
and wait there in line
While youTre issued some clothes
while you're issued a mind.
You're marched to a barracks,
"KEEP IT SHINY AS CHROME�,
But it'll burn in three minutes
while the *brass* sits at home.
In the months that follow
you are treated like dirt
And you're given some stripes
to wear on your shirt.
Rank they call it,
oWEAR IT WITH PRIDE�
And they send you overseas
to commit genocide.
After going through hell,
and you're back in the West,
You worship the day
they call ETS.
So you think you'll be free
when you're on the outside?
But the road of freedom
isn't really that wide.
ISTHEPENMIGHT IERTHANTHESWORDWHENTHEPEN ISNOTALLOWEDISTHEPENATALLTAKEUPTH E
fe
February 1970
Reactions to Decision
(Continued from page 1)
It is difficult to imagine how
Judge Butler figured that four
pages of legal basic training de-
voted primarily to quotations from
the vague and ridiculous Army reg-
ulations in question would settle
the Brage Briefs case. Further, it
is beyond belief that Butler's de-
cision included no mention, much
less discussion, of the applica-
bility of the first amendment to
~the case. Butler's decision has
nothing to do with the Constitu-
tion of the United States, only
with the militaryTs need for ex-
BRAGG BRIEFS
would not be forced to turn to the
~insanity of war and violence. It
would seem that the Bill of Rights,
especially the first amendment, has
become so. much legal bull shit, ap-
plicable only to those whose excer-
cise of these rights is inoffensive
to and in line with government pol-
a eee
Clearly, elements of the federal
government have resorted to all
sorts of illegal means to repress
those who would search for better
forms and build better models. The j
FBI, CIA, Military Intelligence, 5
and others run extensive investiga-
tions on those who dream of a bet-
o OF COURSE I'LL FIGHT FOR MY COUNTRY "
SOON AS I'M THE CITIZEN OF ONE. o
Muhammad Speaks
; ; H
tensive repressive measures to con- ter worlds centers of discussion 5 Lette rs
tinue mobilization of armies whose @nd education such as the UFO and p
mission is the conquest of Vietnam Other GI coffeehouses have been E thing isn't done soon to stop the
and the rest of the Third World. closed down through extralegal N insanity of war and world tension,
As more and more people involve meanss those who would speak out jy there may not be much time left.
themselves in protest against gov- against the Army are thrown in I You older Americans do not
ernment policies and tactics, it prison or otherwise silenced. The g¢ possess our sense of urgency; too
becomes apparent that the courts federal courts have consistently y many of you complacently continue
will continue to provide a phony Yruled in favor of the government, [ to exvound the same old time-honor-
aura of legitimacy for the execu- 2gainst the rights and freedom of J ed drool that ceased to be relevant
tive branch of the government. the people. The whole idea of E the instant that fireball wiped out
Often seen as being comic, the checks and balances, once seen as R 40,000 Japanese. Yet, to the great
case of Bobby Seale and the Chi- being essential to the existence 7 frustration of the young, you are -
cago oconspiracy� will become a of any form of democracy, has A the veople in control: of the gov-
terrible norm, broken downs; and we see the K ernment and the resources for
The American political revolu- branches of our government as an. fk change.
tion in 1776 established, through unholy alliance. It grows dif- U And young Americans can appa-
the Bill of Rights, methods for ficult to continue our dealings Pp rently do very little to move the
insuring that future social, eco- within the established procedures [ hierarchy svawned by your genera-
nomic, and cultural revolutions and methods. H . tion. Lately, we have taken to
Letter
An Open Letter To My Father
My father, who is 56 years old,
recently asked me (I'm 23) why my
generation has been causing such a
furor in this country in the past
few years. "Young people today,"
he said, "seem dissatisfied with
things that have been accepted as
typically American for years. Why
is that?" At the time he posed the
question, I did not have a firm
answer for him. Now, after some
rumination, I think f have.
It's really quite simple, Dad:
what is "typically American" and
"normal" to you is not the same for
me. Your concept of Americanism
was formulated under drastically
different conditions than those
which have influenced me. You
grew up in a pre-nuclear age;
your impressions about this land
and its ideals were firmly es-
tablished
f
long before the ~first
ar f
. }
oNo one denies that he had the right
to hold dissident views. On the other hand,
= ot at was a drag having him around.�
; A
oIT know not what course others may
es take, but as for me, give me liberty, or
give me death! DonTt use my name.�
Letters
atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima.
And it is to these pr ..uclear
ideas that you return when you
think about your country. That
cataclysm in 1945 did not change
your outlook much, for by then
your viewpoint and philosophy were
too deeply ingrained into your
character to be changed suddenly.
I would even go so far as to
postulate that such was the case
with most people who were already
past puberty when the bomb was
dropped. Nuclear power and its
capabilities still seem somehow
strange and remote to them. That
bomb and what it did were unfor-
tunate products of war; many
horrible things happened in the
~var, they reasoned, but with the
war's end, America could return
to normal.
But.of course it never could,
because normal wasn't the same
anymore, although they didn't
realize itl |
And then, amid all this
casuistry, came my generation"
the first to grow up under the
new, arcane conditions imposed
upon human life by the nuclear
age; the first that, from birth,
faced the vossibility of having no
future; the first to live under
the vrospect of precipitous an-=
nihilation. ~What a frightening
addition to our American heritage}
Perhavs these dire adumbrations
have wrought a psychological quirk
in my seneration not present in
former claimants to posterity;
perhaps we have been furnished with
a sense of impendins destruction
that drives us to hyverseisitivity
and impatience. It is somewhat
difficult to be vatient, you know,
when one is carryins around the
implicit knowledze that if some-
the streets to assert our disgust
and concern, and you have called
us traitors; we have implored the
leaders of the country to hear
and heed us, and we have been
superciliously ignored. If con-
ditions do not change quickly,
Dad, you are going to see much
more furor in the future, You
have left us no recourse; your
obdurate attitudes are pushing
us toward revolution,
No, my father, we are not re-
nouncing the America you love, ©
for we have never known that
America; it no lonzer exists.
And the America that does exist
is in a state of steady decay.
When, Dad, will you under-
stand that I don't want your
dying dream? What I want is
the country that is rightfully
mine.
"S.5., January 1970
Dear Sirs: |
I have just finished reading
Bragg Briefs. It is excellent.
I hope you are able to continue
it publication. .
While I believe in national
defense, I oppose aggressionT by
any nation or government, ours
or theirs. Many papers and per-
iodicals have published my ob-
jections to the various Washe
ington administrations that
have committed aggression a-
gainst the Vietnamese people.
I also oppose military con-
scription because it makes ag-
gression possible in addition
to being a vile form of invol-
untary servitude. If an when
the vital interests of the
United States are «involved, we.
will need a director of place-.
ments to place men (voluntarily)
where they can be of the most
service.
Ret Brig Gen Hugh O Hester
February 1970
Take a
business man
to lunch
and talk Vietnam
BRAGG BRIEFS
J anuary GI News
The 70Ts Begin
RVNe»«e-Spec 5 Robert Lawrence, US
Army newscaster in Vietnam has been
reassigned as a chaplainTs assist-
ant after revealing on the air that
he was ordered to suppress unfavor-
able news. Lawrence, who managed
Page
anti-war petition. "We want to shov
the American public that dissenters
against the war include men in uni-
fome-a lot of them", said Adam
Hothschild and Robert Scott for the
Reservists Committee to Stop the
a radio station in Atlanta, Georgia War, sponsors of the petition. For
Your father --or a friend of your father. for seven years prior to induction copies, write: Reservists Committe:
Business Executives of B.E.M. have may now be court martialed on cal- to Stop the War, Box 4398,Berkeley,
marched side by side with you in Wash- culatedly unrelated charges, the Cal, 94704.
ington, in San Francisco, in many other
war protests.
We have been outspoken and direct:
"STOP IT. NOW!"
We need more business executives to
amplify our voices-~- yours and ours.
Help us recruit. We'll send you material.
Fill in the coupon.
public release of which the Army
is still suppressing. Funds for
Bob's defense should be sent to
the GI Civil Liberties Defense Come
mittee, Box 355, Old Chelsea Sta.,
NeYos: NeYeos. LOOTI,
COLUMBIA, SC... The US District
Court in South Carolina has denied
GIs the right to hold open meetings
to discuss the war and related
issues on post.
Ft. Gordon, GA...eFour GI's stationed Chief Judge Donald Russell, in
at Ft Gordon have been sent to the
BUSINESS EXECUTIVES MOVE
FOR VIETNAM PEACE
I will talk to a businessman about Vietnam.
Please send me more information about
B.E.M.
Name
Address OER Ie is Ea aioe reach Rat eA Bake ee Some
City State Zip
Mail to: Business Executives Move for Vietnam Peace
201 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E. (Room 310)
Washington, D.C. 20002
Tel. : 202-546-8552
National Office: 901 North Howard Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Stockade after announcing to the
local press that they had formed
a GI War Crimes Commission to find
out. if any Gordon GIs knew of in-
cidents such as Song My. Congrat-
ulations to the repressive author-
ities. This case is going to get
some real press now--and GIs on
their way to Vietnam wil] know
better than to be honest with their
commanders regarding their intentions.
THE TRUTH WILL COME OUT.
} for defense to Southern Letal
Assistance Movement, Box 50435,
New Orleans, LA., 70150.
Incidently, our August 69 issue of
Bragg Briefs put out a request for
GI information on War Crimes in Viet
name Any GI having statements to
make which might lead to a long
needed tribunal-please write us or
the GI War Crimes Commission, Box
2994, Hill Station, Augusta, GA.,
30904.
Ft Jackson,
SC.-eAll indications
the decision on the suit filed by
the GIs UNITED at Ft Jackson, while
upholding the "military's peroga-
tive to restrict the soldiers* civi.
liberties", went on to say othe
courts will be available to
determine whether there is a res-
sonable basis for such restrictions
as may be placed on the servicemen!?:
right of free speech by the military
establishment",
The GI Civil Liberties Defense
Committee has authorized Atty. .
Leonard Boudin to file an appeal
in the hopes that a higher court
will recognize the GIs right tos
free speech, =
-_"
Las
Ft Hood, TX...Richard Chase, 26,
was sentenced to two years hard
labor and a dishonorable dis-
charge for refusing to partici-
pate in riot control trainning.
His defense was that he was a
conscientious objector and that
Democratic National Convention in
August '68)°Chase was a young man
of strong and consistent convice-
tions. You can help him by writ-
ing: The Richard Chase Defense
Committee, 101 Ave. D, Killeen,
Texas, 76541, for copies of a
petition to Gen Wendell Coates
at Ft Hood. 2000 signatures have
Se rere rere eens ' are that military authorities will il te taolv, betes Oe
Money don*t talk it swears, burn 1Lt William Calley. If those willT notbe Bed té. erush a nigel
Dylan who ordered search and destroy mis- ments I support." Military jus-
Slions Ene Snecess ins: 2a misdirect= tice has perpef#trated another
AD RATES ing the antagonisms and blame onto unforgiveable crime against the
4 fe wibetg tee we 12650 the shoulders of those who risked people of this country Like
1/4 een, sa PN ee 20.0 their lives to carry out those orders sine Ft Hood 43 (43 a7 GIs who
1/2 Pie Sere ese tee wilt Se nok Meola that there refused to go to chicago for the.
MLL? GFE 6 650) Se xe ~f20VV .
VF FEE ESE He AE te SE TE te FE He St SE SE SE OE 2 SE SE SE te ee HE EE te HE
3 Ft Lewis, Wash (LNS)...A jury of
Bragg Briefs is published by:
active duty GIs will listen to
testimony soon, and then decide
whether or not the US military
brass is guilty of the omurder and
oppression of the poor people of
the world". Witnesses will in-
GIl*s UNITED Against the War in
Vietnam
P.O. Box 437
Spring Lake, North Carolina 28307
former in-
Letters to the editors are
encouraged.
EDITORIAL 2CARD
Active Duty GI*s: Richard A Yahre
JFK Center, David H O*5rien-USATCI,
clude active duty GIs,
mates of the stockade,
army racism,
Vietnam Vets,
Victims of
people
who have faced the US military
in America's ghettos, and experts
in the methods of modern warfare.
This is the first of a
series of
actions planned in response to
John I B Vail II-VSATCI, James
Seiler-SAAFC, David J Wachter-
SOth Sig, William Carothers-12th
opt, Waiter A Guntharp Jr-35th
Sig Gp, James Parish-50th Sig,
Edgar C Henry Jr-USATCI, Hal Noyes-
JFL Center, Dennic W Halliday-
USATCI.
Civilians: Bruce
(ret), Nave Crege.,
Patterson=SP4
d4 34 34 3 OO 54 et St oe se
09 FE WN DE IS 8 I IS Se
the Armed Forces Disciplinary Con-
trol BoardTs efforts to place the
Shelter Half Coffeehouse off
linits for Ft Lewis GIs. For
more information write the Shel-
ter Half Coffeenouse, 5437 South
Tacoma Way, Tacoma, Wash. 98409,
Berkeley, Cal (LNS)...eservists
and National Guardsmen accross
the country--America'Ts part-time
military men--are circulating an
already been collected. :
QZ es y
re a /|
February 1970
oWe have met the enemy and they
are ours. As a matter of fact, they look
exactly like ours. ItTs so hard to tell
the difference. Actually, we may have
made a very bad mistake here... .�
"DERECK WILLIAMSON.
I have sworn upon the altar
of God eternal hostility egainst
every form of tyranny over the
mind of man.
--Thnomas Jefferson
FREEDOM NOW
Many feel the term "Power
To The People" is a revolutionary
term. However, democracy if ap-
plied means people having power.
If its revolutionary to realize
that we as people should not be
used by the powered few then we
must be advocating revolution be-
cause we demand democracy.
POWER TO THE PEOPLE
BRAGG BRIEFS
Page 8
SUBSCRIBE
any
G3a lyons
and Harry
Osborn
In the French cemetery t
Tansonnhut airoort in Sisson,
where th: crosses stand row
on row, there is one unn?rk-
et grave. Who is that for?
9 revorter once asked. "The
French always ssid that it is
for the first Aneric#n soldier
who will die in Vietnat,� the
Vietnanese enswered.
PLAYB0/ January 1970
ee ee eee ee ee eee a HEKKGH
Would you want to hire the
United Stetes 3s 2 consulting
firm in counterinsurgency
warfare?
wHYNOTwHYNOTWAYNOTWHYNOTWAYNOL
BRAGG BRIEFS
P.O. Box 437
Spring Lake, N.C.
28390
Since there is a tremendous
shortage of truth in literature
for GI*s, students, and con-
cerned civilians in the Fay-
etteville - Fort Bragg - Spring
Lake area, Bragg Briefs has un-
furled its banner for the purpose
of establishing responsible alter-
natives to the current military
system by publishing the news of
truth, the events of a new ~awaken-
ing* in order to expose the oppres-
Siveness of the present system and
to provide a public forum for the
Opinions of its readers.
For those who would like to re-
ceive Bragg Briefs, mail for your
subscription today! Send your
name and address to:
GI*s United
Box 437
Spring Lake, NC.
To help mailing costs, the fol-
lowing donations:
$1.00 Active Duty GI's
$3.00 Students
$5.00 Civilians
quickies
nan ee
I pity the American people
if they do not recognize the
necessity of revolution every
20 years:
Thomas Paine
"A man joins the revolution
only when he understands that
oppression is the cause of his
sufferings. Therefore we can-
not lie to the people. Before
the people, a revolutionary has
no right to assume a haughty
and arrogant attitude, as if
he were a feudal warloard. He
must be modest.�
-Ho Chi Minh
JOINUSJOINUSJOINUSJOINUSJOINUSJO
ARE YOU A CO?
CO. counselling is now taking
place at the Quaker House, 324%
Ray Ave., Fayetteville. Tel.
483-5279. 27% of all in-service
CO applications: have been ap=-
proved by DA.--
GeI.'s United meet every
Tues night 7:00 P.M. at
the Quaker House, 32h Ray
Avenue. Across from the
USO club. For interesgt-
ing Raps drop by any bime
except Mondays, |
doitnowdoitnowdoitnowidioitnow
~)Y yoviSoaTs'n
OG NITHNVAS
113A3S0048
