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UP AGAINST THE BULKHEAD March 9, 1975
Number 18
We. Nay,
SS
NAS ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA (December 5, 1974) " Ms. Rose Hills explains her legal
rights to an unschooled base security ~officer. He thought he could take away Ms. HillsT
banner because he had a badge. Ms. Hills had held up the banner to cheering crewmen of the
USS Coral Sea on the morning of the shipTs departure. The man with the badge tried and
failed to take the banner from Ms. Hills. For the full scoop, see story on page five.
DOD Directive 1325.6 makes it illegal for anyone to take this paper from you. It is yours, and anyone who
takes it from you is violating Article 121 of the UCMJ.
Of the many ways GIs are harassed, one of the favorites of the brass is oGeta
haircut!�T Sound familiar?.This has been a long-standing issue between the brass
and enlisted people. Since the case last year of Sgt. Dan Pruitt, a U.S. airman in
England, dozens of enlisted men and women have resisted the hair regs in their
own ways: refusing to get haircuts, refusing to work, attending each otherTs
court-martials, signing statements of support, petitioning Congress, informing
other soldiers through the underground and straight press, even winning the
support of soldiers in the Dutch army.
Recently some brothers in Berlin decided it was time to do something about it
themselves. Brothers Tom Kiely, Larry Bird, Bob Nuchow, Danny Orosz, and
Rick Shadions refused to cut their hair to make their point clear. They believe the
hair regs should be changed because they are outdated, discriminatory, and
unconstitutional.
The ArmyTs response was to charge the men with disobeying a regulation. This
could bring sentences of up to six months hard labor, reduction in rank to the
lowest pay grade, and loss of 2/3 pay for up to six months. In spite of the harsh
sentences hanging over their heads, all five decided to fight rather than submit to
the ArmyTs threats.
The Army showed their willingness to confront the issue when the first judge
refused to start the hearing until Danny Orosz got a haircut and a shave. Danny
won a small victory when his lawyers got the judge replaced because of his
prejudice in the case.
The haircut resisters are not alone, however. Out of 3500 GIs in Berlin, 1200
have signed a petition to Congress supporting the Berlin FiveTs stand and urging a
change in the regs.
As one of the brothers said, ~o~The Army is trying to treat us like criminals.
WeTre simply standing up for our rights.... Usually itTs been minorities in
America that have had to stand up for their rights. But enlisted people are a
majority. Without us the Army wouldnTt function. So why shouldnTt we at least
have the right to decide whether or not long hair interferes with that work?�
Although the Berlin brothers may do time, their struggle will not have been in
vain. Almost one-third of all Gls in Berlin signed petitions stating their support,
and the resistance movement is growing. The enlisted people are a majority, and
when enough of them unite in demanding a change, the brass wonTt find it so easy
to put down the rebellion.
The Berlin brothers at the press conference and party where they presented their 1200 signed petitions of
support. From left to right: a supporter, Larry Bird, Danny Orosz, Tom Kiely, Rick Shadions, Bob
Nuchow,
THE EDITORST VIEW OF THE HAIRCUT FIGHT
The present resistance to the haircut regs is an important step in gaining civil rights for GIs. But it
is also more than that. Remember that first time back at boot camp when you had your locks
shaved off. Have you ever wondered why that haircut was so important to the command? You
might have been told that it was military tradition to have a bald head. You might have been told
that short hair was healthier. But the deeper reason for the haircut was to break down your sense of
who you were, confuse you, and train you to listen for the guiding voice of your friendly DI which
would lead you through the darkness.
Enlisted people who hold onto their identities are more likely to think for themselves. These
enlisted people are not too reliable when it comes to following orders. On the other hand, someone
who is alienated and confused can more easily be trained to follow orders. The command hopes this
training produces a GI who responds to any order with almost reflex speed, regardless of what that
order may be.
Those who say no to the hair regs are taking back their rights as citizens, their right to expression,
their right and ability to think and act as people, not as soldiers. PFC Lou Stokes, an enlisted man
who was convicted last fall for refusing to obey an order to have his hair cut, summed it up when he
took the stand at his court-martial in Mannheim, Germany. oA citizen does not cease to be a citizen
once he becomes a soldier, but becomes a soldier because he is a citizen.�T We agree 100 percent.
"The Editors
Engineers on the Hancock have been real busy
lately. Even though the shipTs been running ok
since the breakdown at sea last January " and
you'd think they'd get a little breather for
~Keeping that old ean of bolts together " now
they have to fill in time chipping and painting!
And speaking of oid cans of bolts ... we
Sageileces thereTs not a single spare generator ta
tor on thi
Makes you fe
at apt $ wh: Ay Fi :
raachine to oO:
med entertainment specialist. Two years
later, after handing out sandwiches and basket-
balls, and vacuuming rugs, he sued the Army for
failure to deliver on a written guarantee. He got
an honorable discharge. As Major A. T. Brainerd,
public information officer at Ft. Devens, Massa-
chusetts, remarked, oWe're obliged to make sure
the promises of a recruiter are met.� But that
hasn't stopped Philip from pressing his suit. He
wants more than an honorable discharge and an
apology. He wants to collect something for the
time the Army stole from him. This is our happy
ending story. Now for the nightmare...
¥ * *
Babette Peyton, a Black sister, also joined to
get an education. She was supposed to be
trauced on-the-job as a social worker specialist.
After fifteen months of otemporary� secretary-
ing, she started wondering where ber training got
lost. First she got evasive answers to her direct
questions, After filing an official complaint, she
started getting harassment. First came an Article
1S for the dastardly crime of wearing her hair in
cornrows, then harassment for wearing civilian
clothes aff duty. Finally she was called a
ochronic schizophrenic� (translation: anyone
who won't go along with the ArmyTs program),
and ordered to underga a psych evaluation. So
she went AWOL in self-defense, because, ~I
know if you're not crazy when you go in there,
you're crazy when you come out.�T Now sheTs
facing a special court-martial in Germany for
going AWOL. That's military (in)justice for you.
Suen coats : Oe oe: a
_ A GI has the night to use ~reasonable forceT
to resist an illegal arrest by MPs. That's what the
Court of Military Review just said in deciding
~Billy Dean SmithTs case. Billy Smith was arrested
supposedly fragging an officer in
is arrest he got the additional
ting an MP. He was found
igging, but busted and given a
assault. The Court of Military
since he was innocent of the
43 sasonable force
ort Ord announced they're
the piss test again. Remem-
legal expert says they don't
sontinued on page 6)
What
ThereTs a whole lot of things people are fed
up with.
@ Meaningless work and lousy working condi-
tions, when we can get jobs. So not only are we
depressed when we canTt find work, but weTre
depressed when weTve got jobs.
e Lousy living conditions " housing, food,
health care " at a high price.
e We feel alienated and lonely and like we
just donTt belong anywhere so we get into things
like drugs and alcohol to escape.
@ We donTt feel like weTve got any control
over our lives. Everything seems hopeless and we
just try to survive on a day to day basis.
So some of us join the service because we
need a job, want a change of scene, or are just
plain bored. And once weTre in itTs the same old
shit " lousy jobs, lousy living conditions, less
control over our lives than we had as civilians.
The FTA starts to mean fatigue, tdy, and
aloneness. And we find out that bars and sex
bought and shopped for ainTt no substitute for
friends and family.
So here we are, alone, stuck in the middle ot
lives that we are dissatisfied with, feeling help-
less and wondering how we got this way in the
first place.
Well, thatTs a pretty complicated thing to
figure out. One of the big problems is that this
system keeps us separated and alone and looking
for individual solutions to things that are prob-
lems for all of us. ~Keep Tem separated and keep
~em down� is an old saying. ThatTs what race
prejudice, sexual prejudice, womenTs oppression,
age differences, and cultural and ethnic bigotry
are used for. The military has its own devices,
too " among them the uniform and the groom-
ing regs. These reinforce separations between
people and set up the false classifications of
ocivilian� and omilitary.�T
And here you are hundreds of miles from
home. DonTt know anybody, and itTs hard to
make friends outside of the service, especially
when you feel like you donTt fit in Tcause your
hair is too short and you canTt have a full beard
and no matter how hard you try to look like
everybody else you still stick out like a sore
thumb. The military tells you that youTre serving
your country, and that youTre a real patriot. But
ocivilians� treat you like youTre a cop Tcause
when it comes right down to it your job ainTt
really nothing else than being a hit-man for
American big business, both here at home and
overseas.
Where does all of this leave you as a person?
Confused and alienated. Your job makes you
both the oppressor of people inside and outside
the U.S., and at the same time a victim of the
system that shapes and builds that oppression.
Who wins? Not you, but American big business,
the government, the system ... whatever name
you want to put to it. You begin to find out
PAGE 2 MARCH 9, 1975 BULKHEAD
that youTve got more in common with the
people youTre used against than with the people
youTre fighting for, and the people giving the
orders. You begin to figure out that weTre the
pawns of the bosses, high-up officers,and various
other figures in authority. And these realizations
start to tear you apart.
oThe military is a copy of society, and suffers
from all its diseases, but usually at a higher
temperature.� How true. According to a recent
research report by Doctors Groden and Morgan,
40 percent of all Gls have a drinking problem.
The report said othe largest percentage of
problem drinkers were under 20, and with ranks
below sargeant.TT Divorce rates are higher for
people in the military, and veterans. ThereTs a
greater incidence of drug usage and abuse in the
military. And so on.
But these problems are common to all of us,
and we have to work together to change things.
We really canTt do anything isolated as individ-
uals. Since we have this view of common
problems and common interests, we figure we
are writing not so much to omilitary people�
but to people trying to stay whole in a society
and an institution that is tearing them and
everyone else apart.
But what are we in it for? Not for the money.
We pay our printer from the wages we make at
our jobs, and we all work on this paper in our
spare time for free. Are we in it to dupe
unsuspecting soldiers and sailors into joining a
subversive organization? Do we want to ~o~use�T
your beefs with the military to gain your trust,
and then whisper our irresistible communist
propaganda in your ears? Not even close. What
organization is more subversive to human kind
than the U.S. military? Who could use you more
coldly than they do?
So what are we in it for? The pure pleasure of
raising hell with one of the governmentTs most
undemocratic, unjust, and unfree institutions.
We donTt like what the military does to those in
its ranks, to those in the civilian world, or to
those in other lands. We believe the only force
that can change things at their roots is us " the
ones who supply the Pentagon with taxes; the
ones who manufacture their weapons; the ones
who fuel, service, and maintain the ships, planes
and missiles that deliver those weapons; the ones
who send their children and husbands off to the
militaryTs open arms; the ones who aim the
PentagonTs weapons; the ones those weapons are
aimed at.
TodayTs society, and especially todayTs mili-
tary, are not made to handle people who THINK
FOR THEMSELVES. This paper exists to spread
the active thoughts and the thoughtful actions
of those freedom-seeking people caught in a
center of unfreedom " todayTs action military.
"the Editors
Ask A Marine
Dear Bulkhead:
I am a Marine cook. Right now I am on float
going to Hong Kong. While on board ship, a
Navy cook turned me on to the pamphlet o~Ask
A Marine.� The pamphlet deeply moved me and
expressed my feelings exactly.
The Marine Corps has corrupted my life and
tried to turn me against some of my loved ones.
There have been times when I have been
deprived of my mail because I got my I.D. card
taken away. There have been times when I
requested to make a phone call home and it was
denied. I have been given office hours for very
foolish charges.
I am trying very hard to bring people who feel
the same way I do into one. There might be a
chance of changing things if we would all unite
into one. We are being fucked over, and there is
very little we can do about it.
I would like to know if you would send mea
few more copies of the pamphlet. I would
deeply appreciate it. If you feel there is another
book or pamphlet that would interest me, please
let me know about it.
PFC M. D. Stokes
[EditorsT note: The pamphlet this man men-
tions, o~Ask a Marine,� is available from us for
25 cents. ]
From a Captive of the
USS Proteus
Dear Bulkhead:
Your magazine is right on, brothers [and
sisters " EditorTs note]. I am presently a captive
of the U.S. Armed Forces stationed on the
decadent ship called the USS Proteus. We are
perpetually ported in the distant desolate, in-
accessible rock they call Guam, never leaving
except to dump radioactive bullshit off the
coast. Here is a concise depiction of some of the
ludicrous conditions we must put up with.
Living conditions. The area where I sleep is
infested with cockroaches. We bitch and bitch
with no avail! These nocturnal buggers have no
compunction. They crawl anywhere, including
on us while weTre sleeping. Berthing space is ex-
tremely limited; twelve people sleep in an area
where two people would be barely comfortable.
Air conditioning units are frequently out, caus-
ing our berthing spaces to become fetid and
stagnant. Our head has been out of hot water for
the past four weeks, and anyone will tell you
that ice cold showers are fucked!
Regulations. Besides putting up with adverse
living conditions and isolated duty, we must
take shit from superiors who are martinet and
punctilious to a point of being absurd. Many of
us work hard at jobs that soil, stain and tear our
uniforms. Yet we are expected to show up at
muster each morning with pressed clean uni-
forms. Unbottoned sleeves are enough to get one
referred to captainTs mast and fined, along with
extra duty.
Discharges. Several of my brothers have been
discharged with general and undesirables because
they were offered ~~deals� and were ignorant of
their rights. The commandTs main criteria for
less_ than honorable discharges is based on
ofrequent involvement with military authorities
and positive urinalyses,� which was adjudged
unconstitutional recently. Less than honorable
discharges can jeopardize oneTs future im-
mensely. ItTs just not right, dammit! I am
extremely vindictive and J want revenge!
HereTs another example of Proteus crap, one
of my own experiences. One day, not too long
ago, I was oarrestedTT by a master at arms who
was waiting by my rack. I was exhorted to raise
my arms and walk to the master at arms office,
which in itself caused me ridicule. With no
apparent reason and without my rights being
read to me. I was strip-searched. When I asked
why I was being hassled, they told me to shut up
and speak when spoken to. I was appalled! Then
they proceeded to search my locker which
included reading all my personal letters and
taking a sundry of items such as prescribed
medicine, personal photographs and privately
owned tools. Oh, ha ha. Listen to this shit. One
of the more observant MAATs noticed a blood
stain on my t-shirt near the armpit and rushed
me to sickbay for an interview with the doctor.
The doc checked me out and entered on my
medical records that I was suspected of heroin
injections in my right arm. Terrific. Every little
bit helps, you know. The blood stain was cause
by a small pimple. .
I am tempted to pack my bags and split back
to the states which, at this time, seems to be the
only solution. But since there are so many
brothers in the same situation as myself, ITve
decided to stay and fight! ITve sent for the book
Turning the Regs Around, and any advice you
could suggest will be sincerely appreciated.
I am also a Vietnam veteran and was involved
with the cruel and illegal bombing of Cambodia
which I deeply regret. I was aboard the USS
Enterprise at the time, and will elaborate in
more detail in my next letter.
Bob X.
~USS Proteus
FIELDS, DAN C.
240-989-995 |
FINDYEM ANYWHERE... W
I Guess You Dot EXIST 2
Twelve Reasons Why
Private Hates the Army
Dear Bulkhead:
Your letter said you wanted to know what I
dislike about the armed forces. Well, here is a list
of things...
1. Having to treat an officer like ~~God.� You
have to salute them, call them sir. You have to
respect their rank by calling them oCapt. So-
and-So,�T and they donTt respect the peonsT rank.
They donTt call me PFC Ireland. They just say
**Treland.�T
2. Having to clean up after the opigs�. When I
make a mess, who cleans it? Me. But who cleans
the officersT rooms and empties their trash cans?
Not them. Me.
3. Haircuts. What does the length of a
personTs hair have to do with a personTs ability
to do his job? Were the Minutemen of the
revolutionary war all having their hair and
sideburns trimmed?
4, Piss tests. That is pretty bad, having to piss
in a bottle with a pig watching. They stopped
the piss test once because a lot of people got
their shit together and said it was an invasion of
privacy. It was stopped. But those pigs must get
their nuts off watching someone piss, because
the piss test is starting up again.
5. Having to work outside in bad weather
while the pigs are inside around the coffee pot.
6. Having to be stationed in a foreign country
for three years away from family and friends.
7. Not being able to buy a car in Germany
without your C.O.Ts consent.
8. The judicial system: being tried, convicted,
and hung by pigs.
9. Shakedowns " a pig is able to go through
your personal property anytime he wants with-
out a warrant.
10. Being forced to do something against your
will.
11. Inspections " where everything has to be
spotless and you have your things just like the
guy next to you.
12. Restriction " when the pigs say you have
to stay in the billits because of your attitude.
Well, man, I am going to end this now. Just
keep on printing that right-on newspaper, and.
let the people know what is happening. More
power to the people.
Pvt P. I.
B Trp, 3/12 Cav
APO NY 09076
45 Days for Sleeping
Dear Bulkhead:
Just got off the phone with a good buddy off
the USS Nitro (AE-23). And he tells me that the
new captain is really an asshole. He put my
friend on 45 days restriction and extra duty just
because they caught him laying down in a boat.
Now if this is any example of how the U.S.
Navy so-called takes care of its own, I sure as
hell would like to see them not take care of
them. ItTs just petty ante bullshit on the
governmentTs part, trying to harass all the really
decent people in the service. These lifer pukes
must really get their rocks off over all this.
ITm not going to sign this letter because I
donTt want to screw my buddy over. So [Tll sign
ites...
Pissed Off
BULKHEAD MARCH 9, 1975 PAGE 3
CORAL SEA CREWMEN AND WIVES NOT
HAPPY ABOUT INTERVENTION TALK
Less than three years after the end of U.S.
military intervention in Indochina, those in
power are speaking of a new military interven-
tion in the Middle East. Soldiers and sailors are
being groomed mentally and physically for the
event. We have asked dozens of crewmen from
the USS Coral Sea, as well as their wives and
friends, what they think. This is what we found:
e a lack of motivation to carry out the NavyTs
present tasks " gunboat diplomacy, war
games, and bearing the flag around the world;
® everyone we interviewed was against any
heating up of that mission, especially war in
the Middle East;
Vicki Kelly, whose husband and brother were
both on the Coral Sea, expressed her ideas on
the Coral SeaTs mission during a campaign she
led to improve working and living conditions on
the ship. In a letter to the Alameda Times-Star,
she wrote, ooWhy is it so vital for that ship to go
out again (on a Pacific cruise) when she is so in
need of dry docking...� The petition her group
circulated in the military community near the
base called on Congress to keep the ship from
sailing until it was thoroughly overhauled. They
gathered 1500 signatures in two weeks.
It takes about 4500 men to operate the
27-year-old carrier and service the air squadrons.
Many of those men registered their indifference
to the purpose of the cruise, and their dissatis-
faction with living and working conditions, by
going UA. Jim Kelly, VickiTs husband and
stationed aboard the Coral Sea until recently,
remarked, o~I work in communications, and we
get these lists up from personnel of people
whoTre UA. ThereTll be just pages and pages of
names, hundreds of guys that go UA.� Others
avoid work when possible, or refuse to work
when necessary. Some wreck equipment. A
crewman from V-2 who works the catapults told
this reporter, oJust to keep us from going out,
people have been putting grinding compound in
the spring bearings.TT Another man in V-2 said
that someone had sabotaged $2,000,000 worth
of bombs by flooding the spaces in which they
were stored.
Capt. Thomas Rogers, the shipTs commanding
officer, has even admitted that a few fires had
been set in vital compartments. But the-Navy
has so far neither confirmed nor denied other
incidents of sabotage, in spite of repeated
inquiries.
AND IF WAR WERE DECLARED...
Even if Capt. Rogers commanded a unified
crew, itTs a toss-up as to whether or not the
oCoral Sea TV brings you the evening news. |
E Columnist Jack Anderson reported on No-
; vember 8 that ~A grim new mood is develop-
; ing in Washington that military intervention
t may be necessary to bring down the price of
i oil and save the West from economic ruin
; Henry Kissinger responded to Mr. Anderson
' on January 2 when he commented, oI! am not
}
saying that thereTs no circumstance where we
would not use force. But it is one thing to use
it in the case of a dispute over price; itTs an-
other where there is some actual strangulation
; of the industrialized world.� j
PAGE 4 MARCH 9, 1975 BULKHEAD
~oThereTs..no..one_that
wants to die for a lost
cause. It used to be peo-
ple were willing to take
that risk of dying, but
now is not that time.TT
Coral Sea crewman,
V-2 division.
named government official who said, oA flo-
tilla of 60 American warships appearing at the
head of the Persian Gulf would have quite an
impact.�
~que 6 URES CE ASE © | oem
|
{
I
i
t
oU.S. News & World Report quoted an me
t
}
}
;
i
A
: oWow, man, ITm packinT my bags.�T
Coral Sea could steam into the war zone in its
present condition. In a classified radio transmis-
sion to his superiors in mid-November, Capt.
Rogers noted that he could not guarantee the
shipTs safe functioning under the strain of
wartime maneuvers. This transmission was sent
after the ship failed to complete a series of tests
during its last qualifying cruise before deploy-
ment. Crewmen in different divisions told this
reporter that the Coral Sea never pushed its
power plant to more than two-thirds capacity.
Crewmen from below decks explained that the
boilers would explode if pushed past that point.
A preview of what might happen if the Coral
Sea were sent to war was provided by Ms. Rose
Hills. She is from Cleveland, Ohio, and is
married to a signalman on the Coral Sea. When
the news media falsely reported that the Coral
Sea was steaming toward the coast of Vietnam
to bolster the sagging militaries of South
VietnamTs Thieu and CambodiaTs Lon Nol, she
called the Navy to see if it was true. No one
would tell her if her husband was going to war.
When she called the Naval Radio Facility at
Stockton, and they told her she had no right to
know, she exploded. She later discovered that
her friends had also suffered the same treatment,
and had grown just as angry. All wanted their
husbands home, and didnTt want the Coral Sea
mixed up in a new war.
Vicki Kelly added, oITm tired of them
spending more money on killing people than on
saving them. WhatTs that ship going to do? Go
over to Vietnam and run bombs all over the
place.�T
Of the three dozen people interviewed, even
most pro-Navy crewmen were against U.S.
armed intervention in the Middle East. An
engineer who worked down in the power plant
compared the threatened Middle East conflict to
the Vietnam war. Another crewman summed it
up when we asked him what would happen if
the Coral Sea were sent to war. ~ooThereTs no one
that wants to die for a lost cause. It used to be
people were willing to take that risk of dying,
but now is not that time.�
Not everyone we interviewed was against
fighting in the Middle East. One crewman said
he didnTt care one way or another, but was just
doing a job. Another told us of friends who
wanted to get into combat because theyTd get
more pay. But he also said those friends were
NCOs.
When you get down to the nitty-gritty, the
point is that if those in power want the U.S.
military to intervene in the Middle East, they
canTt just snap their fingers and be done with it.
They have to have the cooperation of citizens
and soldiers alike. Most of these Coral Sea
crewmen and their wives are saying their
cooperation can no longer be taken for granted.
CLUE
VOU,
4
1 2 w
\
oWait a minute. How about 60 snuffies ap- f
pearing at the CaptainTs wardroom? I'll bet we i
make quite an impact.� i
Varennes SaaS * © RRR OO a ememtiomicag ste�
Needs
the
Ms. Vicki Kelly of SAV explains her group Ts opposition
to the sailing of the USS Coral Sea. The USS Hancock
(CVA-19) can be seen in the background. *
[This is part one of a two-part article. The
concluding section will follow in three weeks in
our next issue. " EditorTs note]
When the last draftee finished his term with
the Army, the military seized on this opportu-
nity to trumpet the recent successes of the
volunteer army. Quotas for new recruits are now
so easily filled, they claimed, that they can
afford to be more selective. A soldierTs starting
salary is now $341, almost four times what it
was in 1968. More servicemen are re-enlisting for
another term than were doing so during the
Vietnam war. With all combat troops out of
Vietnam, and with fewer troops stationed
overseas, military duty appears no more hazard-
ous or objectionable than any other job. And a
job is exactly what they promise you. If the
PentagonTs press releases are to be believed, a
truly professional, all-volunteer military may be
close at hand.
But many of the crewmen of the attack
aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea see it another way.
With maggots in the food, cockroaches in the
berthing compartments, lice in the mattresses,
and leaks in the hull, many enlisted men and
their wives believe the ship is just not sea-
worthy. When the ship limped out of NAS
Alameda for its western Pacific (WESPAC)
cruise on December 5, it was over the objections
of 1500 enlisted men and their wives who signed
petitions to Congress opposing deployment of
the Coral Sea until necessary repairs were made.
This was not the first time Coral Sea crewmen
moved to keep their ship from sailing. Three
years ago, over 1000 anti-war sailors and marines
signed petitions opposing their mission " carry-
ing fighter bombers within striking range of
Vietnam. At that time, hundreds of men who
identified with the oStop Our ShipT? movement
took direct action " refusing to sail with the
ship, sabotaging equipment, printing under-
Coral Sea Crewmen and Wives
Battle Maggots, Lice and Leaks
~Save American VesselsTT Petitions to Keep
Coral Sea Home - 1500 Sign Petitions
ground newspapers, and speaking out to the
public.
The current condition of the Coral Sea was
made public in October 1974 by a group of
women, wives and friends of Coral Sea crewmen,
who formed an organization called ooSave Ameri-
can Vessels.�� Support for the organization
mushroomed when 10,000 friends and family
members of Coral Sea crewmen went to sea on
November 4 for what the Navy calls its ~~Depen-
dents Day Cruise.TT Originally designed to assure
family members of the safety of their loved
ones, and demonstrate the competence of the
ship and air squadrons as a fighting unit, this
cruise did the opposite. The ship left the pier an
hour and a half late, and no sooner was it past
the:Golden Gate Bridge than a fire broke out in
the number two engine room. Hungry visitors
had to wait in line for at least two hours to get
food. The lucky ones who got anything at all
were rewarded with canned sardines, canned
meat, and peanut butter and cheese crackers.
Mrs. Irma Jean Duncil described the cruise in
a letter to the editor of the Alameda Times-Star.
oIT heard many accusations ranging from third
class on up to chiefs threatening to go UA
(unauthorized absence) if the ship wasnTt made
seaworthy. One chief said he was ready to hang
twenty years on the wall and tell the Navy to
shove their promises and programs. ... Roach
bugs were seen several places, and one sailor
made the remark, o~ThatTs what we do for a
past-time while standing in the chow line is kill
roaches or see who can kill the most, and see
that they donTt drop overhead in the food as
you carry it along.�
When the ship completed the air show and
started its return to Alameda, something went
wrong below decks causing the ship to lose all
power. After floating dead in the water for
hours, and according to crewmen, running
aground in the channel, the Coral Sea finally
lumbered home five hours late with two of its
four screws out of commission. As Mrs. Duncil
put it, oif a ship canTt make a successful one-day
dependents cruise, how in hell can it make a
WESPAC cruise?�T
SAVTS CHARGES
Within a week, the womenTs organization
challenged the Navy over local network news to
admit to unsafe working areas. Specifically they
charged that: (1) steam under extremely high
pressure runs through pipes which are old and
rotten and patched with rags; (2) many division
chiefs work their men 16 to 20 hours a day with
time off for meals only; (3) the ventilation
system is broken, driving temperatures in some
of the below-decks compartments to 140 de-
grees; (4) out-dated electrical equipment is
frequently used with the full consent of super-
vising officers; (5) men are ordered to work on
unsafe catwalks; (6) vital gauges and dials in the
engineering rooms are broken; (7) the boilers
which power the ship are weakened by overuse
and abuse, and will blow up if pushed beyond
only two-thirds capacity; (8) some compart-
ments are flooded with sea water because the
hull is rusting from the inside out; (9) men were
ordered to do welding immediately adjacent to
highly combustible petrochemicals; (10) fire
extinguishers which had not been weighed to
check their CO, content had been fraudulently
marked as inspected and approved; (11) many
escape hatches and chutes cannot be used
because they lack seals and are corroded by rust.
One o~Save American Vessels� (SAV) spokes-
woman, Vicki Kelly, whose husband and brother
were both on the ship, also cited deteriorating
living conditions. Drinking water is rationed, but
no one would drink it anyway. Jet fuel has
leaked into the drinking water storage tanks.
Many enlisted menTs toilets are hopelessly
clogged. When an enlisted man finds a shower
that works, he has to clean up under a trickle of
cold water. Enlisted men who want hot showers
have to sneak into officersT heads. Food lockers
smell of rancid meat and poultry, and cock-
roaches roam through food preparation and
dining areas. Mattresses are infested with lice
and crabs. Sixty men are sometimes crowded
into berthing compartments designed to house
thirty. Flu and hepatitis epidemics are common;
and the shipTs ill-equipped and understaffed
medical division is not prepared to do much
about it.
THE NAVY RESPONDS
When Capt. Rogers was reached for comment,
the San Francisco Chronicle quoted him as
saying, ooThe Coral Sea is an old ship. It does
present certain problems in upkeep and we are
working hard to bring it up to tip-top condition,
both in appearance and mechanically.�
In Navy circles, the Coral Sea is known as the
admiral maker. Under the watchful eye of the
Chief of Naval Operations in Washington, D.C..,
Capt. Rogers had to head off this criticism from
the ranks, and fulfill his assigned mission if he
was to win his promotion. But now he is also
under the scrutiny of his crewmen, their wives,
and the public at large. He lacked the time to
put the ship in drydock to make the necessary
(continued on page 6)
Vicki Kelly (left) and Rose Hills (right) hold up their banner to cheering crewmen on the flight deck of the
USS Coral Sea. The slogan is about the poor living and working conditions enlisted men face on the ship.
BULKHEAD MARCH 9, 1975 PAGE 5
(continued from page 5)
repairs, and a yard period would take months.
He had to sail in a matter of weeks. Rather than
confront his superiors and jeopardize his pos-
sible promotion, Capt. Rogers chose to request a
one week delay, just long enough to make
superficial repairs.
Vicki Kelly responded in a letter to the editor
of the local Alameda Times-Star. ~~Why is she
[the Coral Sea] in this condition? She has been
known as an ~admiral maker.T Captains in the
past and the one aboard now have pushed her,
her men, and her engine far beyond her limits of
endurance. Can it be that whoever rules over
these ships care more about their promotions
than they do about the welfare of their. own
men? Why is it so vital for that ship to go out
again on a Pacific cruise when she is in need of
dry docking, and when this very cruise could be
fatal to the fighting men aboard her?
[Part two to follow next issue]
(continued from page 1)
have the right to force you, and you can refuse
but you better be prepared with legal
counsel.
* Es *
Greeks arenTt too happy about U.S. military
Ill have the cheeseburger, but
hold the cockroaches. Hey,
Is that
Maurice! Hey, man, | a cai
thought you had the flu? aes
What are you doinT here? SPS
maggots?
And down in San Diego, California ... on
January 22, Navy wives gathered at the Anti-
Submarine Warfare School to picket. The
women represented San Diego VRB/OUT, an
organization fighting against the loss of the
variable re-enlistment bonus (VRB). A week
_ before, twenty women members of VRB/OUT
picketed at the 32nd Street Naval Station +o
make their objections to the cut known.
The VRB/OUT organization is made up of
advanced electronics and nuclear power person-
nel and their families. These people enlisted
under a six year program, rather than four years,
because they were promised extra schooling and
a variable re-enlistment bonus of approximately
$4,000.
Congress passed Public Law 93-277, which
went into effect on June 1, 1974, eliminating
this bonus program. Despite this loss, these
presence in their country. Two officers from the
Sixth Fleet destroyer Richard B. Byrd were
nearly lynched after their car was set on fire by
4,000 Greek demonstrators. One of the Greeks
who was interviewed explained they were
demonstrating against the omilitary policy of
the U.S. government ... and not against the | a.
American people.TT Many Greeks still blame the oe aoe
U.S. government for the Turkish invasion of
Cyprus, and for U.S. support of the now defunct
military dictatorship of Greece. Anybody got a
rope?
people were held to their two year extension.
The wives were picketing to make public what
they feel is a breach of contract on the part of
the government. They want the Navy to drop
the extension or re-instate the bonus. The
organization plans to file a suit in federal district
court soon to force the government to remedy
this situation.
Babette Peyton, cornrows and all, is fighting the
command in U.S. Army Europe, insisting on her right
to the training she was promised, and refusing to cut
her hair.
General, your tank is a mighty vehicle.
It smashes down forests.
And it crushes a hundred men.
But it has one defect:
It needs a driver.
General, your bomberTs powerful "
It flies faster than a storm
And it carries more than an elephant.
But it has one defect:
It needs a mechanic.
General, a man is very useful.
He can fly and he can kill.
But it has one defect.
He can think!
"Bertolt Brecht
PAGE 6 MARCH 9, 1975 BULKHEAD
HUMAN NAME / MILITARY NUMBER _
ADDRESS/UNIT
BRANCH OF SERVICE / ETS DATE
Oliama captive of the U.S. Armed Forces, and want to get this paper free
C) | will distribute Bulkheads on base, and can pay for postage. Send me
(5) (10) (25) and a bill.
Here's the name of a friend who'd like to get the Bulkhead:
UP AGAINST THE BULKHEAD
2588 Mission Street, Room 220
San Francisco, CA 94114
NOTHING TO
WORRY ABOUT,
Sih.
iol
TURNING THE REGS AROUND !
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which covers many of the problems people face while they
are trapped in the military. It is written by Gls and civilians
who've had a lot of practical experience with military injus-
tice. It is writteri for enlisted people to help them fight back.
.
The book also has the experiences of Gls whoTve fought back on ships
and bases, what they learned and what they won or lost. It includes the
entire Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and the Table of
Maximum Punishments from the Manual For Court Martial. It lists
where to go for support, and where you might find a sympathetic
civilian lawyer. All discharge procedures are also included.
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PRICES:
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2-10 copies 1.00
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BULKHEAD MARCH 9, 1975 PAGE 7
Tad Hille:
A Thinking Marine
SAN DIEGO, CALIF " Tad Hille, a Marine
Lance-Corporal, has committed perhaps the worst
of military crimes. He demanded that the Marine
Corps follow its own rules. On January 8, Tad filed
34 court-martial charges against the 12 officers
responsible for illegally arresting him and transfer-
ring him from Yokosuka, Japan, to Camp*Pendle-
ton, California, last September. The officers he
charged include lieutenants right up to the Marine
Corps Commandant, Gen. Robert Cushman.
The Corps seems to be a little upset by TadTs
efforts to make them take a little of their own
medicine. They have put together a list of 13
charges against Tad, ranging from disobeying an
order to conspiracy to riot.
Tad spent sixteen of his twenty-four months in
the Corps in Japan. During that time he made
many Japanese friends, and came to understand
their dislike of the U.S. military. Tad spoke openly
in favor of the Japanese peopleTs stand against
nuclear weapons. And Tad talked to people on
base about the CorpsT mission inT Asia. He also
joined the Yokosuka chapter of Vietnam Vets
Against the War when he found they could help
him spread the word. The brass tried for months to
intimidate him into keeping quiet, but nothing
worked.
Last September 26, Tad was arrested while on
leave, put in the brig overnight, and put on a plane
the next day with orders to report to Camp
Pendleton, California. Over the next three months,
Tad was subjected to continuous harassment by
the officers and higher NCOs in his command. In
December, he was charged with disrespect to an
officer and disobeying an order. Tad fought those
two charges by filing counter-charges against the
officer who made them. The disrespect and
disobedience charges against Tad were dropped in
January, and TadTs CO and XO were given official
reprimands for trying to set him up on bullshit
charges.
Two days later, on January 8, Tad filed 34
charges against Gen. Cushman and his friends. The
poor old Marine Corps was being attacked with the
very weapons it used to keep people in line. TadTs
command was getting scared.
A few days later, some people in TadTs barracks,
angered over threats to withhold their pay, raised
hell and broke sixteen windows. Tad did not
participate and the brass knew it, but this was their
chance to get him. The next day they put him in
the brig without charges. Two weeks later, they
charged him with petty violations left over from
Yokosuka, and told Tad he would have to defend
himself before a general court-martial. Only recent-
ly has the brass charged Tad with crimes stemming
from the Pendleton rebellion. At the same time,
the Corps is trying to ignore the charges Tad
brought against the 12 officers.
WhatTs important to the brass is not Tad as an
individual. ItTs that Tad is an ordinary guy who has
had enough of what heTs seen in the military, and
was talking about it. This time the brass is going to
learn that they picked the wrong target. A defense
committee has been formed by people who think
Tad is right and are willing to put up a fight to
show it.
His court-martial begins March 19. You can help
the defense committee pack the courtroom to
show the command that Tad is not the only
enlisted man who thinks for himself. Congressional
inquiries have already been started. But thatTs not
enough. The brass needs to feel some heat from
below. For more information, contact the Center
for ServicemenTs Rights, 820 Fifth Ave., San
Diego, CA [phone 239-2119].
oHmm. It says here that L/Cpl Hille will drop
his charges against us if we drop ours against
him.�