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For more than a half-century, the convictions of 28 African-American soldiers for a riot that ended in the lynching of an Italian prisoner of war at Seattle�s Fort Lawton during World War II has held an uneasy place in history. It was the Army’s largest court-martial of the war, and it was one of the region’s worst conflicts between Blacks and whites. On October 26th, 2007 the Army review board tossed out the convictions after finding the trial was “fundamentally unfair.” The ruling has granted honorable discharges and back pay for four soldiers whose families petitioned for the review. And it will likely apply to the other 24 soldiers if their families also petition, according to attorneys involved in the case.

The unusual review by the Army’s Board for Correction of Military Records began more than a year ago at the request of Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Washington. After reading On American Soil, by Jack Hamann, Rep.  McDermott  introduced HR 3174, demanding that the Secretary of the Army reevaluate the Fort Lawton convictions in light of the evidence reported by Jack and Leslie Hamanns.

In its October ruling, the Army board said the lack of preparation time afforded the defense, along with the denial of access to the inspector general’s report, meant the soldiers didn’t get a fair trail. The panel noted that the white military policeman, who had testified against the Black soldiers, was later convicted of abandoning his post during the riot. Experts in military justice said that they were aware of no larger case of military convictions being overturned.

Only two of the soldiers convicted are still alive, one of them is Samuel Snow, age 83, of Leesburg, Florida.
In 1944, Snow�s all-Black unit in the segregated Army was gathered at Fort Lawton to prepare to ship out for New Guinea. While they waited, the men were barracked near a group of about 200 Italian prisoners of war who worked as laborers at the fort.

Tensions between the Italians and Americans, both Black and white, rose for a number of reasons. Italians got leave to drink in off-base bars that didn�t serve Blacks, and also chased the same Seattle girls pursued by white soldiers.

The night of the riot, some of the Black soldiers and some of the Italians exchanged drunken insults and fought, Hamann said. Then a white military policeman “fanned the tensions” of the Black soldiers and whipped their anger into a riot, probably because he resented the Italians for courting local women.

The next morning, an Italian private, Guglielmo Olivotto, was found hanged in the woods. A Seattle Times story at the time said 26 Italians were hospitalized after the Black soldiers “stormed the barracks of the former Axis soldiers,” reportedly with rocks, sticks and knives.

Although only two Italians could identify their attackers, 43 Black soldiers were tried in a combined trial. All of them were represented by two defense lawyers.

Defense lawyers were only given ten days to the prepare the case and were also denied access to an Army inspector general’s investigation, which included suggestions that the white military policeman might have been involved in the lynching.

Leon Jaworski, the military officer and lawyer who prosecuted the Fort Lawton case - one of the most famous trial lawyers of the twentieth century - gained  notoriety as a special prosecutor in 1974 Watergate trial involving the impeachment of  President Nixon.  In the Fort Lawton case, the Army Board for Correction of Military Records found the “most egregious error” of the trial involved Mr. Jaworski’s complete access to a confidential Army’s Inspector General report about the incident, a right repeatedly denied the defense counsel.  Jaworski died in 1982

In the end, 28 of the soldiers, including Snow, were convicted of rioting. Two were convicted of manslaughter in Olivotto’s death. Snow served a year in the brig. Other soldiers served as many as 25 years. After several months in lock-up, he was dishonorably discharged, which disqualified him for the GI Bill - and a chance at college.

Also recently resolved is the family of Booker Townsell, one of the 43 Black soldiers charged with rioting at Fort Lawton. Townsell died in 1984. It’s been nearly 63 years of waiting for the Booker Townsell family of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Eldest daughter, Marion Williamson, says “This is about justice. It’s about righting a wrong.”  “The pride and dignity of these men were stripped and the results impacted them for the rest of their lives… for the Army to admit that they were wrong took courage,” says son Jerome Edwards. “I always knew that my father was an honorable man; now the world knows it, too,” says daughter Carol Blalock.

Congressman Jim McDermott and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett have tentative plans to host a celebration of life for Booker Townsell in Milwaukee in January 2008.

The ruling of the Secretary of the Army paves the way for the remaining 28 convicted soldiers to be issued honorable discharges. In addition, “all rights, privileges and property lost as a result of the convictions” will be restored to them or their families.  Families of other defendants are currently living throughout the United States, including California, Texas, Illinois, Missouri, Louisiana, Florida, and elsewhere. The families of many of the defendants, however, have yet to be located.

Posted on January 8th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: Preserving the Historical Record, Veterans Legislation