Armed Forces: Dissent in Uniform

Griping has always been one of the American soldier's few inalienable rights. George Washington's Continentals complained about pay, equipment and the length of the war. Fighting men ever since have kicked about food, duty rosters and assignments. Now a growing number of G.I.s—though still a small minority—are voicing more substantive complaints and employing most unmilitary techniques to make sure that they are heard.

Eight soldiers at Fort Jackson, S.C., circulated petitions asking the base commander for permission to assemble to discuss the Viet Nam war. Forty-three Negro soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, refused riot duty at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Prisoners at the Presidio of San Francisco staged a sit-down strike to protest stockade conditions and the fatal shooting of a fellow prisoner by a guard. Military personnel have defied orders against taking part in off-post demonstrations while in uniform. Underground newspapers, including The Last Harass, The Shakedown, Open Sights and Fun, Travel and Adventure (FTA) protest the war and "racism" in the armed forces. The papers, whose editors claim circulations of anywhere from 500 to 23,000, also give instructions on how to bug the brass. Open Sights urges soldiers interested in "freaking out the military dictatorship that runs the country" to name antiwar or peace organizations as beneficiaries of military insurance policies. Most list the names and addresses of antiwar groups and individuals willing to aid uniformed dissenters.

Desertions Up. An attempt has even been made to unionize the military. The American Serviceman's Union was founded at Fort Sill, Okla., in 1967 by Pvt. Andrew Stapp, who has since been discharged from the Army. The A.S.U. (total membership about 5,000) advocates a program that includes election of officers, an end to saluting, and recognition of the right to bargain collectively and disobey "illegal" orders.

Desertion is also on the increase. Last year 53,357 U.S. servicemen in trouble with their superiors, their families or their consciences bid farewell to arms, the highest number since the Korean conflict. Although most of those initially carried on the books as deserters (absent without leave for over 30 days) eventually "returned to military control," more than 200 are now in Sweden, while others have found refuge in France, The Netherlands and Canada. Many indicate that they would return to the U.S. if amnesty were granted. They recognize that this is unlikely. Edwin Arnett, one deserter who returned, drew a four-year sentence.

Dropouts. Supporting the in-service dissenters are a variety of civilian antiwar groups, which provide the servicemen with free legal advice, moral support and assistance in publishing their protest papers. Coffee houses that feature recorded music, long-haired girls and endless talk about the Viet Nam war have sprung up near several military posts. Interestingly, the dissent movement is far more active in the U.S. than among units overseas.