Posted on 10/27/2007 3:57:00 AM PDT by Former Military Chick
SEATTLE, Oct. 26 — Guglielmo Olivotto, an Italian prisoner of war, died with a noose around his neck, lynched at a military post on Puget Sound 63 years ago. Samuel Snow, 83, hopes that people will stop blaming him and the 27 other black soldiers convicted of starting the riot that led to Mr. Olivotto’s death. It was one of the largest Army courts-martial of World War II.
This week, a review board issued a ruling that could lead to overturning the convictions of all 28 soldiers, granting honorable discharges and providing them with back pay.
The board found that the court-martial was flawed, that the defense was unjustly rushed and that the prosecutor, Leon Jaworski, a young lieutenant colonel who went on to fame three decades later as a Watergate special prosecutor, had important evidence that he did not share with defense lawyers.
All of the 28 have died except for Mr. Snow and another soldier.
- - -
Last year, the House, led by Mr. McDermott and Representative Duncan Hunter, Republican of California, passed a measure directing the Army to open the review after the 2005 publication of a book, “On American Soil,” by a Seattle author and journalist, Jack Hamann. The book detailed evidence from the case that had not been made public.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I salute the men who gave for this country over 60 years ago, it is indeed justice to give them an honorable discharge and back pay to boot.
This must have been one hell of a case. Can one imagine how it would be covered in today's press?
I will have to do some research into this case. I have been recently reading up on WWII history.
The only downside to this article, that it is from the New York Times. Front page to boot. I just read everything the NYT print's with a jaded eye. Hopefully what they printed was accurate.
The ruling does not say that the convicted soldiers were not guilty, but that the process by which they were convicted was unjust.
Still, they decided to year's later review the case and follow where the evidence lead them and make a ruling based on their investigation. One might say job well done.
What does this say about Jaworsky who went on to fame and MUCH fortune?
what evidence was withheld?
A child of Polish and Austrian immigrants, he became the youngest person ever admitted to the Texas bar (1925), and in 1931 he joined the Houston firm that became Fulbright & Jaworski. During World War II, he prosecuted at the Johannes Kunze murder trial, where five German prisoners of war were accused of beating to death a fellow prisoner for being a "traitor".[1] He also prosecuted one of the largest court-martials of World War Two, the case of Guglielmo Olivotto, an Italian prisoner of war, who died with a noose around his neck, lynched at a military post on Puget Sound in 1944. All of the 28 African-American soldiers indicted were convicted. However, in October of 2007, a review board issued a ruling that could lead to overturning the convictions of all 28 soldiers, granting honorable discharges and providing them with back pay.
The board found that the court-martial was flawed, that the defense was unjustly rushed and that Jaworski, a young lieutenant colonel at the time, had important evidence that he did not share with defense lawyers.[2]
Subsequently, he served as a war crimes prosecutor in Germany. He declined to participate in the Nuremberg Trials on grounds that the prosecution there was based on laws that did not exist at the time of the culpable acts.[3] He rose to the rank of colonel, and subsequently, in his law firm, he was commonly addressed as "Colonel Jaworski."
He was a friend of President Lyndon Johnson. In the 1960 Presidential election, Jaworski represented Johnson in the lawsuit filed to stop Johnson from running for the US Senate from Texas at the same time he was running for Vice-President. Jaworski won. However, Jaworski did not always support Democratic candidates. He supported Richard Nixon, contributed to George H.W. Bush in his run for the Presidency in 1980, and after Bush conceded the nomination he became Treasurer of Democrats For Reagan during the 1980 election.
Having been convinced of his integrity, in 1980 Mr. Jaworski aided former Nixon staffer Egil "Bud" Krogh, whom he had sent to prison in 1973, in his request to be reinstated to the Washington State Bar.
Yeah!! that back pay part was kinda neat! Guilty, but flawed trial but of course with back pay, the people can find a way to do anything.
Hope the Japs don’t find a left wing lunatic to rule on the camps they were forced to live in. the liberal lunatics will take every nickle I got
Yet, it seem's that will be the end result.
The ruling, by the Army’s Board for Correction of Military Records, specifically set aside the conviction of Private Townsell, and an Army spokesman said Friday that he could confirm only that the one conviction had been overturned.
So, now I take from this article, that justice does prevail, it takes time and Townsell is the first. I also have to wonder how after all these years, that there is enough evidence this review needs to find a just verdict.
LOL, Duncan Hunter finally makes the NYSlimes front page... Hopefully he will make in again come election time.
Thanks, very informative.
Be very careful here. Just because of these issues, it does not mean these people are not guilty as charged. I am sure the "liberal" do-gooders who brought this case to the forefront will find a court that will make the "right" decision, though. Especially the decisions regarding back pay (AKA reparations) and other "rights".
Sigh
And now justice has finally been served for the wrongfully accused. Cool.
Kudos to Hunter and McDermott!
I’ve learned to trust Duncan Hunter and if he thinks there should be a review then I’m all for it.
>LOL, Duncan Hunter finally makes the NYSlimes front page. Hopefully he will make it again come election time<.
Yes! Like in a 5 inch headline, “HUNTER WINS!”
“What does this say about Jaworsky who went on to fame and MUCH fortune?”
It says he was a democrat
I hope this isn’t made into a “Jena 6” case with J Jackson and all the other exploiters taking over.
Ping
“Yes! Like in a 5 inch headline, “HUNTER WINS!”
I wish!
I also wish some of the media outlets would stop neglecting to mention that he is a presidential candidate.
This really chaps my hide!
If McDermott is involved then count me suspicious.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.