July 21, 2008

U.S. Army Veterans of the 1944 Fort Lawton court martial to be honored by local leaders

Sims, Gossett, Nickels, McDermott to join in public tributes of exonerated soldiers

A series of tributes spanning four days, July 24-27, will honor U.S. Army veterans who were part of the historic court martial at Seattle’s Fort Lawton. The events will honor the 43 African American soldiers who were unjustly accused, and, of which, 28 were convicted of rioting and two of manslaughter, in the largest U.S. Army court-martial of WW II. Mr. Samuel Snow, one of the original soldiers who faced this injustice, his family and the families of seven of the other soldiers who are no longer alive are scheduled to attend.

“This tribute demonstrates our citizens’ desire to help make right a forgotten and terrible chapter in our community’s history,” said Executive Sims. “The soldiers lived their lives carrying the burden of a court martial knowing they were punished for something they did not do. They left here bitter and angry, now we welcome back one of the last two known surviving soldiers and the families of the others to celebrate their honorable service to this country.”

“The injustice that the African American veterans faced while serving our country has taken decades to make right,” said King County Councilmember Gossett. “These valiant men and their families played an important role in ensuring that justice was finally served. We hope from this tribute we can learn from the past to serve us in fighting injustice everywhere.”

The events will include:

Thursday, July 24
5 p.m. Symposium: Race, Justice and the Military, Pigott Building
7:30 p.m. Mass in memory of Guglielmo Olivottto, Chapel of St. Ignatius
Seattle University
901 12th Avenue, Seattle 98122
Driving directions and a campus map
For more information about the symposium please see Seattle University’s Web site, at http://www.seattleu.edu/home/news_events/news/news_detail.asp?elID=7212008120414&elYear=2008.

Friday, July 25
4:30 p.m. Media Availability
Northwest African American Museum
Samuel Snow, one of the original soldiers to face court martial at Fort Lawton, families of the soldiers who are no longer alive, King County Executive Ron Sims, King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, and author Jack Hamann will be available for media interviews.

Saturday, July 26
10 a.m. Ceremony Restoring Honor to the Ft. Lawton Veterans
12-2 p.m. Community Picnic
Discovery Park
3801 W Government Way, Seattle, WA 98199
Driving directions and bus information to Discovery Park
Metro will provide increased bus service for the #24 route that runs from downtown to Discovery Park. The #24 has a stop at the South Entrance of the Park on Emerson Street. Signs at the park will direct you to the Tribute.

7:30 p.m. Seafair Torchlight Parade
Downtown Seattle
Surviving Veteran Samuel Snow will ride in the annual parade.

"It's an honor to welcome Samuel Snow and the families of other Fort Lawton veterans," said Mayor Greg Nickels. "Their experiences serve as a reminder of a generation's courage to overcome adversity and inequality, and we are all enriched by learning their histories."

"After so long, justice delayed is no longer denied and we want to honor these courageous African American soldiers and their families, for these people indeed deserve to be honored and thanked on behalf of our nation," said U.S. Representative Jim McDermott.

On August 14, 1944, an Italian prisoner of war named Guglielmo Olivotto was lynched at the base of the Magnolia bluffs in Seattle's Fort Lawton. The murder followed a violent nighttime confrontation between members of three all-black U.S. Army port companies and a company of prisoners in an adjacent Italian Service Unit, a clash inflamed by the participation of one or more white U.S. Army military policemen.

Forty-three African-American soldiers were charged with rioting; three also were charged with first-degree murder. After worldwide publicity and the longest and largest Army court-martial of World War II, 28 soldiers were convicted of rioting; two soldiers also were found guilty of manslaughter. The event remains the only criminal trial in U.S. history where black men were found guilty of lynching. The arrests, prosecutions, convictions, incarcerations and dishonorable discharges haunted the defendants and their families for the next six decades.

On October 26, 2007, the U.S. Army's highest Court of Appeal ruled that the Fort Lawton court-martial had been fundamentally unfair, paving the way for the reversal of all 28 convictions. Acting at the behest of U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, and citing the research from the book On American Soil by Seattle journalists Jack & Leslie Hamann, the Appeals Court found that Army prosecutor Leon Jaworski committed an egregious error in his decision to withhold exculpatory evidence that likely would have cleared most of the soldiers and exposed Olivotto's true killer.

The tribute events honoring the service and memory of the veterans of the 1944 Fort Lawton court martial is presented and sponsored by: King County/The Offices of Councilmember Larry Gossett and King County Executive Ron Sims, City of Seattle, U.S. Army, Seattle University, Seafair, Lane Powell, Tabor 100, NAACP, Northwest African American Museum, and the Federal Bar Association, and featuring) Congressman Jim McDermott.

Additional information about the 1944 Fort Lawton court martial and the tribute weekend is available online.

For information or questions about Friday’s media availability please contact Cindy Cawaling, Office of the King County Executive, 206-296-4005.

King County Executive, Ron Sims County news Executive initiatives Excellence in Government Executive offices Biography Contact information King County Executive Office Ron Sims, King County Executive 701 Fifth Ave. Suite 3210 Seattle, WA 98104 Phone: 206-296-4040 Fax: 206-296-0194 TTY Relay: 711	KING COUNTY HOME \| NEWS \| SERVICES \| DIRECTORY \| CONTACT King County Executive, Ron Sims King County Executive You're in: King County Executive, Ron Sims print July 21, 2008 U.S. Army Veterans of the 1944 Fort Lawton court martial to be honored by local leaders Sims, Gossett, Nickels, McDermott to join in public tributes of exonerated soldiers A series of tributes spanning four days, July 24-27, will honor U.S. Army veterans who were part of the historic court martial at Seattle’s Fort Lawton. The events will honor the 43 African American soldiers who were unjustly accused, and, of which, 28 were convicted of rioting and two of manslaughter, in the largest U.S. Army court-martial of WW II. Mr. Samuel Snow, one of the original soldiers who faced this injustice, his family and the families of seven of the other soldiers who are no longer alive are scheduled to attend. “This tribute demonstrates our citizens’ desire to help make right a forgotten and terrible chapter in our community’s history,” said Executive Sims. “The soldiers lived their lives carrying the burden of a court martial knowing they were punished for something they did not do. They left here bitter and angry, now we welcome back one of the last two known surviving soldiers and the families of the others to celebrate their honorable service to this country.” “The injustice that the African American veterans faced while serving our country has taken decades to make right,” said King County Councilmember Gossett. “These valiant men and their families played an important role in ensuring that justice was finally served. We hope from this tribute we can learn from the past to serve us in fighting injustice everywhere.” The events will include: Thursday, July 24 5 p.m. Symposium: Race, Justice and the Military, Pigott Building 7:30 p.m. Mass in memory of Guglielmo Olivottto, Chapel of St. Ignatius Seattle University 901 12th Avenue, Seattle 98122 Driving directions and a campus map For more information about the symposium please see Seattle University’s Web site, at http://www.seattleu.edu/home/news_events/news/news_detail.asp?elID=7212008120414&elYear=2008. Friday, July 25 4:30 p.m. Media Availability Northwest African American Museum Samuel Snow, one of the original soldiers to face court martial at Fort Lawton, families of the soldiers who are no longer alive, King County Executive Ron Sims, King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, and author Jack Hamann will be available for media interviews. Saturday, July 26 10 a.m. Ceremony Restoring Honor to the Ft. Lawton Veterans 12-2 p.m. Community Picnic Discovery Park 3801 W Government Way, Seattle, WA 98199 Driving directions and bus information to Discovery Park Metro will provide increased bus service for the #24 route that runs from downtown to Discovery Park. The #24 has a stop at the South Entrance of the Park on Emerson Street. Signs at the park will direct you to the Tribute. 7:30 p.m. Seafair Torchlight Parade Downtown Seattle Surviving Veteran Samuel Snow will ride in the annual parade. "It's an honor to welcome Samuel Snow and the families of other Fort Lawton veterans," said Mayor Greg Nickels. "Their experiences serve as a reminder of a generation's courage to overcome adversity and inequality, and we are all enriched by learning their histories." "After so long, justice delayed is no longer denied and we want to honor these courageous African American soldiers and their families, for these people indeed deserve to be honored and thanked on behalf of our nation," said U.S. Representative Jim McDermott. On August 14, 1944, an Italian prisoner of war named Guglielmo Olivotto was lynched at the base of the Magnolia bluffs in Seattle's Fort Lawton. The murder followed a violent nighttime confrontation between members of three all-black U.S. Army port companies and a company of prisoners in an adjacent Italian Service Unit, a clash inflamed by the participation of one or more white U.S. Army military policemen. Forty-three African-American soldiers were charged with rioting; three also were charged with first-degree murder. After worldwide publicity and the longest and largest Army court-martial of World War II, 28 soldiers were convicted of rioting; two soldiers also were found guilty of manslaughter. The event remains the only criminal trial in U.S. history where black men were found guilty of lynching. The arrests, prosecutions, convictions, incarcerations and dishonorable discharges haunted the defendants and their families for the next six decades. On October 26, 2007, the U.S. Army's highest Court of Appeal ruled that the Fort Lawton court-martial had been fundamentally unfair, paving the way for the reversal of all 28 convictions. Acting at the behest of U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, and citing the research from the book On American Soil by Seattle journalists Jack & Leslie Hamann, the Appeals Court found that Army prosecutor Leon Jaworski committed an egregious error in his decision to withhold exculpatory evidence that likely would have cleared most of the soldiers and exposed Olivotto's true killer. The tribute events honoring the service and memory of the veterans of the 1944 Fort Lawton court martial is presented and sponsored by: King County/The Offices of Councilmember Larry Gossett and King County Executive Ron Sims, City of Seattle, U.S. Army, Seattle University, Seafair, Lane Powell, Tabor 100, NAACP, Northwest African American Museum, and the Federal Bar Association, and featuring) Congressman Jim McDermott. Additional information about the 1944 Fort Lawton court martial and the tribute weekend is available online. For information or questions about Friday’s media availability please contact Cindy Cawaling, Office of the King County Executive, 206-296-4005.
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	Updated: July 21, 2008