Gl CIVIL LIBERTIES DEPENSE COMMITTEE
Box 355, Old Chelsea Station
New York, New York, 10011
Contact: Matilde Zimmermann
874-4051 or 989-7570
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 1968    "
ANTIWAR GI WINS FREE SPEECH FIGHT
PORT DIX OFFICIALS FORCED TO DROP CASE AGAINST GI MYERS
Sp/4 John Allen Myers, charged with distributing antiwar
leaflets on base, won acquittal at his Port Dix court-martial
today«. After the testimony of three prosecution witnesses, the
military judge was forced to dismiss the case for "lack of evidence»"
Myers was arrested on August 19th after handing out Philadelphia Student Mobilization Committee leaflets at a Port Dix
theater and was charged with distributing material that was "in
bad taste," "prejudicial to good order" or"subversive." The antiwar GI, a member of the Young Socialist Alliance and the Socialist
Workers Party, had been under restriction since the night of his
arrest.
Antiwar activists from New York City and Philadelphia
attended the court-martial at Fort Dix, to demonstrate their
support for Myers1 free speech rights and to demand that the case
against him be dropped.
After being acquitted, Myers referred to his case as evidence
that GIs could claim the same constitutional rights as civilians,
including the right to protest the war in Vietnam.
The GI Civil Liberties Defense Committee, which publicized
the Myers case and arranged for his supporters to attend the trial,
views the acquittal as a victory for all GIs and a sign that the
Army brass can be forced to back down from its unconstitutional
harrassment of antiwar servicemen.
Myers will be speaking in New York City on his case and
will discuss the implications of his victory* He will address
the Militant Labor Forum, 873 Broadway, on Friday evening, October 4th, at 8:30 p.m.