Oct. 14, 1968: 53 years ago, Oct 14 1968, 27 prisoners at the Presidio stockade in San [...]
53 years ago, Oct 14 1968, 27 prisoners at the Presidio stockade in San Francisco took part in a sit-down demonstration to voice their grievances about the horrific conditions at the military prison. The Presidio mutiny resulted in one the longest courts-martial in U.S. history
Stuffed into dilapidated cellblocks, the prisoner population (mostly consisting of AWOLs) drastically rose in the summer of 68. Incessant abuse from guards, two hour bathroom waits, and frequent suicide attempts were only a handful of the issues that prisoners dealt with
Tensions mounted on Oct. 11 when Richard Bunch was killed by a guard after jogging away from a shotgun work detail. The murder was quickly declared a “justifiable homicide.” Agitated prisoners confronted guards that evening and rumors spread that they would burn the stockade
On the morning of the 14th, 27 of the 123 prisoners broke formation from the work details and walked to the lawn floating “V-signs,” singing “This Land Is Your Land” “We Shall Overcome.” One of the demonstrators, Walter Pawlowski stood up and shouted out a series of grievances
One of the 27, Richard Gentile, was thrown in the stockade for being just eight hours AWOL just two days before the event for violating a post-wide restriction and joining the GI & Vets March for Peace
All 27 men were charged with mutiny that day. After a long and arduous legal battle, they had their convictions overturned by a military appeals judge.
