Defendants | On American Soil

On October 27, 1944, Lieutenant Colonel Leon Jaworski filed charges against forty-three U.S. Army soldiers based at Seattle's Fort Lawton. All forty-three were accused of rioting, in violation of Articles of War Article 89. In addition, three soldiers were charged with first degree murder in the death of Italian private Guglielmo Olivotto, in violation of Articles of War Article 92. If convicted of murder, those three defendants faced the death penalty.

All of the defendants were African-American, all members of segregated port companies. Thirty-six belonged to the 650th Port Company; six were from the 651st Port Company, and one was a member of the 578th Port Company. The youngest was 19; the oldest was 43.

DEFENDANTS CHARGED WITH FIRST-DEGREE MURDER AND RIOTING

	Corporal LUTHER L. LARKIN 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born June 1921, Searcy, Arkansas inducted October 26, 1942, Helena, Arkansas died December 10, 1948, Helena, Arkansas "There was a man hurt, and I knew how to render first aid, and I gave the man first aid, and when I got through working on these two men, the fight was over."

	Private WILLIAM G. JONES 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born October 28, 1924, Illinois inducted January 10, 1944, Decatur, Illinois died December 17, 1992, Decatur, Illinois "After the fight, I heard two MPs arguing with the boys, they told the boys they did a good job and saved them from doing it. He said they done a good job, he said we should have killed them, that is what he said."

	Sergeant ARTHUR JAMES HURKS 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born November 30, 1921, Glenmore, Louisiana inducted December 28, 1943, Houston, Texas died July 25, 1991, Baton Rouge, Louisiana "I came from a place where colored and whites, if they do fight, you know, the results would be for the detriment of the Negroes. The Negroes would always get the worst. That is down in Texas."

DEFENDANTS CHARGED WITH RIOTING

	T/5 NELSON L. ALSTON 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born May 14, 1920, Illinois inducted January 1, 1944, Chicago, Illinois died April 1995, Chicago, Illinois	Private RICHARD H. BARBER 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born January 12, 1922 (?) inducted January 3, 1944, Chicago, Illinois died February 6, 1997(?), Chicago, Illinois

	Private WILLIE C. BASDEN 650th Port Company \| Barracks 720 born November 3, 1909 inducted September 4, 1942, Miami, Florida died September 11, 1980, Allentown, PA	Private First Class MILTON D. BRATTON 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born July 6, 1912, Kansas inducted January 17, 1944, Excelsior Springs, MO died May 1960, Missouri

	Private JOHN R. BROWN 651st Port Company \| Barracks ___ born July 1923 inducted March 21, 1944, Mt. Vernon, NY	T/4 JOHN S. BROWN 578th Port Company \| Barracks 720 born March 1922, South Carolina inducted December 16, 1942, Lancaster, SC died September 19, 1954

	T/5 RILEY L. BUCKNER 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born May 17, 1919 inducted December 15, 1943, Houston, TX died April 29, 1981, Houston, Texas	Private First Class SYLVESTER CAMPBELL 651st Port Company \| Barracks 665 born August 22, 1921, Texas inducted January 3, 1944, San Antonio, Texas died March 3, 1986, Virginia

	Corporal JOHNNIE CEASER 650th Port Company \| Barracks 668 born February 1922 inducted August 30, 1943, Chicago, Illinois died March 21, 1950, Chicago, Illinois	Private JAMES C. CHANDLER, Jr. 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born November 1, 1923, Clarendon, Arkansas inducted January 15, 1944, Kansas City, Missouri died October 18, 1990

	T/5 JAMES COVERSON 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born April 7, 1924 inducted December 16, 1943, Houston, TX died March 6, 1997, Houston, Texas	T/5 WILLIE S. "Slick" CURRY 651st Port Company \| Barracks 673 born August 28, 1924 inducted November 9, 1942, Shreveport, LA died September 18, 1968

	T/5 LEE A. DIXON 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born June 5, 1917 inducted January 5, 1944, Little Rock, AR died September 8, 1990, Arkansas	Corporal RUSSELL L. "Heavy" ELLIS 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born February 21, 1912, Virginia inducted December 31, 1942, Oklahoma City, OK died December 6, 1977, Los Angeles, California

	Sergeant EMANUEL WELL FORD 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born January 7, 1919 inducted March 7, 1941, Los Angeles, CA died April 19, 1985, Los Angeles, California	Staff Sergeant ERNEST GRAHAM 651st Port Company \| Barracks 665 born February 5, 1907 inducted January 11, 1944, Steamboat Springs, CO died September 29, 1988, Steamboat Springs, CO

	Private JEFFERSON DEAN GREEN 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born December 16, 1916, Texas inducted October 1, 1942, San Antonio, TX died September 15, 1994, San Antonio, TX	Private First Class JOHN L. HAMILTON 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born August 26, 1925, Houston, Texas inducted January 14, 1944, Houston, Texas died April 4, 1999, Fort Laramie, Wyoming

	Private FRANK R. HUGHES 650th Port Company \| Barracks 672 born October 22, 1913, Texas inducted November 9, 1943, Hearne, Texas died June 1983, Hearne, Texas	Private WALTER JACKSON 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born August 27, 1925, Somerville, Texas inducted January 10, 1944, Somerville, Texas

	T/5 HERMAN JOHNSON 651st Port Company \| Barracks 672 born September 25, 1912 inducted December 11, 1943, Detroit, MI died August 26, 1993, Oklahoma City, OK	T/5 HENRY JUPITER 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born December 19, 1906, South Carolina inducted January 10, 1944 died November 1969, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

	Private First Class ROY L. MONTGOMERY 651st Port Company \| Barracks 667 born May 8, 1921, Minter City, Mississippi inducted January 31, 1944 Detroit, Michigan	Private LOARY M. MOORE 650th Port Company \| Barracks 668 born December 25, 1920, Ellinger, Texas inducted October 15, 1943, Ellinger, Texas died December 29, 1994, Houston, Texas

	T/5 WILLIE PREVOST, Sr. 650th Port Company \| Barracks 665 born August 17, 1917 inducted December 12, 1943, Franklin, LA died May 13, 1998, Houston, Texas	Private ROBERT SANDERS 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born 1922 or 1923 inducted November 27, 1943, Chicago, Illinois died (?)

	Private ELVA SHELTON, Jr. 650th Port Company \| Barracks 668 born June 1924, Illinois inducted May 1, 1943, St. Louis, Missouri	T/5 FREDDIE L.. SIMMONS 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born August 27, 1907, Texas inducted October 19, 1943, Rocksprings, Texas died September 22, 1973, Macon, Georgia

	Private SAMUEL SNOW 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born April 25, 1925, Leesburg, Florida inducted May 2, 1944, Leesburg, Florida	Sergeant C.W. SPENCER 650th Port Company \| Barracks ___ born May 26, 1921, Forrest City, Arkansas inducted July 27, 1942, Little Rock, Arkansas died September 24, 1990

	T/5 NATHANIEL T. SPENCER 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born January 30, 1911, Mississippi inducted January 13, 1944, Detroit, Michigan died December 9, 1973, Detroit, Michigan	T/5 LESLIE T. STEWART II 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born November 27, 1925 inducted January 3, 1944, Austin, Texas died October 4, 1992, Austin, Texas

	T/5 ARTHUR L. STONE 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born July 1, 1920 inducted November 6, 1943, Detroit, Michigan died October 22, 1985	Private RICHARD LEE SUTLIFF 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born 1920, Texas inducted November 16, 1943, Houston, Texas

	T/4 BOOKER W. THORNTON 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born March 17, 1908 inducted December 4, 1943, Chicago, Illinois died July 21, 1981, Chicago, Illinois	Private BOOKER W. TOWNSELL 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born February 15, 1915 inducted October 30, 1943, Milwaukee, Wisconsin died November 1984, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

	Private First Class FREDDIE UMBLANCE 650th Port Company \| Barracks ____ born September 12, 1922, Jeanerette, LA inducted November 6, 1942, Lafayette, LA died November 14, 1990, San Antonio, TX	T/5 DAVID WALTON 650th Port Company \| Barracks 665 born March 1910, Mississippi inducted November 26, 1943, Chicago, Illinois died January 22, 1969

	Private First Class ARTHUR WILLIAMS 650th Port Company \| Barracks 668 born August 23, 1925, Cairo, Illinois inducted November 23, 1943, Cairo, Illinois died September 20, 1991, Mound City, IL	Private WALLACE A. WOODEN 650th Port Company \| Barracks 668 born September 1908 inducted December 9, 1943, Chicago, Illinois