Sadie Hughes and her son, Robert Sanders, at the Chicago wedding of Richard and Jeanne Barber, June 29, 1944
[COURTESY: FAMILY OF RICHARD BARBER]




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Chicago 15 Ill.
Dec 30, 1944
3642 So. Wabash Ave.

Dear President Roosevelt:

I am writing you, and I pray to God that you will try to be patient with me, although I may not spell my words right and may forget to put my periods and commas in, but I am writing with all my heart and soul so please try to understand what I am trying to say.

On the week before the election in November, I received a letter from my boy, which had been gone overseas, that he was back at Fort Lawton, Washington and was being held under military confinement. I went to the Red Cross at once and got them to see if he was really back. And they said he asked me to come to him, if it was any way possible. He had never been in any trouble before and he was frightened. The Red Cross and the Traveling Aide was wonderful and friends in every way to me.

And so, after Election Day, which was the 8th of November, I left for Seattle, Washington. I went to Fort Lawton, and all of the officers was wonderful to me and Mrs. Barber, the wife of one of the boys that also was found guilty of rioting. The Red Cross in Seattle was mighty nice in seeing that we could visit them every day, and through this we was also permitted to sit in court every day until the trial was over. It ended Dec 18, 1944, at night. We was also permitted to view the scenes of the where the riot occurred.

My boy was found guilty of rioting, which took place on August 14, 1944 between some Italians Prisoners of War and colored American soldiers. I pray to God that you will try to bear with me as I will try with all of my heart to explain; pray to God that He will teach me and help me. He has placed you as our great commanding chief over this great country of ours.

There were three companies of colored soldiers at Fort Lawton at that time, August 14, 1944: the 650 co., the 651 co., and the 578 co. It was tried hard to be brought out in court by the boys that there were always some trouble between the white American soldiers and the Italians Prisoners of War. On the Saturday night before the riot, a white soldier and an Italian Prisoner of War got into it at the P.X., and some colored soldiers had to stop them.

A short time before the riot between the colored soldiers and the Italians, the colored soldiers was blown out to formation, and all came out of their barracks, and was armed with sticks and things, and was ordered to go down to the Italian area to stop the white soldiers and Italians from fighting. Col. Jaworski objected to the testimony, and the member of the court had it stricken out, for he said he didn’t want it to go in the court’s record. Major Beeks said that he was only trying to bring out the different things that had occurred to work the minds up to this point.

On August 14, they all testified that they heard a whistle blow for “all out,” and heard after they came out that the Italians had killed one of the boys, and saw one of the boys stretched out on the ground. A lot of them admitted going to the Italian area. Some started down with sticks, knives and rocks, and some with anything they could get.

My boy had been before a “show up” before he was sent overseas, and no one identified him as being in the Italians’ area. Lots of the boys was not identified, some were held after being identified. They named a lot of the boys that had been sent overseas, so they were brought back and charged with rioting. The colored boys that named the other boys that was overseas, and testified against them, received letters of immunity, and was released. Some of them admitted being down in the Italian area with sticks, too, on the witness stand, but they was let go, said they was just down there looking and had sticks to protect themselves.

The riot or the fighting started about 11:30 the night of August 14. The man at the hospital testified the first call come in about that time to pick up the first boy that had been hurt by the Italians. And about five minutes later, he got another call to come to one of the barracks to pick up another one of the boys, which was Sammie Snow, which is the boy that my boy told about in his statement. He gave an unsworn statement as he was advised by Maj. Beeks.

Robert has never been in anything and has had very little of schooling. I lost my husband in ’41, and it was just Robert and I.

He started working and he was afraid to try to talk. He said he had been to a party at the P.X. Then, with some more friends, they went to the club. They had a party at the P.X., for they were leaving the next day. He heard a whistle blow formation. He come out and saw one of the boys on the ground, and a lot of soldiers out in front of the barracks, and some was going toward the Italian area. So he started down and met two other boys coming, carrying another boy. He helped to bring the boy back the barracks and tried to stop him from bleeding. They called for the ambulance, and when the boy had gone to the hospital, he started back down. But he didn’t reach the Italian area, because one of the boys named John Pinkney, and a M.P. who stopped them, told them to wait there and not to come unless he called them.

There were four of those colored boys that got immunity. The boys, had they been taught how to treat Prisoners of War? Every one of them answered that they had not. This thing had to come to a head, either by the white or colored boys, for the white boys and the Italians was always into it from what was learned in court. But I don’t think you will get that, for it was always objected and stricken out. The Law Member said he didn’t want it in the record, for that was not the issue, and there is no excuse for rioting. But there had been fighting between the white soldiers and the Italians before.

It was just a mistake putting the Italian Prisoners of War with any American soldiers. I think they learned it to be a fact, but much too late for our kids, for they must pay. They have moved the Italians now to Mount Rainier, and only American officers are with them. I thank God for that, before some more kids have the same misfortune as these kids. As one of the Italians brought out in court—was explaining about Olivotto being afraid of French Moroccans—they asked him, wasn’t they Negroes? He said, no, that they was French Moroccans. And they asked him, well, wasn’t they black? He answered yes, but only America has Negroes.

Now the case, they told me, would go before the Reviewing Board. I am sure that all of the kids and men wants to be good Americans.

Those colored boys that got immunity identified him as seeing him in a Jeep in the Italians’ area. One of them said that he saw him going in the orderly room. But taking the time he heard the whistle, and starting down, then helping the boy that was hurt, then calling the ambulance, and waiting until it come to get the boy, then start back down there … I don’t see how it could be done. For it only lasted from 11:30 until 12 or a little after, for that, too, was brought out in court. And to identify anyone outside the orderly room at night, I don’t see how it could be done, for it is too dark to identify anyone. I have been all over Fort Lawton, and at night, and you can't tell if a person are white or colored until they get right up on you.

They found 13 of the 41 that was being held “not guilty” on December 17, and 27 found guilty. Can it be that these 27 boys must pay for three companies for something all was involved? Is there justice in our own homeland to our boys who are willing to give their lives and everything else for their country, what they holds so dear?

As it has been so often spoken to me while I was at Fort Lawton, by white soldiers and colored, and also Major Beeks, so truly brought out in court, how can you teach a soldier to hate his enemies and to kill them, then bring them and put them right next door to them?

Most of them got long sentences: one got 25 years, one got 15, one got 12 years, and some got 8 years, and a few 5, and some 4; one got one year and one 6 months. There was 200 years divided between the 27 of them, and all with a dishonorable discharge. And that hurts them more than anything, for they love their country more than anything. They love their country with all their hearts and souls and everything that is within them all. So do their mothers and families, as I do. And it hurt more than anyone will ever be able to know.

You are our earthly father of our great country—I call you that, and many more like me would call you that—for you have been that to us all. Although they say in history that Washington is the father our country, that may be true, but that was before our times, and I am speaking of what I really know and have experienced. I pray that God will let you find favor in these poor kids and help them to be reinstated back in their country’s service so they will not have given up everything in life so young in vain, only to be dishonorably discharged in the country they love so much. They asked me to please write to you and try to explain for them just how they feel, for there are some that I am sure didn’t get into the fight, as they said they didn’t.

Robert Sanders, my boy, hasn’t never told me a lie. I have always taught him that there isn’t anything too bad to tell me. For when he is in trouble, I am too, and he must always let me know the truth about everything. For it is only he and I; I am all he have to stand by him. That’s why he wanted me to come to him if it was possible.

He did explain to me that he did not make it down to the Italian area, but also explained that when they heard the whistle, it was a formation whistle for “all out,” and that is a command. He did come out, as they had been ordered out once before to go to the Italian area once before to stop a fight with the Italians and the white soldiers. He started down, but did meet two boys coming to their barracks with a boy that got hurt, he was bleeding bad. He had taken first aid in C.C. Camp; he took the boy and brought him in their barracks, and tried to stop him from bleeding, and called the ambulance to carry him to the hospital. After the boy was on his way to the hospital, he started back down to the Italian area, but didn’t get there. For an M.P. told him and many more not to go, to wait there, and they did.

These boys haven't just pledged allegiance to their flag, but has been born. Their whole hearts and souls knows nothing but our country and love for it. Not just word of mouth, but this their homeland, all they know.

May God’s face shine upon you and may He endow you with His greatest wisdom that you may bring our country everlasting peace.

A mother who offered all she had, her only son, with all her heart, to her country.

Mrs. Sadie Hughes

Thank you so much for reading this. I have kept my promise with the boys, as they asked me to write you, the best I know how.