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MEDIA RESOURCES
for the July 24-27, 2008 Fort Lawton veterans' tribute
DEFENDANTS & FAMILIES
Who's coming to the tribute | List of all 43 defendants
43 defendants stood trial at Fort Lawton in 1944; 28 were convicted of rioting (2 of those were also convicted of manslaughter). Two of the convicted defendants--Samuel Snow of Florida and Roy Montgomery of Illinois--are known to still be alive; Mr. Snow and his family will attend the tribute. The authors of On American Soil have been able to locate ten other families; a total of 32 people representing 7 families will attend the tribute.
WHERE ARE THE OTHER FAMILIES? For many, the last-known address is more than sixty years old. Several have common names (two men share the name John Brown!), others may have died relatively young. Most of the families we've located have been thanks to media coverage throughout the nation.
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LUTHER LARKIN (1921-1948)
Raised in rural Arkansas … 11 years of schooling at a time when African American boys in the Deep South averaged just 3 years … Avid reader with love for science … denied the chance to become a US Army medic because units were segregated by race, and black medics were not in great demand … Loved Seattle’s jazz scene…
coming to Tribute: Thelma Spann (widow), Beverly Evans (daughter), Camille Glaudè (granddaughter), Elijah Evans (grandson) [ALL FROM LOS ANGELES]
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ARTHUR HURKS (1921-1991)
A high school football star in Houston … Lauded by fellow soldiers as a strong, smart, courageous leader … After serving time for the Fort Lawton conviction, worked in the aerospace industry … Post-Army life included personal tragedies; his grave in Louisiana remains unmarked…
coming to Tribute: Camille Kea (granddaughter) [FROM OAKLAND, CA]
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WILLIAM JONES (1924-1992)
Big, affable, opinionated young man out of Decatur, IL … worked as a waiter and a porter before the war … After serving time, he returned home to raise a family, including helping foster children…
coming to Tribute: Deborah Ford (daughter), Laquitta Ford (granddaughter), Margie Bond (sister), Carlo Bond (nephew) [ALL FROM DECATUR, IL]
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JOHN HAMILTON (1925-1999)
One of 11 siblings in a strong, spiritual Houston family … worked in a shipyard until he was drafted … Convicted of rioting despite clear evidence that he was, in fact, a courageous peacemaker that night … Spent his post-Army career as a steelworker, raising his own close-knit family…
coming to Tribute: Michael Hamilton (son), Damien Hamilton (grandson) Kamyra Harrison (grand-niece) [ALL FROM HOUSTON]
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BOOKER TOWNSELL (1915-1984)
Born and raised in Milwaukee … A now-discredited trial witness confused Booker Townsell with another soldier named Booker … Became the patriarch of a large, prominent Milwaukee family … His widow was crushed when his dishonorable discharged meant he couldn’t be buried without an American flag…
coming to Tribute: Sharon Townsell (daughter), Carole Blalock (daughter), Marion Williamson (daughter), Jerome Edwards (son), Lashell Drake (granddaughter), [ALL FROM MILWAUKEE] Ernestine & Melvin Moss, Keith & Liz Hunter [PORTLAND, OR], Rosalind Barmore [ALABAMA], Robbie Harrell [CALIFORNIA]
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WILLIE PREVOST (1917-1998)
Strong, soft-spoken son of Houston … Was threatened with lynching by the Army’s own detectives during the investigation of the riot … After serving time, re-enlisted in the Army to remove dishonorable discharge from his record … Two of his four sons became pharmacists…
coming to Tribute: Walt Prevost (son) [FROM LOS ANGELES], Arthur Prevost (son), Frederick Prevost (son) [BOTH FROM HOUSTON]
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SAMUEL SNOW (1925- )
Son of a Florida sharecropper, completed ten years in segregated schooling … Like Prevost, he was also threatened with lynching during the investigation … Worked odd jobs for decades, including as a janitor in a whites-only church, but saved enough to put both children through college … Still living in Leesburg, FL…
coming to Tribute: Samuel Snow, Margaret Snow (wife), Ray Snow (son), Debbra Snow (daughter-in-law) [ALL FROM LEESBURG, FL]
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ROY MONTGOMERY (1921- )
Born on a Mississippi cotton farm, migrated North to find work and try to escape racist treatment … Openly ridiculed for his light shade of skin by the court-martial judge … Grandson is former NBA player Kendall Gill … From his Chicago home, still struggles with the humiliation of the Fort Lawton court-martial…
[NOT coming to Tribute] [FROM CHICAGO]
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