Witnesses | On American Soil

To make his case against the Fort Lawton defendants, Leon Jaworski called dozens of witnesses, including Italian soldiers, American officers and American enlisted men. Some of those enlisted men were black soldiers who shared the same barracks as the forty-three defendants.

Five African-American witnesses were given immunity from prosecution in exchange for their testimony against the defendants, a move that incensed defense attorney William Beeks. “If I were formulating or devising a scale of human degradation,” Beeks fumed, “I think without any question that I would place the type of individual who attempts to save himself at the expense of others at the bottom--at the very bottom--of that scale.”

AFRICAN-AMERICAN WITNESSES GRANTED IMMUNITY FROM PROSECUTION

	Private THOMAS BATTLE 651st Port Company \| Barracks 672 born March 17, 1921 inducted Edwards, Mississippi died July 11, 1971 “From where I was, I saw guys casting rocks against the sides of buildings, and I also saw them knocking out the window panes.”

	Private ALVIN E. CLARKE 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born August 30, 1925, South Haven, Michigan inducted February 2, 1944 died July 16, 1978, South Haven, Michigan “Luther Larkin got up and went through the crowd. A few minutes later, I seen him come out into the company street and blow a whistle. A group of men gathered around him and he told them to follow him. He led the group across the road and down into the Italian area.”

	Private DAN ROY DAYMOND 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born 1925, Texas inducted November 11, 1943, Houston, Texas died August 18, 1992, Houston, Texas “About nine colored soldiers left the large group that had assembled in the vicinity of Lawton Road and proceeded toward the Italian area. I would say they were going down there to fight because the Italians had hit Montgomery. I saw all of them come back except three. The other six said, ‘Come on here, are you scared to go on down there? What the hell are you waiting on?’”

	T/5 WILLIE ELLIS 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born February 3, 1923 died December 21, 1998, Houston, Texas “I saw one man running out of an Italian barracks and was being chased by two colored soldiers. The Italian didn’t have on no clothes, nothing but underwear, shorts and an undershirt. I don’t know if they ever caught him.”

	Private JESSE C. B. SIMS 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born 1912, Corrigan, Texas inducted November 16, 1943, Corrigan, Texas “William G. Jones came upstairs and said, ‘The Italians have knocked one of your boys out out there. You Texas boys always talking about what you will do. All right, now let’s go!’”

AFRICAN-AMERICAN WITNESSES FOR THE PROSECUTION, NOT CHARGED WITH A CRIME

	Sergeant ROBERT GRESHAM 650th Port Company \| Barracks 719 born 1923 inducted Chicago, Illinois died January 9, 1992, Houston, Texas “I overhead Booker Townsell say he was among the first to attack an Italian.”

	Corporal RICHARD KING 650th Port Company \| Barracks 665 born October 15, 1925 inducted Denver, Colorado died June 1971, Colorado “The next morning in my barracks, I overheard David Walton say that he was in the fight.”


ORDER OF TRIAL WITNESSES

	Day 1: November 16, 1944 PRELIMINARY MOTIONS READING OF CHARGES Day 2: November 20, 1944 Cpl. Maj. Guiseppe Belle, 28 ISU Pvt. Roy Daymond, 650 PC Sgt. Grant Noel Farr, 7909 SCU Day 3: November 21, 1944 T/5 Willie Ellis, 650 PC S/Sgt. Fred J. Perata, 7909 SCU T/5 Edward S. Haskell, 7909 SCU Pvt. Alvin E. Clarke, 650 PC Pvt. Jesse C. B. Sims, 650 PC Day 4: November 22, 1944 Pvt. Jesse C. B. Sims, 650 PC (cont.) Sgt. Augusto Todde, 28 ISU Day 5: November 23, 1944 [Thanksgiving Day] Sgt. Augusto Todde, 28 ISU (cont.) Pvt. Nicola Corea, 28 ISU Cpl. Maj. Rino Ferrante, 28 ISU Day 6, November 24, 1944 Cpl. Maj. Rino Ferrante, 28 ISU (cont.) Sgt. Bruno Bigatti, 28 ISU Pvt. Thomas Battle, 651 PC Cpl. Maj. Osvaldo Grossi, 28 ISU Pvt. Antonio Pisciottano, 28 ISU Sgt. Grant Noel Farr, 7909 SCU T/5 Edward S. Haskell, 7909 SCU Day 7, November 25, 1944 Cpl. Maj. Vittorio Bellieni, 28 ISU Pvt. Attilio Vencato, 28 ISU Cpl. Maj. Luigi Furlanelli, 28 ISU Cpl. Maj. Virgilio Manca, 28 ISU Pvt. Ego Fugazzo, 28 ISU Sgt. Maj. Gaetano Pagliaminuta, 28 ISU Day 8: November 27, 1944 Cpl. Richard King, 650 PC Sgt. Robert Gresham, 650 PC Sgt. Thurman McCray Jones, MP Section T/5 William A. Cunningham, 650 PC T/5 Addison G. George, 650 PC Pfc. Jack Chapman, 651 PC T/5 Harvey Banks, 650 PC T/5 Johnnie Mack Sanders, 650 PC Day 9: November 28, 1944 Pvt. Imo Nolgi, 28 ISU Sgt. Maj. Antonio Urbano, 28 ISU Pvt. Gennaro Iodice, 28 ISU Cpl. Maj. Rosario Sidoti, 28 ISU Sgt. Mario Marcelli, 28 ISU S/Sgt. Charles M. Robinson, MP Section Maj. George H. McNay, FtL Engineer Maj. William Walter Orem, FtL Staging Area Day 10: November 29. 1944 Maj. Robert H. Manchester, POE Intelligence & Security T/5 Nathaniel T. Spencer, 650 PC Pfc. Roy L. Montgomery, 651 PC Lt. Col. Curtis L. Williams, Inspector General Div., DC T/5 Willie Prevost, Sr., 650 PC Day 11: November 30. 1944 Mrs. Lu M. Henderson, Overseas Supply Division Sgt. Ralph E. Young, Intelligence & Security Div. Maj. Robert H. Manchester, POE Intelligence & Security Mr. Forrest Jack Freeman, Intelligence & Security Div. Mr. Benjamin J. Glasgow, War Department T/5 Ernestyne S. Morgan, Overseas Supply Division Sgt. Robert C. Fiske, Intelligence & Security Div. Lt. Col. Curtis L. Williams, Inspector General Div., DC Day 12: December 1. 1944 Capt. S. K. Tyson, POE Maj. Robert H. Manchester, POE Intelligence & Security T/5 Willie Prevost, Sr., 650 PC Lt. Col. Curtis L. Williams, Inspector General Div., DC Pvt. Samuel Snow, 650 PC Lt. Col. Curtis L. Williams, Inspector General Div., DC Sgt. Ralph E. Young, Intelligence & Security Div. Day 13: December 2, 1944 Maj. Robert H. Manchester, POE Intelligence & Security Mr. Forrest Jack Freeman, Intelligence & Security Div. Mrs. Lu M. Henderson, Overseas Supply Division Capt. Ray A. Yarnall, MP Section Cpl. Maj. Enzio Antonelli, 28 ISU T/4 Carl A. Johnsen, MP Section S/Sgt Regis A. Callahan, MP Section Maj. George H. McNay, FtL Engineer Pvt. Clyde Vernon Lomax, MP Section Pfc. Elby J. Murray, 651 PC T/4 Robert E. Walsh, Hospital Capt. John Hunt Walker, X-Ray & Pathologist Day 14: December 4, 1944 CWO Giovanni Prinzi, 28 ISU Maj. George H. McNay, FtL Engineer PROSECUTION RESTS	Day 15: December 8, 1944 1st Sgt. Louis G. Cabral, 651 PC T/5 Herman Lee Redley, 651 PC Day 16: December 9, 1944 Pvt. Jefferson Dean Green, 650 PC Pvt. Richard H. Barber, 650 PC Pvt. Willie C. Basden, 650 PC Cpl. Luther L. Larkin, 650 PC Pfc. Arthur Williams, 650 PC Pvt. Loary M. Moore, 650 PC T/5 Herman Johnson, 651 PC Day 17: December 11, 1944 Cpl. Russell L. Ellis, 650 PC T/5 Henry Jupiter, 650 PC T/4 Booker W. Thornton, 650 PC T/5 Freddie L. Simmons, 650 PC Pvt. Elva Shelton, 650 PC T/5 Nelson L. Alston, 650 PC T/5 Arthur L. Stone, 650 PC T/5 Nathaniel T. Spencer, 650 PC Pfc. Milton D. Bratton, 650 PC Pvt. Booker W. Townsell, 650 PC Day 18: December 12, 1944 Mr. Forrest Jack Freeman, Intelligence & Security Div. Maj. Robert H. Manchester, POE Intelligence & Security Lt. Col. Curtis L. Williams, Inspector General Div., DC Capt. Francis W. Beckman, 28 ISU S/Sgt. Regis A. Callahan, MP Section Sgt. Arthur James Hurks, 650 PC WAIVER OF RIGHT TO TESTIFY: Pfc. John Lee Hamilton, 650 PC Pvt. Robert Sanders, 650 PC Pvt. James C. Chandler, Jr., 650 PC Cpl. Johnnie Ceaser, 650 PC Pfc. Roy L. Montgomery, 651 PC Pvt. Walter Jackson, 650 PC T/5 Riley L. Buckner, 650 PC T/4 John S. Brown, Sr., 578 PC Pfc. Sylvester Campbell, 651 PC Cpl. Johnnie Ceaser, 650 PC T/5 James Coverson, 650 PC T/5 Willie S. Curry, 651 PC T/5 Lee A. Dixon, 650 PC Pvt. Samuel Snow, 650 PC Sgt. Emanuel W. Ford, 650 PC S/Sgt. Ernest Graham, 651 PC Pvt. Frank Hughes, 650 PC Pvt. William G. Jones, 650 PC T/5 Willie Prevost, Sr., 650 PC Sgt. C. W. Spencer, 650 PC T/5 Leslie T. Stewart, 650 PC Pvt. Richard Lee Sutliff, 650 PC Pfc. Freddie Umblance, 650 PC T/5 David Walton, 650 PC Pvt. Wallace A. Wooden, 650 PC Day 19: December 13, 1944 2nd Lt. Angelo Joseph Gagliardo, POE Ms. Elsie Lahti, Legal Department Capt. Ernesto Cellentani, 28 ISU DEFENSE RESTS Capt. Charles O. Sturdevant, Neuropsychiatric Section Lt. Vito Melpignano, 28 ISU Cpl. Maj. Bruno Patteri, 28 ISU 2nd Lt. Giovanni Lobianco, 28 ISU Day 20: December 14, 1944 Pfc. John H. Pinkney, 650 PC Pvt. Jesse Grego, Station Hospital Pfc. John H. Pinkney, 650 PC Day 21: December 15, 1944 Sgt. Grant Noel Farr, 7909 SCU STIPULATIONS: 1st Sgt. Robert B. Aubry, 650 S/Sgt. Spencer Martin, 650 PC Sgt. Wilbur Jenkins, 650 PC T/5 Earl William Lallis, 578 PC T/5 Jacob Person, 651 PC T/5 Freeman Pierce, 651 PC T/5 William H. (A.?) Wilson, 650 PC T/5 John Terrell, 650 PC T/4 John S. Brown, 578 PC T/5 William D. Montgomery, 650 PC PROSECUTION RESTS Day 22: December 16, 1944 CLOSING ARGUMENT: JAWORSKI CLOSING ARGUMENT: BEEKS CLOSING REBUTTAL: JAWORSKI Day 23: December 17, 1944 FINDINGS OF GUILT OR INNOCENCE Day 24: December 18, 1944 READING OF CHARGE SHEET PERSONAL DATA SENTENCING	ISU: PC: SCU: MP: FtL: POE:	Italian Service Unit Port Company Service Command Unit Military Police Fort Lawton Port of Embarkation