page_title: Court-martial of Susan Schnall
section_title: Marching in uniform
hierarchical_section_title: Court-martial of Susan Schnall / Antiwar activity / Marching in uniform
caption_attribution_description: English: Lieutenant Susan Schnall, Brigadier General Hugh B. Hester and Airman Michael Locks marching in GIs and Veterans for Peach march October 12, 1968
context_page_description: The court-martial of Lieutenant Susan Schnall, a U.S. Navy nurse stationed at the Oakland Naval Hospital in Oakland, California, took place in early 1969. Her political activities, which led to the military trial, may have garnered some of the most provocative news coverage during the early days of the U.S. antiwar movement against the Vietnam War. In October 1968, the San Francisco Chronicle called her the “Peace Leaflet Bomber” for raining tens of thousands of antiwar leaflets from a small airplane over several San Francisco Bay Area military installations and the deck of an aircraft carrier. The day after this “bombing” run, she marched in her officer’s uniform at the front of a large antiwar demonstration, knowing it was against military regulations. While the Navy was court-martialing her for “conduct unbecoming an officer” she was publicly telling the press “As far as I’m concerned, it’s conduct unbecoming to officers to send men to die in Vietnam.”
context_section_description: When Schnall reported for duty the evening before the planned demonstration she was handed a newly issued regulation, ALNAV 53, that explicitly prohibited members of the Navy from attending “partisan political” events in uniform. Violators would be punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. This new regulation reflected growing concern within the military’s upper ranks that GI resistance to the war was becoming a problem, and they were particularly worried about GIs protesting in uniform.
  A communication from the Pentagon had gone out in August as they learned that organizers for the GI and Veterans March for Peace were encouraging GIs “to come to the march either in uniform or out of uniform if they are afraid of reprisals.”. The message expressed alarm that there was no existing regulation “specifically proscribing” protesting the war in uniform. And it recommended the drafting of a new regulation “at once”.  It also was quite clear about the military’s stance on the October 12 march — it should “be quashed if possible because of possible severe impact on military discipline throughout the services.” During the weeks prior to the march, GIs became bolder in their resistance. At a late September press conference, three active duty GIs, Airmen First Class Michael Locks and John Bright, and Second Lieutenant Hugh Smith appeared in their Air Force uniforms promoting the march. The Ally, a GI underground newspaper covering the press conference noted, “If they can openly organize and publicize this march, so can you. March with them....”
  When Schnall received the new regulation, she wondered about its legality. As she explained later, “General Westmorland wore his uniform in front of Congress, asking for more money, armaments, and troops. Why couldn’t I wear my uniform and speak against the war?” She decided to keep her options open and when she left work on the morning of the protest she had her uniform on under a large coat with her Navy cap in a bag. She arrived at the march rendezvous point in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and found her husband and a group of corpsmen from the Naval hospital. She took off her coat and as fellow demonstrators recognized the impact and significance of her uniform she was encouraged to move to the front of the march. She found herself leading the protest with 700 other active duty GIs and reservists marching through San Francisco with up to 10,000 (some said 15,000) veterans and civilians. She marched arm-in-arm with retired Brigadier General Hugh B. Hester and U.S. Air Force Airman Michael Locks also in his uniform. After marching through town to the Civic Center, Schnall addressed the large crowd calling for an end to “this dirty, filthy war.” Locks also spoke, first reading from the regulation prohibiting him to be in uniform, and then saying “I can think of no greater cause to wear my uniform than for the cause of peace.”
caption: Airman Michael Locks, Lieutenant Susan Schnall and Brigadier General Hugh B. Hester
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