On American Soil: How Justice Became a Casualty

Jack Hamann talked about his book On American Soil: How Justice Became a Casualty of World War II, published by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. He discussed how Fort Lawton was a segregated military base and housed thousands of Italian POWs during World War II. In the summer of 1944, three African-American soldiers were charged with the murder of an Italian prisoner-of-war and forty additional African-American soldiers were arrested for rioting. All forty-three soldiers arrested were held without substantial evidence implicating them in a crime. The ensuing trial, lead by prosecutor Leon Jaworski, who would later prosecute the Watergate trial, captivated the nation and global community. After his presentation Mr. Hamann answered questions from members of the audience. close