On American Soil: How Justice Became a Casualty of World War II (V Ethel Willis White Books)

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On American Soil: How Justice Became a Casualty of World War II (V Ethel Willis White Books) PDF

From Publishers Weekly

An explosive but forgotten WWII incident that took place on native ground is unearthed by former NewsHour Seattle bureau chief Hamann. In August 1944, the Seattle area played host to italian pows on parole and to African-American GIs recently returned from overseas or waiting to ship out. The Italians had freedom of movement and received hospitality in Seattle homes; the African-Americans were subject to massive discrimination and restrictions. The resulting tension led to escalating scuffles, which in turn led to a riotous assault by the GIs on the Italians' quarters and to the death of one Italian. Forty-three GIs faced court-martial; three faced hanging. Hamann shows a then-unknown leon jaworski, nearly 30 years before Watergate, using his prosecutorial skills to the fullest, leaning on prejudices in order to make a case for murder. The lead defense attorney, Maj. William Beeks, cleared one third of the defendants (against whom Jaworski had marshalled only "hearsay and innuendo"); the rest were court-martialed, some with imprisonment--but no one was hanged. Hamann reconstructs the courtroom scenes admirably and gives shape to the riot itself. He is best in depicting the men involved and the waste of lives that the episode entailed.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

When TV journalist Hamann was covering the expansion of a sewage-treatment plant at Seattle's Discovery Park some 18 years ago, a ranger told him of an odd headstone at the park, dated August 14, 1944, with an Italian inscription. The offhanded remark would lead Hamann to investigate the unsolved murder of Italian POW Guglielmo Olivotto at the park, which was then an Army base known as Fort Lawton. More than 10,000 military personnel were at the base at any given time during the war, including soldiers leaving for, or returning from, the Pacific; Italian prisoners-of-war captured by Allied troops in northern Africa; and a large contingent of segregated black soldiers who served primarily as porters to load and unload ships in the Pacific theater. The story line that Hamann uncovers is compelling enough. But it is the crime's historical context--wartime racial dynamics, colossal army incompetence, international political implications, and the (humane) treatment of POWs, for example--that makes the book so relevant now. Alan Moores
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"The storyline that Hamann uncovers is compelling enough. But it is the crime's historical context - wartime racial dynamics, colossal Army incompetence, international political implications, and the (humane) treatment of POWs, for example - that makes this book so relevant now." Booklist "This book reads like an outstanding piece of literary fiction, but it is investigative reporting of the highest order. Hamann uncovered a web of lies in a book that holds lessons for today on the tensions between national security and individual rights." - Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. "A welcome piece of military history, adroitly balancing racism and legal questions in one story." Kirkus Reviews "Rarely has a book inspired legislation in the U.S. Congress, but that is exactly what happened with Jack Hamann's On American Soil. I had barely finished reading it before I instructed my staff to introduce legislation directing the Secretary of the Army to re-open the cases of the African American soldiers, find the truth, and correct any injustice found. This is an important book, and I hope many more people have the opportunity to read it." Congressman Jim McDermott "Not only riveting, On American Soil is also essential reading for anyone concerned about the delicate balance between national security and individual rights. Jack Hamann proves that a true tale well told can be as gripping as fiction." James Bradley, author of Flags of Our Fathers and Flyboys "Jack Hamann has crafted an impressive debut book that is painstakingly researched and documented but also manages to be an enthralling read." Seattle Post-Intelligencer "A surprisingly relevant work about prejudice, scapegoats, and cover-ups in a time of war." Daily Nebraskan

Review

"Not only riveting,
On American Soil is also essential reading for anyone concerned about the delicate balance between national security and individual rights. Jack Hamann proves that a true tale well told can be as gripping as fiction."
—James Bradley
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description

During the night of August 14, 1944, an Italian prisoner of war was lynched on the Fort Lawton army base in Seattle--a murder that shocked the nation and the international community. It was a time of deep segregation in the army, and the War Department was quick to charge three African American soldiers with first-degree murder, although there was no evidence linking them to the crime. Forty other black soldiers faced lesser charges over the incident, launching one of the largest and longest army trials of World War II. In this harrowing story of race, privilege, and power, Jack Hamann explores the most overlooked civil rights event in American history. On American Soil raises important questions about how justice is carried out when a country is at war, offering vital lessons on the tensions between national security and individual rights. "Not only riveting, On American Soil is also essential reading for anyone concerned about the delicate balance between national security and individual rights. Jack Hamann proves that a true tale well told can be as gripping as fiction."--James Bradley, author of Flags of Our Fathers and Flyboys "Rarely has a book inspired legislation in the U.S. Congress, but that is exactly what happened with Jack Hamann's On American Soil. I had barely finished reading it before I instructed my staff to introduce legislation directing the Secretary of the Army to re-open the cases of the African American soldiers, find the truth, and correct any injustice found. This is an important book, and I hope many more people have the opportunity to read it." -Congressman Jim McDermott "A welcome piece of military history, adroitly balancing racism and legal questions in one story." -Kirkus Reviews "Jack Hamann has crafted an impressive debut book that is painstakingly researched and documented but also manages to be an enthralling read." -Seattle Post-Intelligencer "This book reads like an outstanding piece of literary fiction, but it is investigative reporting of the highest order. Hamann uncovered a web of lies in a book that holds lessons for today on the tensions between natonal security and individual rights." - Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. "A surprisingly relevant work about prejudice, scapegoats, and cover-ups in a time of war." - Daily Nebraskan "The storyline that Hamann uncovers is compelling enough. But it is the crime's historical context - wartime racial dynamics, colossal Army incompetence, international political implicatins, and the (humane) treatment of POWs, for example - that makes this book so relevant now." - Booklist "This book reads like an outstanding piece of literary fiction, but it is investigative reporting of the highest order. Hamann uncovered a web of lies in a book that holds lessons for today on the tensions between national security and individual rights." - Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc.

From the Author

The injustice revealed in ON AMERICAN SOIL inspired Rep. Jim McDermott to introduce HR 3174, a bill demanding that the Secretary of the Army revisit the infamous Fort Lawton court-martial. The bill has dozens of co-sponsors, and was assigned to the House Armed Services Committee.
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap

In describing the World War II murder charge of three African American soldiers in the lynching of an Italian prisoner of war, Harmann tells a harrowing story of race, privelege, and power. On American Soil raises important questions about how justice is carried out when a country is at war, offering vital lessons on the tensions between national security and individual rights. Winnder of the 2005 Investagative Reporters and Editors Book Award.

From the Back Cover

In August 1944, one of the largest staging areas for American soldiers headed to the Pacific was Fort Lawton, an army base in Seattle. The army was segregated then, and the barracks housing the African American troops were isolated from the rest of the fort. Just yards away stood the barracks of a compnay of Italian prisoners of war, also segregated. The violent death of one of these prisoners launched the largest and longest army court-martial of World War II. The events surrounding this extraordinary trial—all but buried for more than a half century—are now recounted in this harrowing story of race, privilege, and power.
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Jack Hamann has been a news reporter, network correspondent, and documentary producer for more than two decades and has served most recently as Seattle bureau chief for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. He has won ten Emmy Awards for his work. On American Soil won the 2005 Investigative Reporters and Editors Book Award, whose previous winners include Bob Woodward, Seymour Hersh, and Neil Sheehan, among others.