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Lebanon and Grenanda: Marine Says No

By NY/NJ VVAW

In October, 1983, a lone driver crashed the security gate at the Marine Compound in Beirut, Lebanon and killed 260 Marines as they slept.

Two days after this needless and senseless tragedy, the U.S. war machine led by Ronald Reagan invaded Grenada, a small Black nation in the Caribbean.

Absent from both of these occupation missions was CPL Alfred Griffin, a Black Muslim marine from New York City. He refused orders to participate in Lebanon, and when asked, he said "No" to the racist invasion of Granada.

CPL Griffin, a former member of the Presidential Honor Guard was charged with missing a movement and AWOL. He was court Marshaled and found guilty.

For his brace stand, reminiscent of Muhammad Ali, CPL Griffin was sentenced to 4 months hard labor at the Camp Lejuene brig, forfeiture of 6 months pay, reduction in rank to private, and a Bad Conduct Discharge.

Since his conviction, people who oppose war and the injustices of the military have rallied to support CPL Griffin. Barring the overturn of his conviction, CPL Griffin will become one more Black GI to come home with "bad paper."

Currently Blacks comprise 33% of the "all-volunteer" armed forces, almost three times the proportion of Blacks in this society. The Congressional Black Caucus has found that Black GI's are discriminated against in terms of promotion, job assignment, stockade time, and less than honorable discharges.

Economic conditions in the '80's have made the military one of the few alternatives for jobs, job training and educational possibilities.

Like thousands of other poor youth, Griffin entered the military, as he explains, "Because I needed a job and I thought I could use the education to get the skills and training." The present social crisis in the Black community forces young people to be cannon fodder in military adventures around the world, especially in the 3rd World.

CPL Griffin has said, "Everyone knows we weren't peacekeepers. The U.S. was the aggressor and it's against my religion to take part in any such war."

This country has not addressed the needs of all veterans who fought in the last major war, Vietnam. Over 275,000 less-than-honorable discharges, mostly among Black and Hispanic vets, are leftover from the Vietnam War. In CPL Griffin's home state, New York, there are over 75,000 unemployed Vietnam veterans. Twenty-eight percent of these are Black. How are these problems going to be solved at home? We cannot and will not support another needless adventure abroad, especially with the situation that way it is at home.

This latest example of GI resistance must be supported by all veterans. Send telegrams, letters, mailgrams to demand Griffin's immediate release, restoration of rank, pay and an honorable discharge to:

Sec of Defense Caspar Weinberger
Department of Defense
Washington, DC

And to:
COL John Paul Brickley
HD CO, 8th Marines
Camp Lejeune, NC 28542

Send copies to:
CPL Alfred Griffin
Camp Lejuene Correctional Facility
Camp Lejuene, NC 285423

—Clarence Fitch
NY/NJ VVAW