WASHINGTON -- Following up on the Christmastime pardon of Port Chicago sailor Freddie Meeks, 29 Members of Congress led by Congressman George Miller (D-Calif.) today urged President Clinton to issue a proclamation recognizing the "inequity" of the mutiny prosecutions in light of the institutionalized racism at the base in 1944.

"For Mr. Meeks, the president's pardon brought a good measure of redemption, but there are other family members who deserve to know that their loved ones were not mutineers," said Miller. "The time has come to close the book on Port Chicago honorably, and we hope that the President, who was the first Commander in Chief in a half century to review this tragic case, will now consider our request for a presidential proclamation."

Clinton pardoned Meeks on December 23rd following a national campaign on behalf of the former sailor. But the pardon does not affect any of the other cases stemming from the alleged 1944 mutiny. The only two men convicted of mutiny still alive, Julius Dixon of South Carolina and Jack Crittenden of Alabama are both reportedly considering pardon applications of their own.

"We have been informed that the possibility of a posthumous pardon for any of the remaining 47 men is extremely unlikely," noted Miller. "There has been only one posthumous pardon. So we are asking the President to consider using his Executive authority to issue a proclamation that recognizes the injustice of this prosecution on behalf of the men who have already passed away."

"A Presidential Proclamation would ... establish for the historical record the inappropriateness of the prosecutions themselves for such an extreme and unsubstantiated charge as mutiny," the lawmakers wrote to the President. "For these men to carry the stigma of such a conviction, given the historical facts of the Port Chicago case, is a disgrace and should be corrected."

A copy of the letter is attached.

March 20, 2000

Honorable William Jefferson Clinton
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

On December 23, 1999, you took this historic and deeply appreciated step of issuing a pardon to Freddie Meeks, one of the surviving black sailors convicted of mutiny following the catastrophic explosion at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in California in 1944. As Members of Congress who have long supported justice for the Port Chicago sailors, we are grateful to the Navy, the FBI, the Pardon Attorney, the Department of Justice, your own Counsel's office at the White House and all those who played a role in considering Mr. Meeks' appeal and securing the well-justified pardon on an expedited basis.

Now, we respectfully ask you, based on the substantial evidence about the case developed in conjunction with the Meeks appeal, to use your presidential power and issue a Proclamation that recognizes the racial prejudice that pervaded the Port Chicago base and that declares that the 50 sailors should never have been tried for or convicted of mutiny in the first place.

A Presidential Proclamation would help bring closure to the many members of the families of men who have passed away. Even more importantly, it would establish for the historical record the inappropriateness of the prosecutions themselves for such an extreme and unsubstantiated charge as mutiny. We note that these 50 cases are, to be the best our knowledge, the only cases of a full Navy court martial convicting sailors of mutiny in the last 150 years, and perhaps in the entire history of the U.S. Navy. For these men to carry the stigma of such a conviction, given the historical facts of the Port Chicago case, is a disgrace and should be corrected.

As all those who have reviewed the case now recognize, racism was a pervasive and humiliating feature of life at Port Chicago. Black sailors were not only exclusively assigned to the loading of munitions subject to the orders of white officers, but were housed, fed and drilled separately; they were not even permitted to use the same restroom facilities. Black sailors were given no training in the handling of the munitions, were not given any equipment (such as gloves), were misinformed about the nature and hazards of the weapons, and were denied compassionate leave (provided to white officers) after the explosion despite having played a key role in the gruesome tasks of collecting body parts for which they earned commendations. Ultimately, the 50 sailors were individually convicted of mutiny -- the most serious military offense possible by judges who considered their fate in less than an hour and a half despite months of evidence and cross-examination. Pleas for leniency and reviews of the convictions from President and Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Thurgood Marshall and others were ignored.

Mr. Meeks' pardon was a very important step in establishing a more balanced and compassionate historical view of the Port Chicago story. But most of those who were improperly charged with mutiny are no longer alive to solicit their opportunity for a pardon. Many, in fact, were so ashamed of their wrongful prosecution and imprisonment that they died without ever disclosing their past conviction, even to their closest family members. As a result, even an effort at posthumous pardons, which we recognize are rare, would be impractical.

We therefore ask that you use your powers as President to issue a Proclamation that recognizes the inequity of the manner in which they were treated both at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine and in being singled out on the extraordinary charge of mutiny. The extensive research conducted by the Navy, the FBI and the Department of Justice in conjunction with the Meeks case provides invaluable evidence that such an action on your part is warranted and could be achieved later this year.

We appreciate your consideration of our request, and we would be pleased to work with you and your staff to help achieve our goal of a Presidential Proclamation for the Port Chicago 50.

Sincerely,

George Miller, Senator Barbara Boxer, Nancy Pelosi, Major Owens, Edolphus Towns, Julian Dixon, Earl Hilliard,William Clay, Robert Matsui, Howard Berman, Zoe Lofgren, Sam Farr, Danny Davis, Maxine Waters, Lynn Woolsey, Charles Rangel, Bobby Rush, Tom Lantos, Corrine Brown, Henry Waxman, Bob Filner, Gregory Meeks, Pete Stark, Donna Christensen, Anna Eshoo, Barbara Lee, Robert Wexler, Carrie Meek