Appendix to: Uprising by Black Airmen at Travis AFB in May 1971

Following the uprising, the Air Force launched an investigation which was conducted by one officer, Lt. Colonel Leo J. Hagerty. The following testimony from the investigation was taken from the Ron Dellums archives in Oakland, California. The excerpts are a combination of direct quotes and paraphrasing.

Estimates of how many days rioting took place vary from two to four days. The disturbances were reported as beginning Friday, May 21, 1971 while the majority of the testimony relates to Monday, May 24.

Testimony of Airman First Class Leonard E Goodwin. Monday night May 24 about 10:30 PM. Goodwin had been downtown in Fairfield with a friend and started back to the 1300 area where he bunked. But the air police wouldn’t let us go down there. We came back and parked in front of 104. A Rio Vista policeman stopped us. They called the Air Force police. They didn’t give us time to explain what we wanted or anything like that. They started taking us out of the car, and one came up and opened the door and pulled me out of the car and I got a little bit of rough treatment and ran me up against the car, made me spread my legs so I could be searched.

Goodwin recounts that after the police finished searching the men: One guy came up behind me and gave me a good hit on the back with a gun. They put us in the truck. One guy had pretty big wrists and we wanted the cuffs loosened but they wouldn’t take them off. Goodwin relates that they were held overnight and released Tuesday afternoon. Goodwin said they didn’t ask us anything. We were asking questions trying to find out what was going on. I wasn’t involved in the riots. I had been off-base at work Sunday night, Saturday night, Monday off.

Testimony of A1C Bianca Peters. The whole thing started Monday night. I was over in the chow hall and the Security Police had just arrested five white guys out there. But we didn’t walk over there by it. We just waited until they picked up the guys. When they picked up the guys in the truck, we were in front of barracks 1303. Police stopped us. And the policeman said we’re going to take you on down. And I said Down where. He said to the jail. They sprayed us with mace because they didn’t think we were getting into the truck fast enough but the truck was high. A Major hit (Marvel) Peters on the little finger of her right hand and she started crying. Bianca Peters was upset that her sister (Marvel) was on the base and the security police told her to shut up. I don’t think I should have been told to shut up when something like this is happening…He said I ought to just shoot you…Then when I got pretty upset and I said why don’t you just shoot me and he took the gun and he kind of pushed it against me and scratched my hand and that’s when the other security police came in asked him what he was doing and that kind of stopped him.

Testimony of Airman First Class Marvel A. Peters. Peters testified that on Monday night between 9 and 10 o’clock she came back on the base, got to the traffic light at the bowling alley, and was stopped on the way back to 1300 area. We turned around and went to the ___ area because we’re trying to figure out where we’re going to sleep. We stopped in the ___ area. A civilian security police drove up beside the car. We told him we couldn’t go to the 1300 area because it was restricted that night. The security police said that a WAF that was with them would be escorted to the 1300 area. Then SP’s came up in three or four trucks. One or two cars. They started banging on the car, told us to get out, pushed us against the car and searched two of the girls like they were searching a guy. They put the three girls in the truck with the four guys handcuffed up to one another. Took us to the jail. They took the guys somewhere in the back. There were several white guys in the car too. They were handcuffed and taken over to the Day Room.

Another incident related by Marvel Peters: There on the first floor of 1304 by the double door SPs came through and ran up to the second floor. Linda and I ran into the room and shut the door on his hand…They told us to halt. They did get us and searched us. We said we weren’t doing anything and he didn’t say anything, he just left. Another SP was there who searched us. The SP and a middle-aged man came into the room, saw the girls were on the bed, some on the floor. He said get up. He wanted to search underneath the bed (for airmen). They broke the glass on the door to get into the barracks, the SPs did.

Testimony of Maj. Harold L Womack. Concerning a search of a WAF by a security policeman, Womack said a female should be searched first by a female if at all possible, there being exceptions to this. I was there when I saw what my men did. I saw the things they were exposed to, the physical danger and the mental anguish that they went through and were subjected to and they exercised tremendous restraint…I saw they were taking abuse then, they were being exceedingly calm about it. It was hard for them, I could see tears in some of the young man’s eyes, especially my young black men. They were subjected to vocal abuse and I’m sure that they felt a certain peer pressure that the young white men did (Ed: not?) feel. Three fourths or more the security police were committed to this incident on the hospital road where they were headed toward the dissidents or rioters or the group that we were blocking. It was headed toward the confinement center. I saw every one of them were subjected to rock throwing, boards, and then well what I call a swing blade or grass cutter came sailing over the group and hit the side of the truck a pretty good sized rock.

The average age of the young airmen would be between 19 and 20. Probably the buck sergeants around 21 years old. No M-16 rounds were fired, no teargas was used. There was a question 18 units of mace unaccounted for. Womack said there couldn’t be that many. He said there were two kinds of batons — The normal security police nightstick which is about 18 inches long and then a wooden riot control stick about 30 inches long. Rioters were using assault bats that were taken away from them. “I was in the 1300 area the whole time. In those three hours never did I see any act that I considered to be excessive force. I did see some policeman strike some people. I saw them use their clubs to push people along but I didn’t see anything that was anywhere near excessive force.”

Testimony of staff Sgt. Earl J Lee. This also refers to Monday night May 24.There was an announcement that the civil disturbance was really getting out of hand and one man had been killed. I looked out the window, saw two policeman had three young Blacks, dragging them out of the barracks with handcuffs. I confronted the policeman and asked what the hell they were doing. They didn’t reply…I picked up three wallets and Afro combs. Some of the doors were busted in. They were Fairfield police. Never said anything to me. At first I thought it was a right-wing takeover on the base. That’s what I thought it was. Because I knew that in California they have quite a bit of right-wing activities here. Also left-wing.

Sgt. Dunnigan and Sgt. Morrison asked me what if I knew what I was doing. I told him yes I knew what I was doing. So he proceeds to tell me I’m drunk. Then he says to me do you know who you are talking to and I said yes I know who I am talking to. But at the time like this I could care less. And he threatened to take disciplinary action against me. I was sober. I can remember everything that happened. Even though I was drinking at night I couldn’t say I was drunk. About 10 or 12 policeman were involved.

Testimony of Sgt. Lynn J Luksha. Lives in barracks 1304. Saw a crowd of people about 50. On Saturday not too bad, about 50 people. It was noise than just a bunch of people I just watched and it caused me little concern. The police were around the area but they didn’t stop. On Sunday the crowd was 250. People running in all directions. Didn’t see any white people. White guy came, wanted to get his girl. He said something to the effect and with his hands he motioned I don’t want any trouble, I just want to get my girl. He was pushed, he fell, started to run. He was attacked by about 30 Negroes. He was bleeding. I administered first aid to him. He had nine stitches behind his ears. The crowd was really getting wild and the police came and they were kind of surrounding the crowd of people who were just running around chasing the police around but there was full restraint. People were sticking fingers down M-16 gun barrels and playing with their trained dogs but to my opinion was ridiculous. I was really worried and stayed inside the barracks. I went to 1303 to visit a friend. Full restraint of the police. The crowd was really wild. I was very worried.

Next morning I went to see Col. Hartnett and complained that I wanted police protection. Then Monday evening the riot broke out in full rage. I didn’t see what happened in the hospital road because I’m on the other side of 1304. Saw a crowd of three or four hundred. Running all over and just giving the police a wild goose chase really. No police brutality from what I saw. From Saturday and Sunday and Monday no police brutality. A fire truck came on the scene and squirted the crowd. An individual came out of the bushes and clobbered a security policeman and he grabbed this person who was a woman. When he saw it was a woman, he just took her by the arm and marched her off. He didn’t hit her or anything. She was waiting for someone to come by, anyone to come by and just walked out and hit the security policeman. Then he raised his riot stick and he saw that it was a woman, put his stick down and marched her off. You know a riot is a riot. You just look at it and you said to yourself, Well, where is my policeman? In my opinion the security police did an excellent job. It got clear by 11 PM that night.

Testimony of Airman Lydia M Hemenway. Monday night I had gotten home, went to bed at 6:30 I was sick. I heard sounds either gunshots or more like firecrackers. One of the girls said, You better get back in your room, there’s trouble. I heard some WAF yelling, screaming. I went to see Lynn Luksha. She said come into my room there’s trouble. One of the Security Policemen asked if we knew any of the girls, he would like to have their names so we can get to the bottom of what is causing this. He says don’t worry about anybody finding out, that some of us are scared because some girls swore they would get other girls because of it. So we told him some names of the girls. We heard windows break and one of the girls said they just busted windows in her room, and they said sure come in. I didn’t see the Security Police hit anybody. There was maybe 5 to 10 guys run up to the second or third floor of 1305. Somebody called down to get the guys out of the barracks. They were all Negroes and so three Security Policemen and two dogs went upstairs. The security police were handling the dogs. They didn’t hit them they just got them back downstairs outside. They did their best because it was dark between 1304 and 1305. They never touched anybody.

I saw Terry Herron and Linda Smith break windows. There were a few more, there were black WAF talking to an individual in civilian clothes. This heavy-set figure says quit what you’re doing. He looked like one of the main people that was nudging them on in the beginning. He says I’ll talk to the man and see what we can do. Just keep your cool for a while. Lynn made a comment that one of these days they’re going to realize he’s lying to them. I saw some guy picked up rocks and threw them at windows and other people but as far as hitting anybody they didn’t, they only hit the window. The girls picked up rocks. They had thrown them. Some guy had a club. They had taken broomsticks that were in the doorway, pushed him so he could (not) get in or out. Some of the windows were broken to get the broomsticks. Only two Security policemen were around at the time and only one had a dog. And the poor guy, I felt sorry for him because he was having trouble restraining the dog and getting hit but they didn’t touch them. But if anyone took a step towards him, then the dog would turn on them. Security police were restrained. All he did was take dogs up to the barracks to get the guys, to move them out. I would talk to a couple of girls that I know because I’m afraid that everybody thinks this is going to start again maybe this weekend.

Testimony of Airman First Class Kenneth Berry. We left the Bowling Alley, Lightfoot and I, and walked up the hill toward the hospital. Large group of Blacks marching across the hospital grounds toward the correctional facility. They were cut off by the security police. Security police started moving back towards 1300. They moved in a line. One of the security police broke away from the line and ran over and hit a girl twice with a stick and ran back in line. He didn’t try to make an arrest or anything. We walked around that and saw a truck chasing people around. The fire truck turned away, chased us and then we saw police push. That was really before things got started.

The truck came around again and chased us. The fire truck was going too fast. They had a water gun shooting water, going 35 miles an hour, out on the grass. If somebody slipped they would’ve been hit because I doubt if they could’ve turned that large truck on the grass. We stood there for about 20 minutes, four of us. We were starting to walk away and this police truck was coming toward us, pulled us over. They got out and told us put our hands up if we were innocent and walk towards the truck. One of the guys with us ran — what we all should have done.

We went to the truck, put our hands on the truck and then spread our legs. A Security Policeman came up behind me, a staff sergeant with a mustache. He hit me on the leg and said spread them wider. His partner told us that we weren’t doing anything so we weren’t under arrest. He said he had found us on the street and he was just gonna take us in. We would be questioned and released as soon as possible. His partner acted more like we were under arrest.

First time he hit me and then hit me again and started to search me. He told us we had one set of handcuffs, that if we ran we would be charged, if we didn’t we wouldn’t. So we got in the truck voluntarily and they took us down to the correctional facility. The police dropped us at the entrance and said we have three more. The guy inside more or less ignored us and then said all right go out to the back. We sat out back for 20 to 25 minutes the three of us, all black. We weren’t questioned or anything. Afterwards people started coming in little groups and I lost track after that. Some people had their shoes and socks off. Their wallets and combs and things were taken from them. It was cold. Some guys were bruised. One had a broken arm. One was limping. Another guy there was handcuffed and that had done something to his wrist. They asked if anyone needed medical attention because there was a doctor there. They kept getting headcounts. Nobody bothered to take names or anything.

We were locked up maybe 8:15 and we were there until 11. We filled out a sheet listing our names. They’re trying to contact our top sergeant to get us released. The first sergeants began to show up. They would come and take names and go back out. Our commander couldn’t be reached — he was on a flight. They called the commanders for the whites. It seemed they decided they wanted to at least get some of the whites out. They didn’t get them all out because five were taken with us to Mather (AF Base) later on. The whites said they were pulled out of the barracks. Some of them were picked off the streets. Nothing else bothered me but we were detained for so long. We were taken to Mather and put on a bus handcuffed to together. Each two had a guard. They locked us up in the cell and we knew nothing about what was going on. We stayed there from Tuesday morning to Wednesday afternoon. We were told they would take us back to Travis and we were taken back. The OSI (Office of Special Investigations) didn’t show up. They changed their procedure and they were going to do something else so we were released in the custody of a sergeant. Maybe I don’t feel like pressing charges against the security police. So it’s a lot of hassle just to press charges from what I understand. I would like to see something come out of it. How many times we were photographed? At least a dozen times. (End of Testimony)

Note: A formal report about the Air Force investigation conducted by Lt. Col. Leo J Hagerty was completed and submitted. Regarding the building1304 incident, the report stated that the WAF barracks sustained damage caused by male and female rioters. Unidentified males were observed entering the WAF barracks. There was good reason to believe non-rioting WAF in their rooms were in jeopardy. Security police were ordered into the area into the barracks to preserve order, apprehend rioters, and protect life and property. Through a window several WAF observed people run into the barracks. A security policeman followed them to the second floor where they were apprehended.