The Fort Dix Stockade Rebellion
Back in the day on June 5th, 1969, the Fort Dix Stockade Rebellion occurred in New Jersey. Exactly forty years ago, more than one hundred imprisoned soldiers rose up against deplorable and inhumane conditions on the base. An important event in the history of the GI Resisters Movement during the Vietnam War, the rebellion successfully took control of a number of buildings in the stockade before being eventually put down. The Army had denied allegations that prisoners had been subjected to abuses at Fort Dix.They also tried to dispel notions that tear gas had been used to quell the rebellion.In the aftermath thirty-eight men, including organizers with the American Servicemen’s Union, were charged with rioting and arson. Dubbed the “Fort Dix 38,” they faced courtmartials and as a result some of the men were sentenced to military prison.
In contrast to the Army’s denials, Joan Crowell chronicled the conditions the prisoners faced, the events of the June 5th rebellion and subsequent trials in the important book titled, “Fort Dix Stockade: Our Prison Camp Next Door.”
June 20th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Gabriel, I want very much to contact Joan Crowell if possible. I was at and involved in the riot at the Ft. Dix Stockade on June 5th, 1969 and want very much to re-connect with some of the guys that shared that experience with me. Any advice as to how I should make those connections would be most helpful. PM
June 23rd, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Hi Phil -
It’s really great when I get contacted by subjects to the “subversive history” I write about. As to how to get in contact with Joan Crowell, unfortunately I do not know. Perhaps some diligent internet searches may prove fruitful.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help…
May 3rd, 2010 at 12:57 pm
I just had to respond because I was there and did take part in the riot that day. I was picked up in mid May for being AWOL. Getting off the bus at the entrance to the stockade I was singled out by a seargent for having long hair. I was led to the guardhouse right outside the gates. With hands cuffed behind my back 4 or 5 of the guards began to wail on me, punching and kicking me until I fell to the floor. Face down they continued to stomp on me and lifting my head off the floor by pulling my hair. With wrists bleeding due to very tight cuffs I did manage to spit in one of their faces while tears were rolling down my face. I did tell them they had better kill me because I would remember each and everyone of them. Of course I didn’t.
I spent the next 2 weeks in segregation where I was occasionally beaten. I was released into the prison population the day before the riot. I think I was watching “That Girl” on TV when all hell broke loose. Footlockers were being thrown through windows and mattresses set afire. Naturally I had to take part. The best part was for at least 2 days afterward we were left alone, no guards screwing with us. Of course we were all eventually questioned by CID.
I just wanted to give a part of my story. Thanks.
May 3rd, 2010 at 4:30 pm
Larry – Thanks for sharing your part of the story. Intense!
June 2nd, 2010 at 9:10 pm
I was released from the army 5/5/70.Released from Ft.Dix Stockade the day before and disciplinarian segregation the day before that.For nearly three months prior in seg I went from 21 days of near starvation diet,sleeping on a bed made of three planks nailed to two by fours with one wool blanket with my only clothes being briefs and tee shirt.On a nearly daily basis they (one MP named Murphy) would unlock our cell,make us strip and exit the cell while he went in,threw things around Mostly toward the toilet and flip up the bed.Then I’d be led around the corner and spread eagled against the wall.My feet and legs would be kicked while he shouted further.I was to spread legs wider and further away from the wall.At some point,I’d fall and then the kicking would begin in earnest.What I’d fall into was a mixture of blood,sweat,tears,vomit and sometimes feces.You see,I was on the end cell.The last to be beaten.* to 10 prisoners went before me.Marched naked to the end,the other side of my cell wall.I saw some walk,some crawl back to their cells.Naked beaten and bloodied.It was always at night,never on schedule and some days it didn’t happen.Some days you’d wish it did just so you could stop worrying about when it was coming.Once a week a shrink came through and asked you how you were doing,how were they treating you.From fear of death,we said all was ok.Never did they asked where the scabs and bruises were coming from.They could only keep you in disciplinarian seg for 21 days,then they put you in administrative seg for 2-3 days where we could have our clothes,sleep on a mattress and have a normal diet.Then back into disciplinary segregation.Idid about three months in this cycle.It messed me up pretty bad and I’m getting help but not much relief.I’d like to make them pay.I need a witness.Anybody do the seg. unit in Feb.,Mar.,Apr or May of 1970? Remember PFC Murphy?Big redheaded sadist?
Please reply
February 23rd, 2011 at 4:32 pm
Incidences that i am trying to confirm via military archive By DOD.
This accident actually happened the night of oct 10, 1970 – 21: 30 hrs. Low cloud rain squawl ,fog;
The oegan of flight was dayton HO. To migire. Plane Crash happened 21:30 hrs. Plane crashed 5,000 ft from runway – (improper IFR operation.)
I , David Ricardo fitzhugh was on guard duty in charlie company arms room with PVT Robert Glenn when we heard the plane engines comming in south west of us and than the explosions started; We though what the hell; We did know weather there night cannon fire or bombs dropping, as the typewriter jumped off the edge of the desk; first instinct was the hit the deck! With light fixtures shaking and contined explosions we ran to the arms room door. We seen five mushroon fire balls. We called the down flight in to officer on duty..I litterally ran into he office and he came out to see and called it incident in.
The next day i found what looked – partial peice of finger. I thought that there was a woman on board as o now researched history of reported incidences of avation accidents in fort dix. 3 men
From what i saw when charlie c/3/2 5 BCT CO. Walked pass the sight early the next moring down texas ave & To range road as my fading memory can recoglect ; the plane was blown th hell that it was a wonder that none housed in Brovo company was a victim on the ground.
Brovo co. Brick blds. Is only aprox. Less or more than 1,000 yrds. From our C 3/2. Co.
Time and clear recoglection alude me post 40 yrs. Out of active service.
One thing for certain: records don’t lie! This but one of three incidence that i personally witnessed. I am still researching the 2 other incidences via computer to date.
October 11, 1970 : L-100 c/n 4221, delivered July 1967 as Lockheed Aircraft Service Company N9248R; leased to Alaska Airlines, November 1968 – November 1969, then modified to L-100-20. Sold to Saturn Airways, October 1970. Crashed at Fort Dix in bad weather on approach to McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey. All three crew were employees of Airlift International, Miami, Florida. KWF were Capt. H. Miller, co-pilot L. Hoffman, and engineer J. Marin.[8]
This incident happened OCT. 18, 1970 – Yrds. From my mother – Mildred A Fitzhugh and my than wife Shirley lynn Fitzhugh…. The soldier jumped the fence and was shot in back; Bleeding form shortgun wounds he swam into the middle of goose pond where MP’s surrounded this area and retreived the wounded man from the pond and threw him into the jeep head first and wisked him away into the stockade! Made one think” – I weren’t even out of basic training yet!
One week later a uprising in that same stockade – My company was on stanby orderes to fall in and march on the stockade.. All of this is covered up and swep under the table!
I am considering hiring a privet police investigator to research and confirm these alledged incidences. It appears to me it is the only was that will solidly prove my claim! Going to the archives.
RWatson322@aol.com
looking for old archive information ; can you please help.I David Ricardo Fitzhugh 08440 am requesting verification of archived incident: I was in Boot camp C/3/2 5th bcst training Sept 1970.
The info. that i am trying to verify: 10/18/ 1970 was my birthday and my mother and wife were sitting at Goose pond celibrating my 19th birthday - next to the stockcade that afternoon when a prisoner escaped over the stockcade fence; Shot were ringing out hitting the man in the back as he tried in vein to escape! MP’s surounded goose pond as the prisoner swam out into the middle and personel were ordered to go in after and retreive the wounded man; When retreived the MP’s thew the prisoner into the jeep head first and wisked him await back into the stockade.. I have search for the story throughout the fort dix web page with no result!
Can you please help me verify my story – at this point My story sound unbeleiveable! as i try to explain to my Drs. and V.A the incidence that i have seen and experienced while in boot camp lessmore overseas! LoL… It is like i am dreaming or living a lie !
Please verify and substanciate both these incidences ….. The plane crash i tetrevied from military avation accidents and incident on intrest recordes.. I was on Gaurd duty on the faithful night… Charlie comp. 3/2 when this happened i called in in to – and physically ran to office of officer of the day of duty that night….
My company c/3/2 was located to left of the stockcade…..one block up!
Thank you for you service and God Bless America.
Veteran PFC. David Ricardo Fitzhugt — — 8440
10/18/1951
Phone # 347 365 5853 home..
347 258 6048 cell
February 27th, 2011 at 9:06 am
i was there from start to finish. the whole year of 1969. it was terrible and i just now dissused it with my wife after all these years. i also just got the book. does anyone know how to contact any of the prisoners??
March 20th, 2011 at 3:46 pm
HI JOE KELLY – HOW ARE YOU DOING NOW DAYS; HOW YOU BE WELL AND IN THE BEST OF SPIRITS. SORRY FOR YOU PLIGHT AS YOU SUFFERED AT THE HANDS OF SEDITSIC FORT DIX GUARDS. i FEEL YOUR PAIN;BROTHER – WHAT WAS THE BOOK?
i AM TRYING TO LOCATE ANY PERSON THAT WAS IN OR AROUND THE STOCKCADE OCT. 18 1970 WHEN ONE PRISIONER JUMPED AND CLIMBED OVER THE STOCKCADE FENCE – AS DID GUARDS OPENED FIRE ON HIM 10 18 1970 I BELEIVE IT SAW ON A SATERDAY; mP’S SURROUNDED HIS AS HE SWAM OUT INTO THE MIDDLE OF GOOSE POND; THEY WENT IN AND GOT THE WOUNDED SOLDIER AND THROW HIM INTO THE JEEP HEAD FIRST AND TOOK HIM BACK INTO THE STOCKCADE BLODDIED FIRE BEING SHOT; IF YOU HAVE ANY INPUT PLEASE CALL ME AT 347 258-6048..AS WE ALL KNOW THAT FORT DIX WILL NEVER PRINT ANY INCIDENTS AS THEY REALLY HAPPENED. pLEASE READ MY STORIES OF INTREST… HAVE A GREAT DAY.
PLEASE POST YOU REPLY; iV’E SEEN SOME CRAZY THINGS HAPPEN IN FORT DIX..
oNE MORE NOTE: FOR YOU BROTHERS READ AND SEE THE FACTS – hIP-C STORY I JUST DISCOVERED AS WE ALL WENT THROUGH FORT DIX – I HAVE THE C-VIRUS; AND ALL ALONG I NEVER REALLY KNEW JUST HOW I WAS EXPOSED… UNTIL NOW!
tHING THAT THE VA. WON’T DISCLOSE TO YOU – AND THEY KNOW IT ALREADY,..
THEY SIT BACK AND LET YOU MAKE INEXPERIENCED UNKNOWINGLY ASSUMEATIONS ABOUT HOW YOU THINK THING HAPPEN – LAUGHING AT OUR IGNORANCE.
March 20th, 2011 at 3:51 pm
THE FACTS FOR ANYONE WHO SERVED AT FORT DIX 1968 – 1970 PLEASE READ VETANAM ERRA VETS. i DON’T CARE YOU YOU WERE IN THE STOCKCADE OR FORT DIX NJ.
Afte service – worked medical as a nursing tech; ER tech; G.U. and member of the Code blue troma team.
I am also a retired cretified EMT- who can’t work in the feild because of medical limitations.
When the VA refused – to established Because i discovered that i have Hepitits – C thought it may be job related; (Mind you that my hepititis c was not dicovered until 2001. Blood test for the viruse..
while working for the saint Albans Hospital – as a volenteer i hand i had taken a HIV test after finger stick ect and was HIV – negitive. 1992 you can check you records I took HIV test at saint aLBANS hOSP…
chronic right elbow + 10% which is getting worst with weakness.
Chronic migraine headaches with photophobia – insmonia, aptnia and
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Gunned Down in Basic Training
Of course all those shots you got while in the service were meant to protect you from some really bad diseases. Unfortunately, there were some unexpected consequences caused by the method of injection. The air-gun was deadly on diseases, but now we know it also (unknowingly) helped at least one virus spread from person to person to person.
By Dr. Richard Darling, DDS
Dr. Richard Darling
Has it really been over 40 years since we formed a long line of new recruits at Fort Dix and other basic training camps to get our air-gun vaccinations? Yes, and I’m sure you also remember that at times there was blood rolling down a fellow trainee’s arm at the injection site. The medic who was doing the injections might clean the gun nozzle with an alcohol gauze pad, but in many instances no cleaning was done at all. Even an alcohol gauze pad does not kill the hepatitis C (HCV) virus, so air-gun injections became the most efficient method known to
man of spreading this virus.
In a study conducted by the Veterans Health Administration, involving 26,000 veterans, up to 10 percent tested positive for HCV. (The government’s estimate for HCV in the general public is 1.6 percent.1) Of the total number of persons who had been exposed to hepatitis C, 63 percent were noted to be from the Vietnam era with all other wars each accounting for 5 percent or less.2
HCV infection can be serious – however, it should be noted that approximately 75-80 percent of those infected with HCV will never progress to severe liver disease, commonly called cirrhosis of the liver, in which the liver becomes scarred from the damage done by the hepatitis virus attacking and killing liver cells.
Related articles:
Hepatitis C:
What’s It All About?
My First Liver Biopsy
Nevertheless, if you received the air-gun vaccinations, you should be tested for HCV, and if your results are positive, you should also have a “liver panel” blood test to determine if you have ongoing damage to your liver. Existing drugs to eradicate the HCV virus are effective, on average, in only 50 percent of those who take the treatment. Clearly, better drugs are needed.
Twenty-five years after my Fort Dix air-gun experience I had a blood test for an insurance company, and was told that I had non-A, non-B hepatitis, which is what they called hepatitis C before they identified it with the electron microscope. Five years later I was told that I had liver cancer, and because the organization that oversees all transplants in our country, UNOS (United Organ for Organ Sharing), had not given formal approval for transplanting patients with liver cancer, I was scheduled to die. With the common symp toms of liver failure (swollen ankles, confusion from toxins in the brain, fluid-filled abdomen, jaundice, severe fatigue) hobbling me, my wife and I drove to the funeral home and paid for my casket and services.
When the funeral home director handed me the bill, I thought, “Gee, couldn’t you wait for me to die naturally? Are you trying to kill me with a heart attack right now!?” Then he said to my wife, Kress, “We have a special today. Sign up too and get yours for half price.” Gee, what a deal! Kress signed on the dotted line to ensure I would not feel lonely on this momentous day. We purchased our plot in the cemetery and then designed our marker: “Together Forever.”
We subsequently traveled to the cemetery to see my soon-to-be home, a surreal journey to be sure. As I cleaned our marker (hey, I want it clean when I look up at it!), my wife walked a few feet over to the adjacent plot, and with her inimitable sense of humor that kept me going at the most difficult times, she exclaimed, “Look, Sweet heart, you’re right next to Sonny Bono! You’ll get to hear “I Got You, Babe” and “The Beat Goes On” every day for eternity!”
“Egads,” I said laughingly, “I loved Sonny and Cher but give me a break! Every day for eternity?! Please Lord, don’t do that to me!”
I urge patients and their caregivers in my liver disease support group, and in the nearby transplant ICU, to also utilize a regular sense of humor. Laughing makes it easier to stay positive and grateful for yet another day of life, as opposed to the “Why me?” attitude that is so destructive.
When I had only weeks to live, UNOS changed its regulations, and I was blessed with a new liver. Unfortunately, it did not function, and after I woke up from the anesthesia, I looked at my wife as she urged me on, “We’re going to get you through this.” I closed my eyes, drifted into a coma, and then suffered a heart attack.
Mark Antonowitsch was a highly decorated Gulf War veteran with a wonderful wife, Daniela, and three young children – Steven, Daniel, and Christopher. In his last year of law school, Mark and his wife were about to close escrow on their first home when he was mortally injured while driving his motorcycle.
Years before Mark’s accident, his dad, Jim, had found sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous. To illustrate his gratitude, Jim sold his landscape contracting business, became a treatment counselor, and built the Oasis Treatment Center in Anaheim, California, which to this day has helped over 9,000 patients with substance-abuse problems.
When Jim and his wife, Kathy, were notified that their son had been mortally injured, they immediately went to the emergency room. Kathy collapsed upon seeing Mark’s unrecognizably swollen body. Although they were suffering from debilitating sorrow, they agreed to donate Mark’s organs, and with only hours to live, I received Mark’s liver, his “Gift of Life” to me that allowed me to emerge from my coma.
A few months later I met his parents in a tearful reunion when we “took Mark” to his law school graduation to receive his posthumous degree. Later, I met Mark’s 10-year old son, Christopher, who ran into my arms and said, “Richard, I love you.” Knowing a part of his dad was in me, I believe this was his unique way of hugging his father once again.
I took Christopher to Disneyland, and as we were walking he suddenly stopped, turned, and came close to my face. Christopher asked me a question in a manner that only a child can achieve, and with the use of a word that only a child owns. “What part of Daddy do you have?”
I was shocked. How to respond? Would I upset him? I opted for the truth and said, “I have your dad’s liver. It’s under my rib cage, filters my blood to keep me alive and I’m honored to have it.”
Christopher turned and started to walk again. Whew! I was relieved that such a tender moment was over, but I was wrong. He turned again and this time he really got in my face. I waited for his next words which I knew would make me cry. He spoke with great urgency, “Cool, can we go on the roller coaster now?!”
Since few liver cancer patients had been transplanted in 1998, it was not known if chemotherapy was appropriate post-transplant or if chemotherapy would kill the new liver.
I agreed with my physician’s decision to administer the chemotherapy, but I had cirrhosis again within a year, as well as diabetes and failing kidneys. I returned to the intensive care unit. After three difficult months, God blessed me with a third liver. Understandably, the use of chemotherapy immediately after liver transplant was halted.
When I became ill, I researched how our government spends taxpayer dollars for bio-medical disease research, and found they were spending $2,400 on each HIV/AIDS patient versus $10 on each patient with HCV, and $25 on each patient with diabetes, a disease that kills more Americans each year than AIDS and breast cancer combined. The numbers are now $3,040 for each AIDS patient, and for HCV and diabetes, $25 and $50 respectively. The funding for other illnesses is even more unfair so I founded a national organization, the FAIR (Fair Allocation in Research) Foundation, to correct this situation. FAIR now has thousands of members and supporters in all 50 states.
California is indicative of the great success that has been achieved in the fight against HIV/AIDS. AIDS deaths in that state’s newly infected patients have dropped from just under 10,000 to 118 as of December 31, 2006,3 yet HIV/AIDS still gets 10 percent of the entire federal research budget. FAIR now has thousands of members and supporters in all 50 states calling for change.
We represent all non-AIDS illnesses, but during my presentations I always mention that there are five times more voters with HCV than with HIV – and that HIV and HCV co-infected patients are now dying more from HCV than they are from AIDS.4
I have promoted organ donation all around the country, and have organized a large group of physicians and organ-donor advocates who are calling on UNOS to try new policies to reverse America’s organ donor crisis that now has one person dying every 90 minutes while waiting for a transplant.
For example, the policy of “presumed consent” has been used successfully in over 20 countries, and we also support “donation benefits.” If $10,000 were offered to the families of those who have died to encourage them to allow donation and save a transplant patient’s life, we believe this would dramatically increase the number of lives saved. The money would come from a trust established by insurance companies. Why would they do that? Because it can cost an insurance company up to $300,000 to keep a patient on kidney dialysis. Paying $10,000 would be very cost-effective. With 95,000 sick individuals on the waiting list,5 and only a few thousand transplanted every year, the need for new policies is urgent.
While I was in my coma, I could sometimes see and hear my nurses, and later wrote a book, Coma Life, about this experience. When I was not watching what was going on around me, I had surreal dreams. In one of these dreams, Dennis Rodman was trying to save my life with blood transfusions. Some might call having Dennis in my coma a nightmare, but I was thrilled to have him with me – and I eventually met him, ironically in the same medical center where he visited me in coma. Dennis was a bit puzzled as I introduced myself and gave him a signed copy of my book in appreciation for trying to save me as I lay dying in my coma life.
Coma Life’s extensive information about liver illness, transplant and life-within-coma has benefited many patients. Some of those patients say, “If Dr. Darling can make it through three transplants – I (or my son, mother, daughter, etc.) can make it through one!” Hope and information is critical to patients, and God has blessed me with the medical history and experience to offer both to the suffering. In my prayers, I thank God for yet another day of life, and I continue to be amazed that, since birth, I have had four livers.
1. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/c/fact.htm
2. .org/misc/from_www.hcvets.com.pdf
3. fairfoundation.org/quiz/quizanswer.htm
4. fairfoundation.org/HR1290.htm
5. http://www.unos.org/
Dr. Richard Darling, DDS, is President and CEO of The FAIR Foundation, a national movement to reverse inequities in research-funding distributions. Joining FAIR is free at http://www.fairfoundation.org/join.htm, and his book, Coma Life, is available at comalife@dc.rr.com. If you have cirrhosis he invites you to call him at 760.200.2766.
Related Articles:
Hepatitis C: What’s It All About?
My First Liver Biopsy
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DISCHARGED DISHONORABLE- FACTS THAT REMAIN ARE:
March 22nd, 2011 at 4:47 am
the name of the book is fort dix- our prison camp next door. it was written by joan crowell. thank you for writing. one day i would like to call you and talk a little. thanks again, joe
April 27th, 2011 at 5:13 am
HELLO PEOPLE; I AM STILL TRYING TO VERIFY THE PRISONER ATTEMPT ESCAPE OVER THE FENCE, CLIMBING OVER THE FENCES AND BEING SHOT BY GUARDS WHILE IN FLIGHT AND WAS RECAPTURED BY STOCKADE GUARDS IN THE MIDDLE OF GOOSE POND.
THE INCIDENT HAPPENED OCT. 1970 AROUND NOON AS FAMILY MEMBERS WERE PICNICKING AROUND THE POND. PLEASE REPLY – 347-258 6048 OR CALL 347-365-5853 DAVID FITZHUGH: US ARMY VET.
HAVE A GREAT DAY AND BELATED HAPPY EASTER.
FROM DAVE.
June 3rd, 2011 at 10:13 am
Hello people; I am back, checking on the request that i put out there in my last postings… Please read and Make comments on any of the first hand knowledge information that you may recoglect. you can contact me at 347-258-6048 thank you!
Have a blessed ay and stay well guys….
October 20th, 2011 at 3:13 pm
God Bless the Vets…
They’ve earned their place in Heaven.
I hope God deems me honorable enough to be placed in Heaven, even if all I’ve earned is a place in their shadows. I would count my blessings to rest forever in a Vets shadow…
March 18th, 2012 at 9:30 am
Hello doug It was so Great hear from you; You were god sent.I pray that All is well for you and you family.
Funny to learn that I was in c -3-2 5th bcst. and that you were assigned to E-3-2 The same bragade.
March 18th, 2012 at 9:39 am
continuation: You Have no idea how long i have been searching for this info. My Friend.. If ever you need to talk to anyone you have my number.
I have talked joe kelly And other guys and i have searched everywhere that i could think of..for this information. You have just made a friend buddy…Smiling.
vet friend David R Fitzhugh
347-365-5853
347-2586048