Deceased WWII Soldier to Receive Military Honors

Jan 19, 11:04 PM

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Booker Townsell rarely spoke about his time in the Army. Or the two years he spent in a military prison for a crime he maintained he didn't commit.

But today, his past takes centerstage, when the late Townsell receives military honors at his grave site. He'll get a salute, a bronze military headstone and his family finally will receive the U.S. flag that was denied at his burial almost 25 years ago.

The ceremony and other festivities are expected to attract hundreds of people, including local and state dignitaries, a representative from the U.S. Army and a lawmaker who helped restore Townsell's name.

Townsell was one of 43 black soldiers court-martialed after an Italian prisoner was found lynched following a night of rioting at Fort Lawton in Seattle in 1944. It was one of the largest courts- martial of World War II and 28 soldiers were found guilty of rioting over alleged resentment of Italian prisoners'living conditions on the post.

"He was truly a man of honor and so when we found out about what happened to his name it was something that we wanted to do," said Townsell's granddaughter, Lashell Drake."

Townsell came home to Milwaukee after serving his sentence, worked in a factory for 25 years, ran a lounge with his brother and raised four children.

He loved his family, worked hard, was patriotic and active in the community, especially by trying to get people to vote, Drake said.

But he never discussed his military past right up to his death in 1984 at age 69.

But after learning about his past, his family wanted to fix it.

Drake, 40, said the family searched for Townsell's name online and found a book by author Jack Hamann about the incident, "On American Soil: How Justice Became a Casualty of World War II." The book mentioned Townsell and the family then heard Hamann giving an interview on the radio.

They got in touch with him in 2006.

All but two of the 28 convicted men are deceased.

With the help of two congressmen, three families, including Townsell's, and one surviving soldier, Samuel Snow, of Florida, petitioned investigators to reopen the case.

In October, the Army's Board of Corrections of Military Records ruled that the soldiers were unfairly denied access to their attorneys and investigative records. The panel set aside their convictions.

(c) 2008 Telegraph - Herald (Dubuque). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved. Deceased WWII Soldier to Receive Military Honors
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