In 1970, four students were killed by National Guardsmen at Kent State University. Two of the dead were bystanders, not part of the protest. At that time I was an Air Force member, drafted during the Vietnam War and stationed at Strategic Air Command (SAC), Omaha, Neb.

President Richard Nixon was contemplating escalating the use of U.S. troops against peaceful anti-war protesters. Kent State was the first step to intimidate protesters and tear apart the First Amendment.

A petition was circulated on base. I don’t know how many of us signed, but it must have been a significant number. The petition said that based on the oath we took as airmen, we would refuse any orders to take up arms against American citizens under any circumstances. It was sent to the base commander. There were no repercussions; we never heard another word on the subject, nor were we ever sent against our fellow citizens.

In these troubled times when we have an alcoholic sex abuser as “War” secretary and a draft-dodging president, wreaking havoc on Americans and the world, anyone in the military should be aware that they can refuse unlawful orders. Americans are not the enemy.

The six senators who sent out a message about refusing unlawful orders are spot-on and are not traitors. Those giving unlawful orders are the traitors.

Harold Weaver

Hempfield

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