Dothan, Alabama

Route 4, 36301

November 27, 1964

Dear Mr. Turville:

Your letter in our Birmingham Post-Herald deserves comment.  I am an Alabama white man, combat disabled veteran, Humanist.  I served in the ETO with our 82nd division, WW-2.  I was in your country during the war.  Many of your countrymen trained near my home, Selma, Ala.  USAFB...advanced school for fighter pilots.

Alabama Negroes are not fighting for integration or association..  Our black Americans are simply fighting for equal acccess to public facilities.

They do not want to associate with me, or any other white person.  I notice your skin is sorta white?  How would you like to be hit with signs saying you can't eat here, can't drink here, can't mess here, can't sit here, all because of the color of your skin?

Apparently you do not understand the problem.  Our governor can tell us who we can't marry.  I have no intention, or no desire, to marry a Negro.  But who I marry is my private-personal business.  I do not want some Gov. telling me I can't marry anybody.  It is none of his business who I marry.

I spent a year in those Hitler death-camps.  We have about the same thing here as Hitler had.  He had the "SS"...we have the "KKK" etc.  If you knew our problems, you could comment with some sense.  We can handle our own affairs...careful or we will cut off your relief checks.

We are working hard on our problems.  Given time and understanding, we will work them out.  Good people will not discriminate against other people.  As for President Johnson, our people elected him by a landslide.  I do not see where you have any right to criticize our President?

Your government is your business, our government is my business.  When President Johnson was a congressman, he helped your country in many ways, when Hitler had you way down...maybe you were for Hitler?

I was wounded many times fighting for your country.  And spent that year POW after being wounded and captured in Normandy.

I have many good friends in your country.  They are fine people.  None of them write like you.  I do not believe you are representative of the English people...certainly not the ones I know.  I shall check and find out if any of friends there know you.  Perhaps we have some mutual friends.

Try to be a little more considerate of others.  Except for circumstances, you and I could have been born black or Technicolor huh?

Friendlily,  M.G. Marsh

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