Dothan, Alabama

Route 4

July 2, 1964

Dear Mrs. Rose:

I want to thank you for your letter.  I am sorry that my letter upset your blood pressure.  But the truth is, we differ about certain things.  I am a born and raised Alabama white man.  I am also a combat disabled veteran, WW-2.  I was wounded many times.  And also spent a year POW of the Nazis.  I was in those death-camps.  I have known slavery.  Alabama under Gov. Wallace reminds of those Hitler death-camps.

Hitler's Germany burned books.  Wallace's Alabama burns schools.  We have had homes and churches bombed, we have had people beaten and shot.  In fact Nazi Germany and Wallace Alabama are identical in many ways, too many ways to suit good people.  Do not take my word for this, take a look at the record.   It has all been reported in all media.

Mrs. Rose, the Alabama National Guard was federalized to get Gov. Wallace out of the schoolhouse door at U.A.  Where he was arbitrarily trying to deny fully qualified Alabama Citizens access to U.A.

Americans do not have to be a certain color, Mrs. Rose.  Our rights evolve from citizenship, there is no other requirement...THANK GOODNESS.

You see, Mrs. Rose, the rights of the blackest American are identical to my rights (I am white) and your rights.  And, public schools belong to all, all should have equal access, and no American should have to force access to a public school.

Gov. Wallace took a sacred oath to honor the rights of every Alabama citizen, yes, the rights of the blackest one, too.  But he has clearly proved that it takes Federal Troops to force Gov. Wallace to honor the rights of Alabama Negroes.

An Alabama Negro saved my life at Anzio.  He lost an arm doing it.  He was fighting for you, too, Mrs. Rose.  He shed his blood to save my life and your freedom.  Let us tear down the WHITE ONLY signs and laws.

This Negro hero cannot even ask for a drink of water in white cafes in Dothan.  But white ladies take their dogs and feed the dogs in the cafes that refuse to serve a black human being a drink of water.

SUCH AN ATTITUDE DENOTES AN EVIL SICKNESS.

We badly need that civil rights bill.  It will be a big help.  The Federal Government has liberated us.

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT is a Hitler phrase, and unbecoming any American.  As a combat disabled veteran, and ex-POW of Hitler, I resent any American calling our FEDERAL GOVERNMENT the CENTRAL GOVERNMENT.

In Sorrow,

M. G. Marsh

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