Relatives of imprisoned men thank Oceanside rally participants

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Relatives of imprisoned men thank Oceanside rally participants
By: BARBARA HENRY - Staff Writer

CAMP PENDLETON ---- Lance Cpl. Jerry E. Shumate Jr. will spend his 21st birthday Wednesday inside the brig at Camp Pendleton, one of seven Marines and a Navy corpsman accused of kidnapping and murdering an Iraqi civilian.

On Saturday, his mother Diann Shumate walked along the base's main entrance road individually thanking each of the dozens of people who have rallied for weeks in support of her son and the other imprisoned men.

"Thank you, thank you very much," the slender, worry-worn woman said softly, over and over again, as she walked down the line of some 40 people waving flags and holding hand-lettered signs alongside the main access road to the base.

The "Defend the Truth" rallies have been held every Saturday since early June. Participants, who range in age from grade-school children to senior citizens, credit their rallies with creating public pressure on the military, forcing it to ease conditions for the men, who are awaiting trial. When they first began demonstrating, the eight men were kept shackled, though now the restraints have been removed and the men have more freedom.

"I think we made a difference," said Oceanside resident Joan Aichele, 71, who has come with her husband, Nick, to seven events.

Shumate's mother said conditions are now much better. For one thing, her son is no longer kept behind glass during visiting hours.

"We couldn't even touch him the first time when we saw him," she said.

She and her husband, Jerry Shumate Sr., and daughter Amanda drove down from Washington state for the pre-birthday visit. Because they came from so far, they received an extra two hours ---- a total of eight hours this weekend to see their child, she said.

As the Shumates walked by the rally participants, people kept asking them how the men were doing.

"For where they're at ... they're in real good shape," responded Jerry's dad.

He added that the men would love to receive letters of support. Skip Franklin, a 63-year-old Oceanside resident, said he's sending four or five postcards a week to the men. He told supporters to put the men's names on any mail they send and address letters to c/o Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Brig, Box 555226, Camp Pendleton, CA 92025.

Attendance at Saturday's rally was the lowest they've had since the first one nine weeks ago, organizers reported. A count along the protest line at 11 a.m. showed about 44 people present. Earlier rallies have attracted hundreds.

Carlsbad resident Neil Turner, 71, said conflict over something that happened at last week's rally probably caused the attendance drop. During that event, a regular attendee who usually provides the marching music and a series of huge signs showed up with a large photograph of the beheading of Nick Berg.

Berg was allegedly killed by an al-Qaida-affiliated group while visiting Iraq in 2004.

"He wants to say it like it is, and I think we should," Turner said.

But people driving by complained that the photograph wasn't appropriate. Event organizers agreed and asked the man to remove it.

"There's families coming by, there's little kids ---- it wasn't appropriate," said Christine Bruce, who has helped manage the events.

Controlling what is displayed at the rallies is a little difficult because people are encouraged to bring their own hand-made signs, she said. Saturday's signs ranged from standard issue "Support the troops" with yellow ribbons to personalized hand-lettered posterboards, and even one large political cartoon-style drawing of the brig with two men's facing peering out.

San Marcos resident Art Boice, 48, constructed a nearly 4-foot tall sign stating "P.C. brass lose wars ---- Jail them ---- Honk 4 the Pendleton 8." To the sign, he had attached a long pole with several flags.

"I believe they've been unjustly charged," said Boice, who also sported a "Freedom is not free" T-shirt. "I have a very strong conviction that they're innocent. ... I think they've been unjustly singled out."

The eight men ---- Shumate, Hospitalman 3rd Class Melson J. Bacos, Sgt. Lawrence G. Hutchins III, Lance Cpl. Tyler A. Jackson, Pfc. John J. Jodka III, Cpl. Marshall L. Magincalda, Lance Cpl. Robert B. Pennington and Cpl. Trent D. Thomas ---- have been charged with premeditated murder in the April 26 death of an Iraqi man in the village of Hamdania. Other charges include kidnapping, conspiracy, assault, larceny, housebreaking, making false statements and obstruction of justice.

The members of the Camp Pendleton-based 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment's Kilo Company have been held in the brig since May 24.

Contact staff writer Barbara Henry at (760) 901-4072 or bhenry@nctimes.com.

[thedrifter]

Article Last Updated: 8/14/2006 02:41 AM
Supporters gather for jailed Marine
Tracy native faces trial for premeditated murder
By Aaron Swarts, STAFF WRITER
Inside Bay Area

TRACY — Clyde Bland Park and the brig at Camp Pendleton are worlds apart, but for the supporters of imprisoned Marine Lance Cpl. Tyler Jackson the two locales were one in the same for a few hours Saturday afternoon.

Jackson, a Tracy native, and seven others who have come to be known as "The Pendleton 8" are being charged with the murder and cover-up of an Iraqi national.

Military prosecutors allege the Marines kidnapped an Iraqi man from his home, tied him up, put him in a hole by the side of the road and sprayed him with bullets, then sought to cover up the crime by making it appear the man was armed and attempting to plant explosives.

They are charged with premeditated murder and could face the death penalty if convicted.

Describing the accusations as "politically motivated," Jackson's friends and family along with veterans from nearly every branch of the military are doing all they can to raise money for his defense.

During Saturday's fund-raising picnic, where supporters wore shirts with Jackson's image and told stories of his character, his father Philip Jackson described the last time he saw his son.

"He is holding up remarkably well given the circumstances. In fact, they all are," Philip Jackson said. "His spirits are still up, and he is very appreciative of everything the community is doing to help him. He told me to take a lot of pictures of this picnic and get them to him as soon as I can."

Jackson said his son is still in maximum security, but, "they have lifted the visiting restrictions. They are no longer chained and shackled, we can sit across a table from him and give him a hug."

After spending just a few minutes with the "Pendleton 8" Jackson noted you can tell they are not guilty because "they behave like innocent guys."

Supporter Natalie Morejohn attended Tracy High School with Tyler Jackson and recently visited him at Camp Pendleton.

"He and the other guys are in good spirits because they know they are innocent," she said. "He is just frustrated because of the situation he is in right now. But he knows he is innocent, and it's only a matter of time before he comes home."

Saturday's picnic was organized by friends Brian and Sarah Barringer, who say the effort to help Jackson is picking up steam.

"People are eager to help and the momentum is building," Brian Barringer said. "Everybody that knows Tyler will tell you he is not the bully type. He is just a quiet hard-working guy, not some rogue soldier."

Paul Martinez, a veteran of the Marines, has never met Tyler Jackson but is vowing to support him until he is released.

"This case screams out for the spirit of the law," he said. "These men were involved in not only heavy combat but in extreme guerrilla warfare. They didn't know from one moment to the next who was going to be their enemy or ally."

Martinez also had a message for the president.

"If President Bush could hear me right now, I would say to him, 'Mr. President, please use your executive power to drop these charges and send these men home to their friends and family,'" he said. "I am personally going to be writing to these men every week until they are free."

Those that would like to donate to his defense fund are encouraged to visit the Web site http://www.fightingfortyler.com.

Ellie