[Kiwiwriter]

Originally posted by sappernz@Jan 19 2005, 12:18 AM
When the Anericans were stationed in New Zealand there were some terrible crimes. A 14 year old girl was raped by 6 black soldiers and another girl was raped and murdered. Some Americans in civilian clothes robbed a Post Office and got away with it. The story was that rapists and deserters were taken out to sea and shot. I never believed this until several years ago I met a former Marine here who had come over for a reunion. I asked him if it was true. He said that his brother had taken part in one of the shootings and it was true although officially denied. Next of kin informed lost at sea etc. I have tried to find documents relating to any of this but cannot. However in wartime its easy to hide such things. I do believe that several Americans were killed here for crimes of rape and murder and that it was officially kept quiet to avoid a backlash by the civilian population. I am happy to be proved wrong though.

Quoted post

I'm not surprised to hear that story. Veterans of the US Third Army also claim that deserters in that force were shot, and their demises covered up. In wartime, especially a world-encompassing war like "The Big One," people with even a sliver of power can get away with all kinds of misdeeds, which in turn generate more misdeeds. First you have the vicious rape, followed by the vicious execution at sea. However, the other point in this story is that the accused were black, and this was a time when racism in America was at its height and standardized. Black men in America were often lynched if accused (even falsely) of molesting or harassing white women. At the same time, the segregated Army and schools of America discriminated against black men. Many of the black draftees were barely literate, consigned to menial jobs, and treated badly. This led to what the US Army's official history "The Employment of Negro Troops," euphemistically calls "social problems."