Michael Bunch
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On Friday, October 11, 1968 Michael Bunch went AWOL when he was shot and killed during work detail. He was confined to the Presidio stockade with other anti-war servicemen. His death inspired a protest the following Monday known as the "Presidio Mutiny." 27 prisoners broke rank, sang we shall overcome then ignored commands given to cease and desist. The "Presidio 27" made demands that included an investigation into the murder of Michael Bunch. That Saturday a "GI vets for peace march" was to occur in San Francisco approximately 10,000 strong.
Charges of mutiny were read aloud who in response drowned the commanding officer out with song. They were sprayed with fire hoses and eventually picked up one by one and returned to their cells. The protest resulting from Michael Brown's murder helped the anti-war movement gain momentum when the Presidio 27 were considered for the electric chair. Too much negative press may have staved the thirst for blood in the brass, they were all subsequently released over a period up to about a year and a half after the incident.
This event was discussed in the 2006 documentary Sir No Sir!.
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