Howard Levy

Released
Full name:Howard Brett Levy
Date of birth:10. 04. 1937
Age:89
Gender:Male
Race:White
Era:1960s
State:New Jersey
Time Imprisoned:
2 Years 2 Months 0 Days
Support
Anti-War
Howard Levy

Biography

Captain Howard Levy was an Army dermatologist at Fort Jackson, South Carolina who in 1966 refused orders to train Green Beret medics for deployment to Vietnam, arguing that doing so would make him complicit in war crimes and violate medical ethics. He also publicly opposed the war and made statements supporting Black resistance to the draft. Court-martialed in 1967, he was convicted of willful disobedience, promoting disloyalty, and conduct unbecoming an officer. Sentenced to three years at Fort Leavenworth's military prison, he served 26 months before parole. His case, Parker v. Levy, 417 U.S. 733 (1974), reached the Supreme Court on First Amendment grounds; the conviction was ultimately upheld. After release Levy resumed medical practice in New York.

Case

United States Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth
Charges: Willful disobedience of a lawful order (UCMJ Art. 90); promoting disloyalty (Art. 134); conduct unbecoming an officer (Art. 133)
Arrested: May 31, 1967
Incarcerated: May 31, 1967
Released: Jul 31, 1969
Sentence: 3 years military prison (served 26 months) Charges as recorded: Willful disobedience of a lawful order (UCMJ Art. 90); promoting disloyalty (Art. 134); conduct unbecoming an officer (Art. 133) — refusing to train Green Beret medics
Convicted: Yes
Institution State: Kansas

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