John,
Today is Veterans Day, a time in which we honor those who have served our country and acknowledge and appreciate their contributions to our national security.
We’re also thinking about the dozens of exonerees who have served the country before suffering the unimaginable injustice of a wrongful conviction — exonerees like Leonard Mack, a Vietnam veteran who was exonerated by DNA in September after nearly five decades of wrongful conviction.
Please take a moment today to honor Leonard by learning about his story, including his time in the military.
Leonard Mack in 2003. (Image courtesy of Mr. Mack)
Leonard grew up in the Jim Crow south, a time rampant with racial segregation, discrimination, and systemic racism. “When I was growing up, I was one of the five students selected from an all-Black school to be sent to a predominantly white school in 1965. I can remember going to that white school for the first time, and we were escorted by state troopers. I remember white kids spitting and calling us all kinds of names because they didn’t want us going there,” Leonard recalled.
After dropping out of school, Leonard decided to enlist in the military in 1968, a decision driven by his desire to escape the oppressive racial discrimination he had faced in the South and to continue his family's legacy of military service.
He was stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado before being deployed to Vietnam. He was under the impression that he would experience less racism in the army, but that sadly wasn’t the case. His time in the military was marred by racial confrontations and tensions that had a profound impact on him. But despite the challenges he faced, Leonard still believes military service played a crucial role in shaping his character.
Unfortunately, Leonard’s life drastically changed when he was wrongfully convicted of rape in 1976. His wrongful conviction lasted 47 years, seven and a half of which he spent incarcerated, far from his family. And to make matters worse, the US Army made the decision to reduce his disability benefits due to his incarceration. But Leonard never lost hope, and he was finally exonerated on Sept. 5, 2023.
On this Veterans Day, we celebrate Leonard Mack and all veterans who have served their nation with honor and sacrifice. Read more about Leonard’s story and share it with your friends and family online.
Thank you for your support,
— The Innocence Project Team
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