On this day, 14 March 1970, two sailors aboard the SS Columbia Eagle, carrying 10,000 tons of napalm for the US military in Vietnam, mutinied in protest at the war. Al Glatkowski and Clyde McKay had smuggled guns onto the ship which they used to hijack it and sail it to neutral Cambodia. But they never could have guessed what would happen next, as they became embroiled in a complex series of world events over which they would have no control.
We spoke to Al for a podcast miniseries about the events, and this is how he recounted the start of the mutiny:
“When we got the guns out to clean them, I got up and I told Clyde, ‘I’ll be right back. I’m going to go to the bathroom before we do this.’ I looked in the mirror and I said to myself, 'You may not live through this. These may be your last few minutes.’
"I will never ever be able to see or look my children in the face when they ask me, ’'What did you do to stop the war, Dad?” You will be able to say that you did your duty to stop it. You did your best to stop it.’ I walked around, turned around, went out the door, got the gun and said, 'Let’s move.’“
Listen to Al tell his and Clyde’s incredible story in our podcast episodes 21-24. Find them on every major podcast app or on our website: https://workingclasshistory.com/2019/04/09/wch-crime-columbia-eagle-mutiny/
Pictured: Al, left, Clyde, right, with ship in the background with the flag they painted containing a peace sign. https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/1941734139345060/?type=3