| OCR Text |
Show 50 throughout the mil itary. grew as result of the a The liThe distribution of many GI army's of copy to a impact, because "If a Each issue friend. It many as one scription were after copies to being circulated pass by the staff that many copies one place in order along copies to have to each other. Vietnam," Smith guessed, lias hundred thousand guys might be reading it." blanks indicated that still in the troops would pass sent ten thousand we suggested that readers felt was single issue were not needed a punitive transfers," Smith said. own Ally.encouraged individual readers to circulate copies among fellow servicemen. along undergrounds individual some hand to hand as of The copies much as Dated sub Ally six months publication. The covert system of distribution part of the newspaper's function within the military. as a was tool perceived as important to break down morale Attempts by military commanders distribution of The Ally and other an underground GI to limit the newspapers resulted in conflict, tension, and the gradual erosion of military morale and authority. The Attempts by commanders to. seize of copies Ally added to dissaisfaction among the paper's readership and aroused curiosity about the contents of the paper. Clandestine distribution also afforded military personnel the opportunity to fight the system of which they were a part. tents of the paper sometimes served to dissident lower harassment," Smith said. II addition, the con prompt discussion between ranking military personnel and their potentially sympathetic commanding officers. weapon. In "In a lilt was sense, The a form of counter Ally was an organization Thus, the distribution system itself may have been a |
