Clayton Van Lydegraf
Excerpt from appearance before House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) hearing
December 13, 1956, Seattle, WA.
In a statement prepared for his appearance before a grand jury in San Francisco in early 1973, Van Lydegraf said,I have had personal experience with government witch-hunting. On Dec. 13, 1956, in Seattle, Washington, I was ordered to answer questions about my military record as an Air Force pilot in World War II. Before the event was over, I found myself publicly charged by an authorized representative of a branch of the U.S. government with being a trained and expert assassin and an instructor of assassins in a country where I have never been in my life.
Those false and "infamous" charges made in public have never been withdrawn nor apologized for, nor tried, nor compensated for. I have no desire nor intention to repeat the experience.
Following is an excerpt from the HUAC appearance.
Mr. Arens: Is there any other place else you served?Mr. Van Lydegraf: That is all I remember.
Mr. Arens: Did you ever serve in the Philippines?
Mr. Van Lydegraf: I decline to answer that question on the same grounds as before.
Mr. Arens: During the course of your service in the United States Army, were you under discipline of a conspiratorial apparatus controlled by a foreign government?
Mr. Van Lydegraf: I decline to answer on the same grounds as before.
Mr. Arens: During your service in the United States Army, did you pass security or confidential information to any person not authorized by law to receive the same?
Mr. Van Lydegraf: I decline to answer on the same grounds as before.
Mr. Doyle: Mr. Arens, I instruct this witness to answer. In view of the fact that he took the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States, according to his own testimony on at least 2 occasions, I think it is a very pertinent question.
Mr. Van Lydegraf : I decline to answer on the same grounds.
Mr. Arens: Did you receive an honorable discharge?
Mr. Van Lydegraf: I decline to answer on the same grounds.
Mr. Arens: Mr. Chairman, I respectfully suggest that the witness be ordered and directed to answer that question.
Mr. Doyle: Of course. I direct the witness to answer that question.
Mr. Van Lydegraf: I decline to answer on the same grounds as before.
Mr. Arens: What was the nature of your discharge?
Mr. Van Lydegraf: I decline to answer on the same grounds as before.
Mr. Arens: Was your separation from the service voluntary or involuntary?
Mr. Van Lydegraf: I decline to answer on the same grounds as before.
Mr. Arens: When did you return to the United States from your last sojourn abroad with the Armed Forces of this Nation, whose flag you are sworn to protect?
Mr. Van Lydegraf: I decline to answer on the same grounds as before.
Mr. Arens: I respectfully suggest, Mr. Chairman, that witness be ordered and directed to answer that question.
(witness confers with counsel)
Mr. Van Lydegraf: Upon advice of counsel I will answer that I returned in the Spring of '45.
Mr. Arens: And from where did you return to the United States?
Mr. Van Lydegraf: From India.
Mr. Arens: And have you left the continental United States since then?
Mr. Van Lydegraf: I decline to answer on the same grounds as before.
Mr. Arens: Mr. Chairman, I respectfully suggest the witness be ordered and directed to answer that question.
Mr. Doyle: I direct you to answer that question.
Mr. Van Lydegraf: I decline to answer on the same grounds as before.
Mr. Arens: What is garroting? See if you can just help this committee trying to protect this same flag you swore to uphold. What is garroting?
Mr. Van Lydegraf: I decline to answer on the same grounds as before.
Mr. Arens: Have you ever garroted anybody?
Mr. Van Lydegraf: I decline to answer on the same grounds as before.
Mr. Arens: Have you received any military training in the use of firearms or in the use of deadly weapons other than the military training you received by the Government of the United States?
Mr. Van Lydegraf: I decline to answer on the same grounds as before.
Mr. Arens: I put it to you as a fact, sir, that you have so received such training by the underground conspiratorial apparatus of the Communist Party. Deny it while you are under oath if it isn't true.
Mr. Van Lydegraf: I decline to answer on the same grounds as before.
Mr. Arens: How many people have you killed in the course of your career in the Philippines?
Mr. Van Lydegraf: I decline to answer on the same grounds as before.
Mr. Arens: I put it to you as a fact in that you were trained in the under-ground school to garrot for the International Communist Conspiracy. Now deny that while you are under oath.
(witness confers with counsel)
Mr. Van Lydegraf: I decline to answer on the same grounds as before.