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Russel Milton Wills

AKA: Russell Wills
Released
Gender:Male
Era:1960s
State:Washington
Support
Anti-War
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Biography

Russel Milton Wills was a University of Washington philosophy graduate student who destroyed his draft card in protest against the Vietnam War and refused induction on February 24, 1966. A federal court convicted and sentenced him to five years on September 23, 1966. The sentence was later reduced to two years. A late-1969 peace-prisoner roster places him at McNeil Island, confirming that he served prison time, but his exact admission and release dates remain unresolved.

Case

Charges: Refusal of military induction following draft-card destruction — February 24, 1966
Sentenced: Sep 23, 1966
Sentence: Five years in federal prison, later reduced to two years. Service at McNeil Island is verified; exact custody endpoints remain unresolved.
Prosecutor: Michael Swafford; Eugene G. Cushing (government counsel on appeal)
Convicted: Yes