ManOn M00n
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With a letter to Her Majesty The Queen!
Signed "With Love, John Lennon of Bag"
Article from the New York Times:
John Lennon Returns Award as a Protest
By GLORIA EMERSON
Nov. 26, 1969
LONDON, Nov. 26 -- John Lennon, one of the Beatles, has returned his award of Member of the Order of the British Empire as a protest against Britain's role in the Nigerian civil war and British political support of the United States in Vietnam.
On a British Broadcasting Corporation news program tonight, Mr. Lennon said that he had been ``mulling it over for a few years.''
``Really shouldn't have taken it,'' he said. ``Felt I had sold out. I must get rid of it, I kept saying, I must get rid of it. So I did. Wanted to get rid of it by 1970 anyway.''
He said he had been waiting for ``an event to tie up with it.'' He said that while he did not take the side of Nigeria or Biafra, he was ``beginning to be ashamed of being British.''
The four Beatles received the award in the Queen's Birthday Honors List in June, 1965. It is the lowest of the five classes in the Order of the British Empire. The other classes are officer, commander, knight commander and knight grand cross. The O.B.E. ranks low in the hierarchy of orders. Most of its recipients are in the lower ranks of the civil service and armed forces. The award is usually made for political and public service.
A flippant note appeared in the identical letters that Mr. Lennon sent to Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Wilson and the Secretary of the Central Chancery, who maintains records of awards and decorations.
The letter, whose contest was made known today by Apple Corp., the Beatles' company, read:
``I am returning the M.B.E. in protest against Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam, and against `Cold Turkey' slipping down the charts.''
Mr. Lennon did not explain his objections to British policy in Nigeria. But many Britons are concerned about the starvation in Biafra and the supply of arms by Britain to the federal side.
``Cold Turkey'' is the latest record by Mr. Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, and the Plastic Ono Band. It was 13th last week and is now rated 17th.
[In the United States, according to the show-business magazine Cash Box, ``Cold Turkey'' has been moving up the popular-record charts. Lynn Gradus of the Cash Box staff here said yesterday that it had risen from 69th two weeks ago to 42d.]
Mr. Lennon sent his chauffeur in a white Mercedes to Buckingham Palace to return the medal. The chauffeur was directed to the tradesmen's entrance. The medal was wrapped in a plain white envelope, ``because I have lost the box,'' Mr. Lennon explained.
A palace spokesman said the medal would be kept in a drawer, apparently in case Mr. Lennon changes his mind.
It is believed that the first M.B.E.'s that were ever returned came from recipients who protested the award to the Beatles, the first group of pop singers to make the honors list.
The three other Beatles are keeping their awards, according to a spokesman.
