Features photo by Jones Martin showing armed GI guard keeping watch over Selma to Montgomery marchers (Birmingham News, March 24, 1965).
Alabama Journal March 23, 1965 reports sites that, "Several hundred battle-ready Nationa Guardsmen, called up by presidential order, and army regulars patroled the highway," 80 as marchers made their way to Montgomery. It is also interesting to note that Martin Luther King, Jr. left the march and did not actually walk the entire way between Selma to Montgomery, whereas Nationa Guardsmen were on duty in wet, rainy weather for the entire march. Page two of this document states, "An Army jeep moved along ahead of the marchers on the highway. It carried a large yellow sign: 'Caution. Marchers Ahead. Keep Right.' Federlized Guardsmen and Army troops accompanied the marchers. At nightfall they ringed the camp again." Without such 24 hour protection the Selma to Montgomery March would not have likely occurred without bloodshed.
Jack Hopper of Birmingham News reports 3/22/65 on marchers. Sites how federal troops were stationed every 100 yards of march, how Military Police broke up disturbances from segregationists carrying banners which read "I hate niggers," and how Army helicopters were continually scouting the area on all four sides of the march.
This Alabama Department of Archives site has links to articles and photographs of the Selma to Montgomery Civil Rights march and is presented in an educational lesson format.
Credit is deferred to the Alabama Department of Archives and History and to the newspaper or original doument source.