Photographs and links

For now, here is a photo that William Blum wanted an anti-war photo for his latest book West-Block Dissident: A Cold War memoir, Soft Skull Press 2002.

I remembered a rather dramatic and radical one from "In The Teeth Of War," a "PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTARY OF THE MARCH 26th, 1966, NEW YORK CITY DEMONSTRATION AGAINST THE WAR IN VIETNAM, published by The Fifth Avenue Vietnam Peace Parade Committee. Here is the photo by Robert Parent (deceased) from page 38:

Medium sized version of this photo - Full sized version Other photos had the usual collection of Doves, children, heartfelt signs and some of the full of hate pro-war hecklers.

Anti-war Signs at demonstrations since then.

Here's another that shows one of the many side streets that would feed into the larger demonstration. Remember, this was 1966 and contrary to the pro-war propagandists today who argue that the peaceniks spat on the veterans, check out the signs in these photos of the typical collection of Bring the Boys home, etc. Almost no one was against the draftees or even the GI volunteers. We understood that it was some of the political and military leaders who were to blame. From the beginning of the war, the peace movement seriously organized for and among the GI's. Many of the earliest and most determined anti-war organizers were veterans who had been through enough to see through the latest propaganda. (If you have DSL, click here for a larger version)

(Guess who the stern looking guys on the lower right were?)

Right after this photo on the left was taken, the police surrounding us suddenly separated creating a clear path for an attacker [like in the movie Z] who grabbed the little guy carrying a NLF flag. That gave John on the right and myself time to grab and put him down. When we did, then the police arrested us. The attacker and the event is described in the US Staff Report on the demonstration, page 106.. What they didn't say is that he was a body guard for the head of the US Nazi party and had been tracking me to and from New York City. Also, I was never a member of the PLP, but the report got much wrong. In fact if you read the report carefully, you will many instances when it admits the police were the instigators of much of the disorder. This was January 19, 1969 on our way to demonstrate along the Nixon inaugural route on Pennsylvania Ave..

See additional links and documents on:

Walter's Vietnam Events and Documents:

Links to articles and videos on the anti-war movement.

Veterans Anti-war Movement inside the US Military

Video trailer of Sir! No! Sir!

An inspiring film. If you were not involved and active inthe60's, you may be surprised how widespread and complex was the organizing in the military and support for the troops in the anti-war movement.

Rita Martinson's beautiful song "Soldier We Love You! (Quicktime) (Windows) (MP3 sound only).

These will take time to download.

Winter Soldier Testimony 1971

For three days in 1971, US veterans of the war in Vietnam gave testimony about their experiences and thoughts about the war. Since then many who are pro-war have tried and failed to discredit or diminish the brave and heartfelt efforts of these young Americans to tell the truth as they witnessed it.

Wikipedia and others have compiled information about these events. The most well known testimony was by now Secretary of State John Kerry, but I recommend you start with these young men who were not trying to be heroes.

1. Winter Soldier Investigation Vietnam Part 1
2. Winter Soldier Investigation Vietnam Part 2
3. Winter Soldier Investigation Vietnam Part 3
4. Winter Soldier Investigation Vietnam Part 4
5. Winter Soldier Investigation Vietnam Part 5
6. Winter Soldier Investigation Vietnam Part 6
7. Winter Soldier Investigation Vietnam Part 7

A friend Jim Duffy testifies at 10:20 and 11:09 in Part 4, later worked with CANLF.

John Kerry, who later seems to have forgotten the strong sentiments he expressed so well in his Testimony before the Foreign Relations Committee in 1971, went on to support the kinds of wars he protested against in 1971.

Winter Soldier, a documentary

Compare to the Winter Soldier II in 2008 below. If you find links that should be added, please let me know. Walter Teague.

New Wars, New Problems, Old Enemies.

Winter Soldier 2008

In 2008 a second Winter Soldier Investigation, this time of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan took place outside Maryland. For years since the US war against Vietnam, reactionary propaganda lied that the peace movements were against the troops. The main stream media still promotes this gross lie. Not only was the US peace movement pro GI in the 60's and 70's, but there was amazingly brave and effective anti-war organizing among the troops themselves. Even peace activists often didn't realize how extensive this movement was. .

Healing the Wounds of the U.S. War on Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

Agent Orange Tour in the US 2005

More links and information will be added here to cover the many activities aimed at healing and learning lessons for the future.

CANLF- is short for the U.S. Committee to Aid the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam.

US Congress Staff Report:

RIGHTS IN CONCORD, The Response to the Counter-Inaugural Protest Activities in Washington, D.C., January 18-20, 1969

PDF of this report here, and an album of the photos with comments

[Note: If you open the PDF's in Adobe Reader, they will be readable faster! Click on the link, choose download and open with Adobe...]

This was a "Staff Report" of the Task Force on Law and Law Enforcement to the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence. This grand title was actually a lie and immensely hypocritical. During the height of the US war on Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, the White House had established this "National Commission" which actually, as an historical reading of this report will show, looked into how to cover up US military violence in Indochina and make excuses for police violence at home. I will add some information about this report in the coming days, but you can just consider what happened as a result of "the war at home." Cointelpro assassinations and instigation of violence. Infiltration and instigation of violent acts by mostly peaceful demonstrators. Massive and illegal arrests such as the thousands at the May Day Demonstrations in 1971. The list is long and continues to today.

[This report was compiled about 43 years ago and published in "Nay 22, 1969." Yes a small typo, but a report that was intentionally fraudulent, designed to blame the demonstrators and make the White House commission look good. Now in 2012, they are still doing the same, just with much more sophisticated tools. Beware the propaganda.

Bibliography on Anti-war Movement against the US war on Viet Nam.

This pamphlet was widely distributed in the 1960's and was typical of the better documents used by the anti-war movement.

Some links to Vietnam War (U.S. war on Viet Nam) demonstrations......

.

1. Roz Payne has some interesting stuff
2. Robert Altmans archives of the 60'sHe has a number of galleries of photos from the 60's.
3. Leaflets from the Anti Vietnam War Movement. There was a site, but has now been reserved. Try this Google
4. An interesting Peace Page on a Veteran's web page. He has some interesting links
5. A High School Teacher created a project page on Kent State-- Check his links page too.
6. Some photo links at a Wellesley College page, scroll down to Antiwar Movement
7. E. Kenneth Hoffman's photos
8. Jo Freeman's page on the 1967 March on the Pentagon - leaves out a lot.
9. Student Protests against the war This changes too often, so here is a Google search..
10. The Sixties Project Lots of stuff here. You may have to search a bit.
11. PsyOps Study of NLF leaflets This is an odd one, but distinguishes between real and fake leaflets. It would be interesting to psychologically and politically analyze this site

Anti-War (US war on Vietnam) Articles, Demonstrations and Videos:

Info on film:

Additional Films on Vietnam and anti-war demonstrations from the corporate news

Here are some more videos from TV news at that time. While mostly pro-war and never objective or presenting an indepth or analytical coverage from the anti-war point of view, watching these videos so many years later, the essence still comes through.

1. 1967 April 15, Anti-war Demonstration in New York City. CANLF shown gathering at 0:50 and marching later. (This shows our 40' display in Central Park, to gather the Revolutionary Contingent groups that later marched with the flags of all the Liberation Movements to the UN.)
2. 1967 Anti-War Demonstration at the Pentagon. Video of the Pentagon Demonstration.
3. Nguyen Van Luy - A leader and patriot of both Vietnam and his adopted country, the USA. He was t he first Vietnamese-American to give a speech at a major anti-war Demonstration at the Lincoln Memorial on October 21, 1967, the Pentagon Demonstration. Biographical materials and photos.
4. 1969 Film Showing of Vietnamese films in NYC. Walter interviewed. Feb. 15 & 16, 1969 at the Alternate U. in NYC. The feature film was "The Rising Storm" about a brother and sister on opposite sides of the liberation struggle. Film disappeared when mailed back with name showing! Other films were taken by RU and supposedly later donated to a University. We are still searching.
5. 1969 Moratorium Demonstration in Washington DC. Some CANLF flags and banners up front while other groups independently replaced the US flags around the Washington Memorial with large NLF flags. One can be seen near the end of the video.
6. April 23rd 1971, the Vietnam Veterans Against the War held historic demonstrations in Washington, DC.
7. 200,000 at Washington Peace march (circa 1971 John Kerry speaks
8. April 24th 1971 Peace March Against the War in Vietnam After the Veterans and before the May Day demonstrations, there were demonstrations by a broad coalition.
9. April 24th 1971 Peace March Against the War in Vietnam Pt. 2
10. May Day Demonstrations May 1-3, 1971. First time the pacifists and more militant demonstrators joined in civil disobedience and led to briefly shutting down the government function in Washington, DC and the largest mass arrests in US history. More than 12,000 people arrested over the days of this demonstration. Keep in mind that much of what happened to organize and carry out these demonstrations have yet to be written. Do a Google search. I will add more in the coming days. Also, see Walter's Draft comments on this May Day Demonstrations.
11. 2012 Series "Who Rules America" Episode 3 by Danny Schechter. Walter interviewed at 15:49 and 17:40.
12. US Government tries to revise history and cover up its crimes. See the USA (Pentagon) Vietnam War Commemoration!
    But also make sure you check out the response of those who both fought in and against that war in the Lessons Of Vietnam web page, and below.
13. May 1,2 2015 Vietnam Power of Protest and the Veterans For Peace effort to speak truth to power: Vietnam Full Disclosure site. Invitation to VPP - Speakers list VPP- Speakers Bios- Program VPP
14. On Oct. 21, 2017 a follow up Vietnam Peace Commemoration Committee (VPCCP) event in Washington, DC. (Facebook page.) VPCC Schedule. I was told I could address the gather ing for up to 15 minutes, but that was reduced to 5 minuts and then when I started, to only 2 minutes.My Comments on C-Span. I felt as if I was channeling Nguyen Van Luy who got cut off at half his shot speech in 1967, so here is some of what I would have said if possible. My Comments cut off.

Anti-war Organizing Challenges in 1965-7

Antiwar Movement New York City 1965-67 *

An Updated and revised version of the article published in"Les Temps Modernes" the magazine of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, September 1968
by Roy Lisker.

• Roy Lisker’s report on Teague’s effort to organize a demonstration to prevent a bombing!
• Roy Lisker on US left’s difficulties connecting to “man on the street.”

* This is just one article on one event among thousands that were part of forming ultimately a complex and influential anti-war movement in the US and around the world. But human history has shown that we are most often a reactive animal, and in spite of our amazing potential, we seldom learn how to prevent catastrophes. The rapidly worsening climate change threat is by far the worst example of our limitations and self destructive nature. As I approach my own demise, friends have asked me to write more about these experiences and the lessons I have learned, and I hope I have the time and energy.....WT

The War Is Over

Sunday May 11th, 1975

The War Is Over - Last big demonstration against the US War in Vietnam. Held in the Sheep Meadow, Central Park, New York City. 12:30

Film of the demonstration in 8mm, no sound.

Portent! This was the last big demonstration to celebrate the final end of the US War on Vietnam. But sadly there was more suffering to come.

See the Campaign to Oppose the Return of the Khmer Rouge, Agent Orange and so many wars to come."The War is Over" Concert and Peace Rally - May 11, 1975

The Vietnam War
A Propaganda
Documentary

by Walter Teague

*****

Watch the film on PBS

The Vietnam War - 2017

The massive 18.5 hour documentary on PBS is being seen by millions and reviews are pouring in. The most detailed and informed are by veterans of that war. As a veteran of the USAF and the anti-war movement for over 10 years, I have added my concerns about the purpose and impact of this series that will influence Americans views on not only the U.S. wars on Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, but on the wars since and continuing, and along with the Pentagon's major 13 year effort to rewite the history of the at war, it will be a major factor in the public's understanding and acceptance or opposition to future wars.

Will this huge PBS series, on TV, in schools and libraries for years to come, make wars such at the U.S. War on Vietnam and wars since, more or less likely?

More Reviews of The Vietnam War film series:

I am collecting the many excellent reviews especially by veterans and other links about The Vietnam War documentary. Please send comments and additions to Walter Teague

Photo of Vietnamese independence fighters against the French colonialists. They were called "rebels" and sometimes "Pirates" by the French. Notice typical restrains in this Souvenir Postcard.

More later when I have time.

Walter Teague

Some More Personal Links:

Home Page - Home page of RedandGreen.org

VAVA
Healing the Wounds of the U.S. War on Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia
Agent Orange Tour in the US 2005