Port Huron Statement
In June 1962, the Students for a Democratic Society, a new group of
students interested in changing the United States, announced their
formation. The Port Huron Statement explained what they believed.
Cronkite after Tet
Walter Cronkite, the anchor for the CBS Evening News, was the most
trusted American journalist. On Tuesday, February 27, 1968, one month
after the Tet Offensive, Cronkite's report on Vietnam, "Who, What, When,
Where, Why" aired on CBS. His conclusions, at the end of the half-hour
telecast, cast doubt on the wisdom of American policy in Vietnam.
1966 Debate--Senate Foreign Relations Committee
In the beginning of 1966, the Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations held hearings that were broadcast on television. In this
excerpt from the hearings, Secretary of State Dean Rusk answered
questions from Senators William Fulbright, the Chairman of the
Committee, as well as Senator Aiken of Vermont, Senator McCarthy of
Minnesota, and Senator Church of Idaho. The Senators were becoming
skeptical of the rationale and the execution of the war in Vietnam.
David Bell, the budget director, was also present.
Why We Are In Viet-Nam
In July 1965, the American government sent a huge increase of
soldiers to South Vietnam. In his July 28 news conference, President
Johnson explained why. The President emphasized the need to protect a
country that couldn't protect itself from the expansion of communism in
Asia.
Lyndon Johnson Told The Nation
While this song did not sell nearly as many records as "The
Ballad of the Green Berets," it was an early example of the sort of
antiwar song that was heard on college campuses in 1965 and afterwards.
With satire and biting wit, Tom Paxton opposed American policy in
Vietnam with a lively tune and memorable verses.
Ballad of the Green Berets
Although many of the songs that addressed the war in Vietnam had a
clear, antiwar message, "The Ballad of the Green Berets" was a song that
topped the charts. Sergeant Barry Sadler's song glorified American
soldiers who served in the Special Forces and led to a movie starring
the quintessential war hero, John Wayne.
1964 Goldwater on Vietnam
In August 1964, following the Gulf of Tonkin incident, Barry
Goldwater, the United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican
Presidential Candidate in that year, explained why he thought that
President Johnson, while responding wisely to the attack in the Gulf of
Tonkin, was pursuing a flawed policy. Senator Goldwater argued that
there was a war in Vietnam and that the United States had to respond.
A Call To Resist Illegitimate Authority
As the Vietnam War escalated, so did draft calls. During the middle
of the decade, the Selective Service System became a focus of antiwar
actions. In August 1967, this call was widely published. Two of the
leading authors of this manifesto were Dr. Benjamin Spock, the
well-known author of books on child care, and the Reverend William
Sloane Coffin, the chaplain of Yale University.
Daniel Ellsberg
A Harvard-educated, Marine-trained, volunteer in Vietnam, Daniel
Ellsberg had favored the Vietnam War. He had worked in the State
Department for three years beginning on the day of the Tonkin Gulf
incident. Ellsberg, however, turned against the war and, believed that
the Pentagon Papers, the study of the war ordered by Robert McNamara in
1967 and that he had worked on, had to be revealed to the American
people. In this excerpt, he discussed part of what he learned from
working on the Pentagon Papers.
Dr. Spock and LBJ
When someone pictures an antiwar protestor, a tall, gray-haired
physician does not come to mind. But Benjamin Spock, in this excerpt,
explains how he supported Lyndon Johnson for president in 1964 and then
became an outspoken opponent of the president's Vietnam War policy less
than a year later.
Okie From Muskogee
As draft protests and antiwar rallies increased in 1968 and when
the Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1968 became the scene of a
police riot, a backlash took root against those who opposed "traditional
American values." Merle Haggard's 1969 song, "Okie From Muskogee,"
celebrated "regular" Americans.
Kerry Speech--1971
A decorated war hero, John Kerry represented Vietnam Veterans
Against the War when he gave this testimony to Congress in the spring of
1971. Kerry brought a combat veteran's perspective to the hearings and
was one of many Vietnam veterans who were disillusioned with the war in
which they had fought.
Melville Stephens Speech--1971
As the Foreign Relations Committe continued hearings, men with
other viewpoints also spoke. In this statement, Lieutenant Melville
Stephens urged the continuation of the Vietnam War for the good of the
Vietnamese people.
Anthony Lewis in opposition to the Christmas Bombing of 1972
After the failure to get a peace treaty with North Vietnam before
the end of 1972, President Nixon responded by ordering the bombing of
Hanoi, the capital of North Vietnam, and Haiphong harbor in December
1972. Anthony Lewis, an outspoken opponent of the policies of the Nixon
administration in Vietnam, wrote a powerful condemnation of that action.
Kissinger on Bombing, January 1972
In an interview one month after the Christmas Bombing, Henry
Kissinger explained why that action had been taken. Kissinger hoped
that his explanation would end the "acrimony" over that decision.
Winter Soldier Investigation
Friendshipment Flyer
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