Now THIS group: Youth Against War and Fascism was on Ho Chi Minh's Pen Pal list. Now THIS gets interesting!
My Dear -------
I have received your letter. You and the progressive American people, especially the youth, feel indignant at the barbarous crimes perpetrated in Vietnam by the U.S. imperialists who have thus besmeared the honor of the American people and the noble traditions of the United States. I am glad to learn that you and many other young Americans are actively endeavoring under varied forms to help push forward the movement against the war of aggression in Vietnam and in support of the Vietnamese people.
With affectionate greetings,
Signed, Uncle Ho
June 18, Nov. 25, 1965
On February 7, 1965, the U.S. began its systematic air massacre of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). The U.S. also plans to bomb the system of dikes in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam which helps the North Vietnamese from drowning and starving. Just as the U.S. is attempting to drown in blood the liberation struggle of the South Vietnamese people because it is the model for liberation struggles everywhere, so North Vietnam is being bombed to bits because it shows all colonial and former colonial countries, by living example, that Socialism can solve their problems.
–Youth Against War and Fascism, Free University of New York - Aug. 27, 1966
As far as the Vietnamese are concerned, we are fighting on the side of Hitlerism, and they hope we lose. You are supposed to be fighting to “save the Vietnamese people from Communism.” Certainly Communist influence is very strong in the National Liberation Front, the rebel government. Yet most of the people support the NLF. Why ? The war in Vietnam is not being fought according to the rules. Prisoners are tortured. Our planes drop incendiaary bombs on civilian villages. Our soldiers shoot at women and children. Your officers will tell you that it is all necessary, that we couldn’t win the war any other way. We believe that the atrocities which are necessary to win this war against the people of Vietnam are inexcusable.
–Vietnam Day Committee, San Franscisco - Aug. 2, 1966.
More from the “Mutiny Does Not Happen Lightly: The Literature of the American Resistance to the Vietnam War”
Look at the major leaders of the anti-war movement:
· Al Hubbard - Vietnam Veterans Against the War - signed the People’s Peace Treaty of 1971
· Jane Fonda - actress - signed the People’s Peace Treaty of 1971
See post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1209454/posts?page=59#59 for People's Peace Treaty
· Noam Chomsky, MIT
· Rev. William Sloan Coffin, Jr. Yale
· Rennie Davis, May Day Collective
· Rev. Daniel Berrigan,S.J.
· Dave Dellinger, People’s Coalition for Peace and Justice
· Daniel Ellsberg - MIT
· Richard Falk - Princeton
· Tom Hayden - Berkeley
· Abbie Hoffman - WPAX, NewYork
· Sidney Peck - People’s Coalition for Peace and justice
· Bobby Seale- Black Panther Party
· Benjamin Spock, doctor
· Gloria Steinem - author
· George Wald, biologist, Havard
· Cora Weiss - Women Strike for Peace
Many of the people who signed the various documents in “Mutiny Does Not Happen Lightly: The Literature of the American Resistance to the Vietnam War” appeared again as signers of the “Not In Our Name” ad that appeared in papers all over the country, denouncing Bush and the wars on terrorism and Iraq.