The Story of GI Resistance During the Vietnam War
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“Political loyalty, military obedience are excellent things, but they neither require,
nor do they justify the commission of patently wicked acts.
There comes a point where a man must refuse to answer to his leader if he is also to answer to his conscience.“
Sir Hartley Shawcross – Lead British Prosecutor – Nuremberg Trials Germany 1946
A Matter of Conscience : GI Resistance During the Vietnam War Intro
Each of the photographs and oral histories of former GI resisters compiled in this exhibition/collection bears witness to the difficult choices the veterans confronted and sustained with strong personal convictions during the Vietnam War. These portraits and histories represent a larger voice of dissent that erupted from within the ranks of the U.S. military, and came to frustrate our leaders’ ability to fight a war that many Americans believed was unjust.
Dissent within the military during the Vietnam era was unprecedented. According to Defense Department figures, as many as 503,926 incidents of desertion occurred between July 1, 1966 and December 31, 1973; compared with 191,840 reported cases of men refusing draft induction between 1963 and 1973. Desertion, AWOL (Absent Without Leave), disciplinary infractions, refusing orders, fraggings and sabotage were all expressions of protest for servicemen and women. Over the course of the war there were nearly 500 alternative GI newspapers. Throughout the country GI coffeehouses and organizations became flashpoints for anti-war activity and organizing for GI rights.
Growing up in the shadow of World War II, on a steady diet of John Wayne movies, these veterans’ acts of dissent and protest often ran counter to the values they learned as children. The obligation to defend God and country seemed an inevitable task. The military demanded blind trust and soldiers were expected to obey, right or wrong. But at the same time, GIs entered the military with a set of moral values that often did not conform to the duties they were expected to carry out as soldiers. The GI resisters had the courage to listen to their consciences and their decision to act may help us better understand why the Vietnam War continues to haunt us.
GI Stories
GI Newspapers & Publications
GI Documents & Archive
Chronology of Notable Acts of Resistance During the Vietnam War
A Matter of Conscience: Podcast Episodes
Episode 4: I Quit! The Green Berets, the special forces branch of the U.S. Army, figures into the stories of two early and well-known GI resisters: Dr. Howard Levy and Donald Duncan. Both men made strong public stands against the war, and both worked tirelessly for the GI anti-war movement after they were discharged from…
Episode 3: Misunderstandings, Lies and Whiskey If you don’t know much about the U.S. war in Vietnam, we’ve got you covered! This episode delves into Vietnam’s struggle for independence and the political influence of figures like President Lyndon Johnson to decipher exactly how we got into the Vietnam war. Through personal accounts from Vietnamese citizens…
Appy Interview Bonus Episode TranscriptFri, May 23, 202500:00Ruben FloresHello, I’m Ruben Flores, an assistant producer for A Matter of Conscience: GI Resistance during the Vietnam War. We’re bringing you an extended interview with Christian Appy, who you heard in episodes one and three. Appy is Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and…
Episode 2: It Was All A Lie This episode explores how men of the Vietnam generation were primed for war based on the experiences of their fathers and uncles in World War II, and how that patriotism turned to disillusionment when soldiers were confronted with the realities of Vietnam. Hosts Bill Short and Willa Seidenberg…
Episode 1: The War Against the War In this first episode of A Matter of Conscience, you’ll hear about an important part of the war in Vietnam that history books don’t talk about — the GI anti-war movement. Bill Short, a photographer and once-Vietnam soldier, and Willa Seidenberg, a journalist and professor, set the scene…