Whose History of the Vietnam War Will Prevail?
With a substantial appropriation from Congress, the Pentagon has launched a self-serving multi-year commemoration of the war in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
It includes a web site with a far from complete or balanced timeline. Under the guise of honoring Vietnam veterans, thousands of activities are planned all over the country ranging from half-time ceremonies at college football games to curriculums for high school students.
Some see this as an institution seeking to rewrite history to burnish its own reputation; others as an effort to diminish the role of memory about Vietnam, and its lessons, lest they inhibit current and future military interventions. Not surprisingly the depth of opposition to the war and to its false justifications, are barely noted.
A movement is growing of those who were active against the war, as well as of friends who came after, to insure the Pentagon’s misleading version of Vietnam is effectively challenged. It is past time to reclaim the history of the protest movement which began 50 years ago this spring. We invite you to join others on your own campus, in Washington and by visiting Indochina during 2015, a year of momentous anniversaries.
The Pentagon web site http://www.vietnamwar50th.com/
A Letter of Protest
●Text to General Kicklighter here http://tinyurl.com/kicklighter
●More than 1200 have signed so far. http://tinyurl.com/kicklightersigners
●They received page one coverage in the New York Times. http://tinyurl.com/NYTkicklighter
●Add your name and circulate the link http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/vpcc
Peace Movement Commemoration in Washington: May 2
Celebrate a decade of anti-war activity including teach-ins, letter writing and vigils; anti-draft counseling, organizing and imprisonment; mass mobilizations and campus strikes; the moratorium and elections; civil disobedience and direct action; legislative campaigns to end funding. terryprovance@gmail.com
Academic Conference in Washington: April 30 – May 1
New York University and Notre Dame are finalizing plans for a conference on the war and anti-war movement. For agenda and registration information David.B.Cortright.1@nd.edu
Anniversary Trip to Vietnam: April 19 - 30
Itinerary for a program linked to the 40th anniversary of peace: http://tinyurl.com/VNApril2015
For costs and other information and to express interest, contact director@ffrd.org by mid-January. (A pre-Vietnam program is available for Cambodia and Laos April 14 - 19 or for a personal visit to Ha Long Bay April 17 - 19. Participants are also welcome to remain in the region for additional travels, but the schedule allows return to Washington by May 1 to share the trip experience at the Washington peace commemoration.)
Vietnam Peace Commemoration Committee
a project initiated by David Cortright, Tom Hayden & John McAuliff