Article about anti-Vietnam War demonstration in the US

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363-06275 to 363-06280.pdf

Digital Object Identifier

363-06275 to 363-06280

Title

Article about anti-Vietnam War demonstration in the US

Description

Keever's title: "Anti-War Protest in U.S. Worry Saigon Politicos, Fearing Hanoi Bolstered", article about anti-Vietnam demonstration in the US and their effect on politics in Vietnam

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Draft transcripts were automatically generated via Google Document AI and are currently under review. Please report significant errors to Archives & Special Collections at archives@unl.edu.

Transcript

ATTN ENNEX UPI SPECIAL FOR GANDY BY BEV DEEPE SIAGON VIETNAM NOVEMBER 29220 (UPIS) The anti-Vietnam demonstrations in Unistates, including the latest march on Washington, has produced more worry among Vietnamese citizens than among American troops or officials here. The Americans are more inclined to dismiss the demonstrators and draft card-burners as “adolescents or idiots”--in the words of one major. Few see the [XXXX indicating deletion] anti-Vietnam agitation as being Communist influenced or inspired. Vietnamese citizens--especially staunchly anti-Communist Roman Catholics--however, are more inclined to believe there is some Communist influence in the anti-Vietnam demonstrations (as well as in the civil rights demonstrations) because they correspondent with the political warfare tactics used by the Communists in Vietnam. Those Vietnamese who recall the French Indo-China War worry that in the long-run the demonstrators will force the Johnson Administration in the future to soften its stance in Vietnam. “Everyone knows that the French did not lose the war at Dien Bien Phu (the isolated, well-defended fortress which the Communists overran in 1954, [XXXX indicating deletion] after which the French government agreed to the Geneva Convention ending the war). The French lost the war in Paris when the Paris government no longer [deletion: supposed] supported the French army and [XXXX indicating deletion] wouldn’t send in more funds and troops. The French could easily have won the war after Dien Bien Phu if they had maintained the support of their [XXXX indicating deletion] government and people at home. The demonstrators in America may produce the same thing in the coming years.” first add x x x the coming years x x x In many respects, the Vietnamese are more exposed to news about the anti-Vietnam demonstrations because many consistently listen to Radio Hanoi, which broadcasts long editorial commentaries [XXXX indicating deletion] about “the great American people rising up against the Johnson clique.” Vietnamese language newspapers in Saigon [insertion: were] heavily censored [deletion: the] [XXXX indicating deletion] about the latest march on Washington. The American GI in combat areas, isolated from current newspapers and too busy to listen to brief radio spot news items about the demonstrations, is much more affected by the floods of letters of support being received from Unistates citizens in “Vietnam Mailcall.” (One box of 10,000 letters recently arrived at the Unistates First Division headquarters north of Saigon.). One anti-Communist official in an allied embassy explained, “We in the diplomatic corps in Saigon are more concerned about American casualties here than we are about the anti-Vietnam demonstrations in America. If the American casualties continue to rise as they have been lately, the American mothers and fathers who now support the war may reverse their viewpoint--somewhat like happened during the Korea conflict.” second add x x x the Korean conflict x x x One American official, speaking privately, dismissed the importance in America or in South Vietnam of the anti-Vietnam demonstrations, but was worried about the agitation in that “the demonstrations encourage Hanoi to continue the war. Hanoi sends in more men to stretch out the war, [deletion: think] hoping the American public opinion will turn against the Johnson Administration--especially at the ballotbox. One recent traveller from Hanoi expressed the same viewpoint. “The Hanoi officials think that if they keep pushing the war just a little longer pretty soon the American people will clamor for peace--on their terms,” [insertion: he said.] Radio Hanoi continuously blares out about this--it helps their morale in North Vietnam and [deletion: it] Hanoi hopes that it will gain support for them in South America, Africa and other underdeveloped countries.” third add x x x other underdeveloped countries x x x On Sunday afternoon, shortly after the [XXXX indicating deletion] protest demonstrations in Washington, a half-dozen American GI’s of the U.S. Army First Division sat in their hot tent situated in a dusty saltflat north of Saigon. One, a sergeant from California, explained, “The most typical reaction to all this is--let them demonstrate over here--on some long-range patrols. These patrols are alot tougher than demonstrations.” Another reaction was, “We’re not as worried about what’s happening in Washington as what’s happening in Lai Khe (a nearby town and scene of bloody fighting the day before).” Another, an officer, [deletion: explaing] explained, “Some of us are disgusted with the draft-card burners but some of us also think they are more helpful than harmful. They have put more focus on the troops in Vietnam and we’re getting alot of letters of support. One private called the them ‘draft card burning punks’ and that pretty well sums up the attitude of most of us.” He pulled out one letter, handwritten by Linda Taconelli [deletion: of] repeat Taconelli of Newton Square Pennsylvania, which began, “Dear Soldier--I don’t know who you are, but that doesn’t really matter. Thank you for being who you are and fighting for such a precious thing as peace….Please don’t ever loose (sic) faith in people and [deletion: Expecially] especially in God….” An American civilian added the comment, “This encourages Hanoi--they think these demonstrators are a majority of the American people.” fourth add x x x the American people x x x Another sergeant explained, “When we get the newspapers--usually three days late--we read about the demonstrations and then we turn to the sports page. They’re not a big thing. If there’s any talk about them amongst the troops it’s as offhanded as ‘maybe it will rain today’ or ‘maybe there will be another demonstration tomorrow.’ Some of us have been bitter in the past--we can’t understand why they are doing things like this.” Another explained, “The demonstrations are not an alarming thing--mostly it’s done by students and institutions of higher learning have been doing things like this for a long time. But these young people are [deletion: [illegible]] are notrptnot [deletion: [illegible]] Communists sympathizers.” On the protest march on Washington, one Vietnamese intellectual was amazed about the “big names, like Arthur Miller” who joined in the march. One Western diplomat commented about the news dispatch mentioning a woman marcher carrying a baby. One refugee from North Vietnam explained, “The Americans have too much democracy and so they allowed the peacemakers to do what they want. For instance they carred carried the [insertion: Viet Cong] flags during the demonstrations. That is too much!” A high-ranking Vietnamese army officer explained, “I’ve been in the United States and I understand the American democracy and that the [XXXX indicating deletion] anti-Vietnam marchers are a very small minority. But they consciously or unconsciously serve the Communist propaganda [insertion: ;] [deletion: and to] the Vietnamese in Saigon are influenced by these marches which are blown up (exaggerated) by the Viet Cong (Commnnists).” fifth add x x x Viet Cong Communists) x x x Another Vietnamese army officer, who recently returned from the Unistates, brought back the idea that the anti-Vietnam demonstrations were financed and sparked by the Chinese communities in America--which had connections with the Red Chinese. A [XXXX indicating deletion] low-ranking [insertion: Vietnamese] government official explained, “I believe the issue of war [deletion: of] or peace should be decided by the Vietnamese themselves and notrptnot by the Americans.” A Vietnamese cyclo-driver explained, “I’m notrptnot impressed much by the peace marchers, but the Americans who burn themselves really have the guts. Before I thought only the Japanese dare to commit harikari and then the Vietnamese Buddhists did it [deletion: and] I believed the Americans were only materialistic people who would notrptnot dare to do it. Anyway, I’m concerned [XXXX indicating deletion] only about the Vietnamese who are killed every day.” A Vietnamese intellectual noted that the Communists’ release of two American sergeants and heavy fighting forty five miles northwest of Saigon were well timed by the Communists to dovetail with the protest march in Washington. enditdeepe

Date

1965, Nov. 29

Subject

Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Peace movements; Anti-war demonstrations; Vietnam (Republic)--Government and politics

Location

Saigon, South Vietnam

Coordinates

10.8231; 106.6311

Size

20 x 26 cm

Container

B187, F6

Format

dispatches

Collection Number

MS 363

Collection Title

Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers

Creator

Keever, Beverly Deepe

Collector

Keever, Beverly Deepe

Copyright Information

These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.

Publisher

Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries

Language

English