Professor here at the school and director of partnerships for international strategies. This is the program here but partners directly with universities and researchers and state suits across asia. And since 1994, weve had extensive work with universities and research. And in Government Agencies and ngos in vietnam. Would love to be able to also bring the voices of the region here. To washington. This week is devoted to waging peace in vietnam. It is especially acknowledge the partnership with the institute of policy studies. And their associates fellow ron carver. [applause]. We will hear from him in a moment. Today at many locations around the nation news capital, the service of veterans to our country is recognized with gratitude. We also remember that november 11th, 1st marked the day the gun fell silent you wrote. And what is known then as the great war and was supposed to be a war end all wars. And it jet succeeding generations, men and women have been enrolled in military service to the nation. But at times, the patriotism and sense of duty was sorely tested as policies conflicted with their own consciousness. The exhibits for which we are celebrating the opening commemorates the bravery of u. S. Military men and women. They understood their allegiance to the nation to encompass speaking out about the abuses and legitimate state of prosecuting war in vietnam. I hope you will take your time to fully absorb the extraordinary information that is been made available to us. To enjoy the vietnamese music later on. And we can think the elliott Schools Office of Public Affairs for the excellent arrangements tonight. [applause]. I will leave it to ron to explain the genesis of the exhibit and book. Especially the opportunity to introduce his coauthors who are also here barbara in particular. Let me first say a few words about ron carver himself. Ron has been a warrior but a warrior for peace and social justice. The day after he graduated from high school, he joined the student nonviolent coordinating committee. He first worked as next Atlantic Communications department and later in rural mississippi. His Successful Campaign efforts over the decade included supporting the american g. I. Resistance during the vietnam war. Closing and in the two and a industry. The factories shut down and when he was released in the labor agreements with the Truck Drivers objected while fighting to forum a union in my mind. And compensation with Chinese Workers beaten for stabbing out of the lunch line. It was designed and directed campaigns while working for green peas. Peace. Friends of the earth. The uaw and founder and director of the cancer news office of strategic campaign. For the unions news words first reform reform president. A sneak photographer, his work has been exhibited in chip in, mexico city, and galleries across the United States. Ron, the mic is viewers. [applause]. Greetings and thank you for coming i am overwhelmed at the turnouts and i appreciate it very much and linda i appreciate the introduction. I didnt expect that. And coming from you, and means a lot. We have been bringing this exhibit to universities across the country. This is the most wonderful of all of the exhibits. As you see from the program, we have a weeklong series of events including great movies, peace poetry, open mic, the reenactment of the famous First Amendment lawsuit, forthright first this reserve, the secretary of the army. He had punitive lability transferred david for protesting the war. And with the added caveat that not only did he protest the war, but he refused to tell his girlfriend that she should stop protesting the war. How is that. So thats reenactment will be here at the law school on thursday afternoon. And then on friday, we have all day, a Great Program thats starting the morning with history professors talking about various initiatives to in the war in vietnam. Not the least of which was the g. I. Antiwar movement. Next we have a panel on teaching the vietnam war and the g. I. Antiwar movement. Though we didnt think it wouldbe proper to bring on all of these people together that went out talking in the afternoon about the ongoing legacies of the work. Not going to talk about today how the war began or how it was prosecuted. But we can never forget and should never forget the ongoing legacies of the unexploded coordinates that unfortunately keeps exploding and the victims of agent orange. And they keep coming also. The impact of into it agent orange, transfers through the generations so we now have second and third generations victims of agent orange and theres a lot that can be done but mostly we want to be talking about vietnam american Vietnam Veterans are doing to mitigate these legacies. They may also then be talking about with the rest of us could do about that. At the end of that program on friday, will going to have an reenactment of immobilization march and of course that is why we have this program here in washington. This month because this is the 50th anniversary of immobilization against the war and the largest antiwar protest in the history of the United States both up to that day and even after that day. [applause] in march in which antiwar soldiers and veterans fight a hero and we will talk about that in a minute. So that will be leaving here around 6 00 oclock on friday and marching three blocks to the white house. This is the special march designed for those of us boome boomers. Boomers go home. [laughter]. No boomers go to the white house. And though. [applause]. And the with young people, and we are pleased that there are so many young people. At the tenant universities and other universities in washington dc for joining us this week, so anyways, that will be a candlelight march. Pretty brief. It will be pretty cold but you can do it. If i can do it, you can do it. Thought i really wanted to say appeared today before we turn this over to the key speaker seymour hersh, and three veterans who will would they were activeduty, warriors for peace. What i want to do is say i was it an event yesterday. It wonderful sure party to one of the four people we have here from vietnam and will be speaking on friday evening. And someone asked well how about the birkenstock didnt documentary. How come they didnt mention is it too much about the Antiwar Movement. And nothing about the g. I. Movement. They did, due to important things. First of all, the burns novick documentary, reignited discussion about the war and this was good. They clearly blamed series of u. S. President s for prosecuting the war even would they knew it couldnt be one. Because they wanted to let the next president take the blame at ending the war and losing the war. They had individual soldiers stories. Thats important. Its always good to have stories. But what they didnt do in that series ten part series, they didnt mention the g. I. Movement. Yet individual gis may change but this exhibit and in this book that we are celebrating tonight, waging peace in vietn vietnam, u. S. Soldiers and veterans who oppose the war. It tells the story of the birth and the growth of the g. I. Movement. The story is told through different chapters related to different types of dissent and resistance. We have the folks who the early resisters doctor howard leavy, refused to train berets. You had jj johnson, part of the of course of three who will already in the army refused to deploy to vietnam. Early resisters donald duncan, celebrated the greenbrae quicken discussed because as he said, you know what to do but he knew what he was doing was wrong. But later we get into the soldiers who marched in great numbers. Ken burns knew the story because he had a he of david great film, sir no sir. It tells the story with music and is going to be presented here tomorrow night. And voices of the shoulders but he ignored it. And when he was ignoring was in many of you might not know this but from 1968 on, every major piece march in the United States was led by activeduty soldiers and veterans. In 1969, you had a thousand activeduty gis marching in the streets of texas outside of fort hood. In 1979, yet a thousand activeduty marines in oceanside california. They were outside of Camp Pendleton marching in the streets. In the next year, you had 2000, and you had people marching in seattle, washington. In raytown new jersey. All across the country, you had thousands of gis marching. You had susan shaw who will be talking tune. Leading 500 active duty sailors and soldiers down Market Street with a couple of thousands of civilians marching behind them. Ken burns know about this and chose for whatever reason, which we dont have to speculate. You can do that on your own. Didnt want to talk about it. You had hundred this movement spread. You will see in this exhibit and you will see in the chapter of the book, about the g. I. Underground press. There will between 250 and 300 individuals newspapers written by and for gis primarily returning from vietnam. Telling their stories, they would get them printed and be smuggled back onto the basis. Thousands and thousands, you read about that story. We are talking about soldiers who are building a moment. The newspapers will the social media of the day. Theyre telling the story and all of us real time. Back then it was real time. Maybe it took two weeks or month. So this is the story of resistance. This is the story of protest. This is the story that we are honoring. By the way, paul boxes here tonight who activeduty marine, saw his own mini me and came back to the United States and discussed it and angered and betrayed. And he raged, 20 back to camp the paper he put out, he named rage. So this is the heart of the g. I. Movement. It wasnt just individuals. It was people building a moment. So that is something to recognizing the reason that we are doing this, the reason that we are touring campuses across the United States this simple and humble and we want to change the way history has been taught in this country. Articulate the history of the vietnam war. If you dont talk. [applause]. If scholars dont write about the g. I. Movement would theyre writing about the war, if they dont teach about the g. I. Movement would they are teaching about the war, how do you explain the end of the war. We have to give full credit to that of the dummies people who fought valiantly for their own independence. [applause]. It is important to know the secretary of army in january 1979 came back from vietnam for the tour of inspection. He told president nixon, if we dont get the troops out of vietnam, we are going to lose the army. He didnt say will going to lose the war. They are a new theyre going to lose the war. Theyve known that for years but he said will going to lose the army. That is a tribute to the troops that resisted in great numbers. You will read about in the book. Its also there. And the final thing i want to say is we believe this has brought a sad story. And as an inspiring story. It is important for young people to hear the story and people who are facing rate challenges today with the environment, with reproductive rights, all kinds of social justice issues. This is an active duty soldier, during the height of the vietnam war, will able to build a movement so robust that it was a significant actor and ending the war, then young people today should feel in harton, they should feel bold. They should feel optimistic about fighting for social justice today. Cutback thank you. [applause]. Thank you ron for giving us a real charge to go forward in the weeks activities on these central themes. Provide some perspective on the book itself, which is for sale and you may have noticed right there. I am especially pleased to introduce mr. Seymour hersh. His outstanding journalism has changed minds and conversations on critical issues. His beef is worldwide and covers the u. S. Government and his activities abroad. Including for example, the main night massacre, and the egregious treatment of the rocky prisoners at apple great. Hes a graduate of the university of chicago who shifted from law to journalism. Military service, he cofounded a newspaper afterwards. And later he worked for United Press International associated press, and was press secretary for the Eugene Mccarthy president ial campaign. Hersh was able to interview lt. U. S. Army lt. Calley, her accounts of the killing in march of 1968 of hundreds of south vietnamese villagers in the hamlet of new live. By his troops on his command. Hersh news syndicated account of help end u. S. Involvement in the vietnam war. And provided the basis for surprise mining eli. At the New York Times, hersh news Ground Breaking reporting on the watergate scandal. And this led him to write the price of power. Kissinger and then a saint nick Nixon White House free app worth reading again. But a damning portrait of henning Henry Kissinger that won the National Book critics circle award. That went out further ado, i would turn the podium over to seymour hersh. Cutback. [applause]. I will sleep about the book, im really glad they told you where to buy it. It is the backbone. It is an amazing book. I will tell you this. And if so if youve ever read it, you can daydream for a second or two. But if you havent, just off of the essays. Stephanie is done, dennis, fell short. If this doesnt get to writing the book, nothing will. Im here before because i am a vietnam work junkie. Like most of you here. I happen to believe my heaven and no, you can hear me. I have given speeches before huge auditoriums where at the end of the speech, everybody came up to me and they said they couldnt hear anything. [laughter]. What is wrong with you people if you get here. [laughter]. Let me come on. We wouldnt have ended the war if everybody had that war. Anyway, i am a junkie in the war. I do believe in is the most mystery war. In American History and i will say why. I guess the people in this book and many of the people who fought the war understand why. Its really simple. Its not just the work, fully understood actively or passive passively. It was a war that it isnt the question of the general just not getting it. All of the four stars and three stores around the war, it was a criminal or. A war of murder and rape an atrocity that was known and covered up in real time. By the general serenity. What i am staying is im into this again, which is why i was very glad would ron did this. Would ron asked me to speak, somebody. I learned something about the massacre about a year ago that was staggering. And since that time im researching a documentary that will be made. Were playing around. In a d c. The bottom line, is that the men in charge, new by early 1966 that war crimes, and i am talking about the concert reports filtered as they were coming up to them of the killing of noncombatants, the inability of the soldiers in the field to make a distinction. All vietnamese even the little ones, they were in training. Theyre going to grow up. Young and old woman, or a constant. They knew this. There is a major study very early and totally classified. So secret i guess. Nobody knows about it. Many understood just as they begin the buildup. Then in less check, unless it stopped and telling the officers the low loophole officers, you will not get promoted i the numbers of the people you kill, by the body count that the war was going to be lost. You cant fight a war if everybody in every village are going to hate your guts. Anyway, they did nothing of course. And they look the other way. I can tell you now, they learn so much about me like, i can tell you that if so he said to me, i love saint doesnt, but i begin do you get into what i got into now, i had a guy for very high levels and 69, he said to me, let the story i wrote was about lt. Kelly who is accused of hundred 90 killing hundred nine vietnamese. I was nuts twice about why such a big number for him. He said me, your good guy, this is the guy who is 43 years in the military undercover and other agencies. In a smart guy. He said, nothing wrong with you. Your good guy but he can tell you would it came to eli story he said, theyre like little Red Riding Hood and saw big bad bear and you thought it was william kelly. The first lieutenant. He got me going. I can tell you that at the end of the war, westmoreland had a long paper written icing with a lot of Legal Services of the pentagon. I at the judicial quote, relationships to westmoreland, is like that of it law firm like patton famously is here to the client. Its not about the troops. That casey was a military judicial protecting the client. So long paper written. Hundred pages. Making the argument that there is no basis of prosecuting convicting and hanging him. For crimes as was the general tom mu michiko the famous general japanese commander in the philippines whose troops did who knows what. An told horse. And wesley and all of his peers, the three stars into stars, at the top new score. They knew what was going on in the field. Thank knew that the numbers being killed, of anybody killed, was being counted by the middle of 66 no matter how little they were or will they women and children, they were enemies. Then in the story then. So the beeper was never published. Of course that never rose. That issued never rose. Im on time clock so i dont have a watcher. Some going to ignore until somebody comes and grabs me. But anyway, i publish the book that you heard about. Thirtysix years ago i did that. It did not pick up wesley news real fears. But i wrote about ironically about the first moratorium. It happened to come out about a two day or two after my first remark kelly. I remember there are signs of. And i if my family, we could in our group, we will there. The only ones who and 67. At this. Was important because it was also a tremendous amount of military involvement. Ex military, and guys risking their careers and their lives. But in the book that i read about, there was a lot about moping and groping in kissinger and nixon about the first moratorium. And ironically enough, none but none of us and then, let the success of the moratorium had an amazing impact because nixon had campaigned and would the very close election is Hubert Humphrey and i was thought mccarthy joined his companion because id been a freelance writer 67. And he couldnt do that much and mccarthy and Bobby Kennedy would. He was against the war anybody needs to say is the mcnamara is right remember and 66, had low educational standards of the war. It was a project 100,000. The idea was do you get more people with 65 or the 90 iq into the army. It will be more congenial and more willing to do what you want. And mccarthy news, basically, change the color of the corpses do you get fewer white people and more hispanic and africanAmerican People in the work. Because obviously, those people are in educational systems then and now. Thank you give a much less chance of less money its been. Nothing is changed about that. Its not going to change with this current government we dont want to go there. Wed its been a anyway, so nixon told everybody he had a secret plan to in the work but it turned out, it was would it. And he back channel and 69 and about the middle of the year, he began signaling to the north that he was going to be different. He ordered the Strategic Air command on absolute high control and lifted, theres a standard loophole of chair basically, i guess you would call it readiness. Any moved it from no readiness to near the highest readiness. These are all signs from the signals traffic. We know the other side can monitor that stephanie also had a plan that some of you may know to escalate and start bombing dramatically, he warned the north vietnamese. He had Nuclear Options plans. As i would have been comes. It was also called some of you might remember the madman theory. Nixon was going to president himself as somebody out of control and scare the north. [laughter]. The guy with the idea was to of course the north to come in except the piece with this awful government headed by ms. Him and his brother. In this amazing book that was published in 792 fire in the live. She said, their best day in the war was we will backing the wrong side. We should been backing the vietnamese. There are vietnamese nationalists. They were the legitimate government but that is another story. Okay, so he was going to do all of the stuff. And then here comes a lot of whining on pages of the document staying he was talking about, sam brown, david hock, mccarthy campaign, he was staying is the direct quote. There is no stability or grace of these leaders. Moratorium prosecutor. Mercilessly, persecuted those they regarded as culpable. Some the day of more of the moratorium, bill watts, later resigned, wrote, he is staying that if you go ahead with this escalation given the outcome of the moratorium. Not only in washington around the world particularly in the countries in america, he said there will be physical turmoil and the rage wouldbe out of control. If you remember, these are the days and some of you young people wouldnt know it, these are the days would the great jokes going about the war was out hey who is the pernicious general working for kissinger, and supporter of the war, rushing in to nixons office, to say mr. President , the protest are getting out of control and we need security inside of the white house. And as the joke has it caught the 82nd. And take responded, mr. President , with the protesters on the 82nd. [laughter]. Fta dear member fta. Anyway, great group. He later said in his memoir, after all of the protest of moratorium, merck news Public Opinion which relate beat seriously divided by any escalation of the war. So he buried it. The moratorium was far more successful and why. They couldnt note that they really done something anyway. I have thing to say about all of this. And ron said it to an way. And that is, yes, what these guys suffered and they were put in briggs, some given 16 year terms for processing. There was one shot in the back is remember that was right. There will others in the suffering that went on who protest at frantically early. They stood up for the military and they were willing to confront the military. They were sent to but a few years back i returned to my family to eli. Ive been to saigon. I was reporter for the kissinger. But since the war ended, the dish full of bodies, emotions for sure. Anyway, the one official that he really wanted to meet, the vietnamese official was motivated. A woman who was leader of the National Liberation of the political arm of the south. I interviewed my first during the times, i was sent to come apiece talk at 792. I its been a long day talking to her. The everlasting credit, they led the people with after the third paragraph he didnt say and kissinger said this. They just let her talk about the line we will doing in the dishonesty. I really got to admire her. Not only for her brilliance and her willingness to be direct. She was beautiful. She had shiny black hair. She was this amazing reader for women and in paris, she could walk a block or two in paris that went out being surrounded by people. Practically woman. She was just seen as magical. I knew a lot about her. I wanted to see her in check perseus back there. With an amazing pocketbook. With your iphone pretty do you have a iphone by contract. Plaintiff calls and sure enough we arranged in Late Afternoon visit. I was on a trip with sammy and then it already got away. I was going to see her in Late Afternoon her very modest home. She had fallen out of the communist leadership. In the north. Theres this little chinese demagogues, in the capitalist. She was very contentious of them. Sure enough she came this twostory house i was downstairs waiting and she came down in the late 80s dressed to the hilt. Long dress, and a beautiful scarf around her neck as she pretended very nicely to remembering the interview though i wasnt so sure of that. Anyway had been a big splash at the time. And of course at one point she said i do remember you and of course i remember the stories. We in vietnam will so grateful for the stars because they did so much do you get the American People to understand with the war was like. And then she said this wonderful thing. She reached out and put her arm around my shoulder and she said, you must remember it was we, the vietnamese, we won the war. In a story. [applause]. We owe so much to his reporting and thank you again in todays letter to the editor at the New York Times you may have noticed there was a letter by iraq war veteran, tom. Who responded to the article that was carried a couple of days ago about the increase of suicide rates among veterans today. And in his letter, he pointed to the concept of moral injury. She defines as quote, one to the soul and psyche. Any rights it causes combat veterans to question the morality of the actions they were ordered to take during combat one veteran news eloquent essay in the book reveals him is bill sure. Phil served in combat in vietnam and was an antiwar resistor. He now teaches photography mn park college in california. And he was an artist in residence at the addison gallery of american art in massachusetts. And he is the coauthor with melissa seidenberg of the book, a matter of conscience of g. I. Resistance during the vietnam war. I would like to welcome this short to the podium. Lets heres his side. [applause]. The book that barb we are just talking about is this book which is out of print, just published in 1992. You can still get it on amazon. Is the 58 oral histories and portraits of gis who protest at the war. As the early publications. Also the backbone of the exhibit the book it also contributes are as i was to externals pretty sir no sir. Associate producer on the great film. Sir no sir. As mentioned tomorrow night. I all of you to go see that. If you want to find online, i have these, you note to a matter of conscious. Com. Theres also project my wife and i worked on that is called the raise of the american war stories in vietnam. We made three trips in the early 90s to vietnam to took energy. Ninety people fought against the United States during the war. So i wanted to start with a quote from something recorded in the book which is the quote from sir Stanley Shawcross was one of the prosecuting attorneys at the nuremberg trials in 1946. The city comes a point would man refuses leader is also to answered his conscience. I think that is really true for a lot of the vets who took part in protest individual and organized in the vietnam war. Wanted to consider that call from him a sneak way to talk about or reexamine the idea of patriotism and what it is. And patriotism is something for me it came to me my family and the upbringing of besides my family will revolutionary war veterans. It we witnessed our country following a wrong path is incumbent for us to speak out or be complicit with that path. And those who spoke out against the wards millions of the Antiwar Movement and resistors, with a loyal patriots of the United States. I like to thank those of you in this group tonight who are part of the civilian Antiwar Movement for supporting gip resistors and no antiwar demonstrators ever stuck on me. I cant say. [applause]. I cant say that my voice was a strong or powerful as those working against the war on the home front like folks organizing demonstrations and publishing g. I. Newspapers and running antiwar coffeehouses. Jet resistors like skip, david klein and shoot susan, and others who reach thousands of americans and helped turn fighting is sore. They are my heroes. But i wish i had been as happy as they were. But in a small way those of us who resisted from the field of combat, and isolation help contribute to the demise of the u. S. Military and ultimately bringing the war to an end. Thrown into the machine, upbringing the military years to a slow halt. On the descendent of revolutionary war veterans on both sides of my family, also the son of the civilian engineer who worked for air force intelligence and a base. Growth in military neighborhoods. I was drafted from spring hill, ohio eight, just after the tech fence is in march. Ill give you an idea of how that affected the draft at the time. There will 30 people drafted from my county in february. There hundred 50 of us drafted in march of 1968. I was trained and training for the infantry at fort jackson so South Carolina and also patron of the folk coffeehouse. It was around at columbia, South Carolina the time. I was aware of the Antiwar Movement was a bystander at this. I volunteered for candidate school at fort georgia. We did the school that like many ocs, i train people to be sergeants to the small combat units in vietnam. I sent to vietnam in february of 1969, and would i went i know about campus protest because i had attended a university for your to have before went into the service. Before i was drafted. But i havent quite decided if i was ready to take those stand against the war. As i reported for my deployment to vietnam, and oakland, california. I got there a day early. I its been a night in a very cheap hotel. The next day i went to church from the full morning. Trying to figure out whether i was going to go awol or not. I decided that i should go and see the first man for myself. Then make my decision about whether i was a guess or not. See it in real live. So i took my dog takes off and hung them on one of the crosses unaltered those in the church. I asked whoever was there, not very religious person. I asked whoever was there, that i hope they would help me find the right path would it got to vietnam. I got there, i was deployed to the First BattalionFirst Infantry Division parade we were in a small room. The first entry was of commonly and effectually new is the well have he went. I was a spot leader and infantry platoon and then eventually promoted to platoon sergeant. One of the things that really turned me around and hillside from the body counts and all of the combat that we were in, was that would we did blow up an ambush and their troops will sent out to count bodies, i always would lay back and is very interested in that and i was figured the other guys to be curious enough that they would do it. So its kind of trying to insulate myself would i was actually doing. And another senior who is the rank above me, came to convince me to help him start boobytrap and bodies. And that is what really turned me around was to actually physically touching the bodies and boobytrap those bodies. Myself, my first squad leader, and the three of us went on strike against the war. I was initially charged with leading a conspiracy of mutiny against the United States government. I was initially going to be given it general courtmartial but a received special courtmartial and received special flight received two sixmonth sentences and its been about 47 days the first time in 14 days the first time in 47 days the second time in in jail. In lumpen south vietnam. And there was eventually discharged and sent back home. One is in the stockade, was built to hold 250 people there will about 500 of us there. Most of the people who will there, will therefore various things like refusing orders, soul, drugs, all of the symptoms of the breakdown of morale of the military. I firmly believe that if there werent inactive antiwar Antiwar Movement back in the United States from i wouldve its been a lot more time in prison. I think the military this. In time, and realized that there is such a turn against the war, that they were just trying do you get people like me to focus out of the military is quickly and easily as possible. So i guess i just want to close with a quote from robert d final military historian. Eric, and the forces journal entitled the collapse of the armed forces. In his opening paragraph he says, the morale is the plan and battle worthiness of the United States armed forces, are with a few exceptions lower and worse than any time in the century and possibly in history of the United States. Every conceivable indicator, our army than remains in vietnam, is an estate and of approaching collapse. Although, soldiers like myself, did not have the latest news or knew the extent of the uptight move for moment, is in the air and we could all smell it even 10000 miles away. Thank you. [applause]. Thank you bill, and spirit placeable to have this eyewitness personal experience report. Of those times. Now despite the hope that the lessons of vietnam might include a reluctance of the country to engage in armed conflict, we have now been more released in afghanistan for 18 years. Nearly generation. Head of our more recent veterans view their sense of duty. I would like to hear now from jonathan, and honorably discharged veteran of the United States navy he sent from januar. As an enlisted member of the navy, he helped to launch the appeal. Mobilizing over 2000 members of the active duty and reserve race to said a protected communication and members of congress appealing for an end to the wars in iraq, and afghanistan. Jonathan is in atlanta georgia, Howard University of them. Yes. [applause]. A weather, husband and lifelong human rights defender. Please let us welcome, Jonathan Fisher pretty. [applause]. Cant contain myself. First and foremost let me think theyll it school of international studies. George washington. And all of the laborers who worked to bring this museum this traveling museum. Can we get a Strong Movement of hands. [applause]. Specifically, to around but before i do that, i wouldbe remiss if it didnt recognize some soldiers, a soldier specifically in the room here, the gentleman right here in this corner, orangeville, we instead of airline. Warren give him a strong hand. [applause]. Warren is the survivor. A survivor of entergy man who has won it in action. He got medevac to hawaii. Event him years ago. He runs like a race horse. Hes my mothers age. I told him hes my inspiration parade i asked him to come out here. I wanted to thank him. Appreciate you warren. And to my good friend, ron carver, because braun in terms of that intergenerational link, to the student im on the coordinating committee. Organizationally, the committee, really birthed me into activism and organizer and is the revolutionary. So to come to you today is an intellectual or is someone merely studies history although my mother certainly educated me and part of the vietnam war a sneak child. In terms of high school, specifically a story of a young man she tells, she was an undergraduate student at clark anatomy university and a young man was walking to class one morning news last morning i let her know that he had just gotten drafted to vietnam. And she talks about this gentleman, his name something right now which talks with the letters. She received letters from him and then at some. Those letters stop. This is the story that many of you have heard. Or lived. Leaving history. The may come into the role of the early 80s and runs a small child six years old, i think my mother literally collapse of the wall and she said the name of the wall. And some other names, that she wondered what had happened to a friend. The classmate that she grew up with. So is that history who certainly bathed my brain if my veins a sneak child. I was solidly born in the middle class, the black middle class in atlanta georgia. Who through a breadwinner, my weather, they went from bring a breadwinner to being Child Support payer would i was ten years old. Its different would you are pairs of divorce right. So i was able do you get to Howard University because my mother decided our Economic Situation is still going to be a superior, all of us a. Belief in myself if my own ability do you get things done. She said if you can get there, you will find a way to stay. And i did. I was student body president my junior year. About a professor named running green. This is around. This is running green here. Come back is the retired professor of economics and he was the first person ever who took me out on the streets action a sneak freshman at Howard University we margin Newt Gingrich news house. Contract on america. I had the president of the University Standing right next to rod. I bring him up because he is my first link to the g. I. Movement. I didnt know it was a g. I. Movement veteran would is an undergraduate student. But as it sneaked hundred in my undergraduate years, and the ranking memorial chaplain to my generations. Known to me as carmichael. It was within that address and i before he passed, the part of what he said as to the students was that the more you struggle, the more you know. And the more you know, the more you can do. And your people are going to need you to do until you die. And again im not coming in is intellectual, im an organizer. Im an activist. Since with that spirit that right now is engage and struggle. Against the Police Brutality and neither georgia maryland upright road from washington dc. It was with in that struggle, the around and i in conversation with each other, i learned history in the g. I. Movement. Not knowing that three years later, due to my own personal struggles, 26000 in debt. In terms of college. I had a young son, i was a single weather. I mayday decision. I joined the United States navy. I enlisted on january 14, 2004 not that it wouldbe just a nice smooth trip. Just pay off some loans, and a graduate education. I was in for a rude awakening. All of us a year later, eminent van, leaving north virginia driving somewhere and because in my mind and not going back to connie and uss roosevelt. I made his decision and he couldnt take it anymore. I couldnt take all of the racist jokes pritikin take homophobia. I couldnt take the sexism. I couldnt take the grab ass i couldnt take the things that will is it too demanding. Is it too inhumane for my spirit. But i did stop by rods house. As i was on my way to somewhere. Those rod was struggle with me to actually go back to the ship. Can you a nudge in that. And in his struggle with me i remember some. The road made in a one point that he made he said the young men and the women in the division, on board the uss roosevelt, any of them if not all of them, they dont feel no different than you do. They just deal with it. In a different way. That youve always have spoken outwardly. Now might be the time for you to deal with and which are actual can a nudge in that. I had to grapple with that. And it didnt make sense to me at the time but i trust abroad. I actually turned around and went back to the ship actually served my punishment within a year later, we launched an appeal for redress. Based upon this book and inspired book by David Cartwright soldiers in revolt. And i want to say, and david will be here, but have a minute left. But what i want to say finally, im going to close this book. I want to say finally is that there are many struggles taking place in the United States today. Ron mentioned them earlier. The environmental struggles. Washington dc, the most different city in the United States. Black people being pushed out of the city, wholesale. Organization, we fight like hal. The most Affordable Housing is public housing. And thats not that theres a connection between the counseling and eradicated Public Schools being eradicated having this massive military budget. Sucking the well have out of everything. All of the resource. In leaving people to die right there pretty no schooling, no housing, with a massive problem. Its got money for or for what. You cant feed the poor. So regardless of how you got here, will all in the same vote. And if joyce jackson, leftist with well have in my eyes and solitary brother, those words, all bring to you here. I internalize and a live every day. He simply told us to settle your quarrels. Come together. Understand the real true reality about situation. Understand that fascism is in. It is in. Peter leavitt is here, within the structural sense, it is here ideologically. Fascism is here. Millions have died they couldve been saved. And there are millions more the die that have such a poor live and if we fail to act, do what must be done. Embrace your love and humidity in a world wide revolution. Join us, veterans of peace. Join us being organization during the war from people. Give up your live for the people. Thank you so much. [applause]. Fantastic. We certainly have our marching orders that way. Thank you. So we often of the images of the military award, up to now seem so masculine. And yet we know that the men who will fighting and will supported by women at home, often very young women with children, wondering what was going to happen with their future. And certainly, the Antiwar Movement was certainly galvanized by many women. Women strike for peace. To exemplify the kind of bravery that we have been talking about here, and enduring commitment. Maybe i can even say, there is no finer model then susan should know. I know will roses to do better and to choose peace. Susan as a navy nurse led that and type for march on San Francisco in october of 1968 and she is currently. [applause]. An assistant professor at New York University school of professional studies in healthcare management. In served as president of the new york city captor of this marvelous organization veterans for peace. She is organized scientific panels about agent orange of the American PublicHealth Association news annual meetings. And she works closely with families that have been affected by agent orange over generations. Please join me in welcoming susan schulte. It. [applause]. And the beginning of all of my presentations are reminder of what happened 75 years ago in hiroshima and to apologize on behalf of of the American People and American Veterans of the Us Government for the terrible destruction we did on japan. It is for me and was a kind of personal reconciliation to her. My father was killed on the island of guam in july 1944 and so going to japan to talk about peace and reconciliation reminds me of how important it is for all of us to continue that struggle and that struggle to reconcile former enemies for all of us to Work Together for peace also, a reminder. Today is i know most of you may think of it as veterans today but its Armistice Day and those of us in veterans for peace demand we rename this day Armistice Day so we talk about a day of peace instead of showing the glory of war. [applause]. From the summer of 1967 through june, 1969, i was a navy nurse in oakland, california. I was assigned the surgical and orthopedic ward. They were world war ii barracks crowded with 35 to 40 patients, all young men who had been wounded in this country called vietnam. They were very young, 17, 18, 19 years old. Some were missing limbs. Somewhere so shot up their tubes coming from various parts of their body draining fluid. It was at night that i heard the cries and screams of the pain and fear and it would start on these long open words. Each unit, a wooden shack holding 40 steel frames, oldfashioned hospital beds filled with wounded young men. At night the lights would be turned off so they could sleep and dream their nightmares of war, of dead and dying bodies, rotting in the dense jungle growth in a faraway country called vietnam. These youngsters would scream their agony, my leg, my leg, its been blown away. Be careful, there is a trip water in the grass and then they would cry agonizing and panic yells. Im in pain, give me something for the pain. I cant take it. Nurse, please give me some pain for the pain. It would start at one end of the long unit and it would be carried by the next man a child. I told you, i need to something for this pain. Of their limbs would be held by hooks that you used to elevate butcher hooks and they would be holding up a leg or an arm that had large open wounds oozing pus , infection mixed with blood. They would have stumps that would always remind them of their war and loss. One, 18year old young cleancut guy on his way to surgery for foot amputation, he was terribly frightened and crying. I grabbed hold of his stretcher as he was being wheeled to the operating room and asked him to talk to me. He said he was scared of dying and as we started to talk, the doctors pulled away the gurney. They said they didnt understand why he would be scared to have his foot amputated. After all, it was only his foot. They had seen so much worse on other soldiers. He was chilled and shaking as they moved his bed out and down the ramps to the operating room and his death and i couldnt protect him from the war, from his fear, from his death. How could i not know his name . I know the scene. I clearly remember where it took place. The old orthopedic ward, the doctors a standing around upset at being called in to operate on this kid. His foot was losing all situation and gangrene started to spread. I was only a few years older, but i felt responsible for him, for his fear, for his pain. He and the other young men were the reasons why i became a nurse in the navy. Somehow i could heal them, make them whole again, ease their passage back into society and family until i couldnt and realized that this war had to stop. This was in 1967, 1968, during the height of the american war in vietnam. I watched the battles on tv and lived at the were at work. I was against this terrible destruction and waste and yet i had become a part of it. I had a responsibility to act and work with others to stop the war and is a member of the armed forces, it was imperative to inform the American People that there were activeduty gis who were also against of the conflict in the southeast asia, that we supported the troops by wanting to bring them home. I was working with a Group Organizing g. I. And in veterans march for peace to be held in San Francisco on october 12. We had difficulty distributing flyers. The press wouldnt write about the story and we would put up posters in the middle of the night that would be torn down the next day. From the news i learned the us dropped leaflets on south and Central Vietnam to urge the vietnamese to go to these protected hamlets, so they could avoid dying or being sprayed on by agent orange and i thought well, if the us could drop flyers for war in a country thousands of miles away, why couldnt we drop flyers against of the war and for peace on military bases at home. I had a friend who is a pilot and we put thousands of flyers that we publicized the g. I. And veterans march for peace october 12, and we dropped the flyers on the hospital where i was working, on a Treasure Island that was the marine base, and presidio, an army base in San Francisco. Then, we flew into Alameda Naval air station where the uss enterprise is it docked and we flew the flyers on the deck of the aircraft carrier. [cheers and applause] we did get a little publicity. I did wear my uniform at the press conference and said that we were activeduty military and we were organizing a march for peace. Two days later after dropping the flyers, i was given an all navy regulation, which is stated that may be it may be personnel their uniform while participating in partisan political issues and i thought well, if the general could go in front of congress and ask for more money and more troops to be sent for war in vietnam that a political issue. Why cant die as a military activist wear my uniform for peace . [applause]. The courtmartial board disagreed. They send me too dismissal from the military and to six month at hard labor. I was released pending appeal and it was kind of a cool way to begin organizing because everyone had heard about the action and had heard about the march and we were easily able to start eight g. I. Coffeehouse against the war and distribute papers because now all of the people on base near. At this time, in 1968, the United States was at the paris peace talks. Is 16500 troops died in vietnam, 11600 more gave their lives in 1969, an additional 6000 died in 1970. Estimates are that over 3 million vietnamese died in this conflict, women, children, babies in their land in their country. Today, we know that president kennedy, nixon and the johnson knew the United States wouldnt win this war in southeast asia, but they kept increasing troop numbers, armaments, bobbing a country thousands of miles from the shores of the us. We never heard of a Vietnamese Committee and i dont care in this country on us citizens and yet we let our military forces attempt to bomb them back to the stone age. On february 3, 1969, the closing arguments submitted by navy trial counsel about my actions quote even her referring to me slightest action were not noble or idealistic, they were petty and small minded. I ask you, is it petty and small minded to try to stop the killing and massacre of millions of people . Was it petty and small minded to want to bring the us troops home alive . To prevent the death of an additional 40000 troops . To want to bring them back to their families, their communities rather than use them for cannon fodder so president s could get reelected and not appear weak to the American Voters . What is your decision, america . [applause]. Well, i think you can understand why i noted especially susans bravery and commitment. Thank you so much for all you have done and continue to do. The list of the think use is very long as we prepare to bring this marvelous a session to a close. I would like to ask if you would join me in thanking some of our key cosponsors such as people who have worked tirelessly such as terry from vietnam peace commemoration committee. [applause]. Betty munson from Vietnam Veterans for peace and our key Staff Members here from the Elliott School of international affairs, Anthony Desantis who put so much of this program together and my wonderful person who has been working with me tirelessly, from the secret center for asian studies. [applause]. These are just a few of the people who have worked together in such a cooperative way to make this event possible. We are grateful that we will have an encore with wonderful music. We will not be able to have a q a. I am sure you are all bursting with questions. However, feel free to talk to each other and please enjoy the rest of the evening. Thank you. Before we leave, i want to talk about the origin of this exhibit. It was the War Remnants Museum in saigon when they learned i had spent almost three years working as a civilian with a g. I. Movement in the coffeehouses, asked me too curate this exhibit for them. It opened there in march, 2018. This is a duplicate as i mentioned earlier its to read the United States universities and then less than a year ago on december 3 i was fortunate to attend a book launch, a book called conversations of diego rivera in the new york city and there i met Lynn Elizabeth who is the director of new Village Press emma which is distributed by nyu press and when she learned about the exhibit she asked me to make a can companion book, which is the book thats on sale now. She gave me and tell march 1, to give her a polished manuscript as it she said and then it would be in the log for this fall. Well, with the help of my wife Barbara Dority [applause]. And professor david for right from notre dame, we got that manuscript to live elizabeth at 4 30 a. M. March 1, and therefore we have the book today. I have a new friend with Lynn Elizabeth who has been just a dream publisher. I say that not as if i have a lot of experience. Its my first book, but its been a pleasure to work with her and we have special prices today. The book retells for 35, but she is selling it for 30 or two of them for 50 or for students 25dollar price anyway by smiling. Thanks again, enjoy the music, enjoy the wine and food. Thank you for coming. [applause]. Sunday, book tv features the latest books from former trump Deputy Assistant sebastian and former New York Times labor reporter Steven Greenhouse. Starting at noon eastern on indepth with a live conversation with sebastian. When i saw those two planes flying to the twin towers of the World Trade Center i viscerally understood that the totalitarians are back they may not be communists, but they are totalitarians and if you read the works that inform groups like al qaeda it is clear that america is once again facing a global totalitarian ideology. s latest book is the war for americas soul. Join in the conversation with your phone calls, tweets and facebook messages. Nine eastern on afterwards Steven Greenhouse talks about his book beatendown, worked up. So many people had no idea what unions do and how unions bring us a 40 hour workweek and bring us pensions and theres a bumper sticker, union the folks who brought us the weekend. I wanted to explain to people unions have achieved a whole lot in American History, but now they are really in the decline and have been taking it on the chin and as a result of things are considerably worse more workers, i believe, then was the case 30 years ago. Watch authors this weekend and every weekend on book tv on cspan2. Recently on our Author Interview program afterwards the new Yorker Robin Wright interviewed National Security advisor and un ambassador susan rice about her career and views on international politics. Here is a portion of the program where she talks about russian president Vladimir Putin. Theres no question that Vladimir Putin personally in his objectives as leader of russia are antithetical to our interests, that theres nothing that one can say about his objectives that online in any meaningful way now with hours and the interference in our election is just the most glaring example. There were occasions over the years when we were able to work with the russians like, Iran Nuclear Deal and getting a large cross of chemical weapons removed from syria, but you engage with Vladimir Putin without trusting him is my judgment and thats what so worrying about how i think President Trump has engaged with him. Hes privileged privileged i puts word over that of our own expert intelligence, but the flip side of that, ironically, is that phone calls with Vladimir Putin were not screaming matches. They were quite civil line involved in respectful even if they were adversarial. Then, i of course had a number of experiences engaging with Vladimir Putin personally and directly when he was at meetings with our at summits where president obama was attending and i also can attest personally that he is a creep as it relates to women and i mention this in the book as well. He had an opportunity at a reception in normandy, france, on dday anniversary and president obama and i were at this reception in a large room and obama was across the room. I was unfortunately by myself as the only american with Vladimir Putin and his National Security advisory and he made some unwelcome comments about my attractiveness. To watch the rest of this interview and find more episodes of afterwards visit our website, book tv. Org and click on the afterwards a tab near the top of the page. I would like to get us started. We are lucky to have the mayor of annapolis here and he will start as off with a few words. Thank you. We will welcome everyone. [applause]. Im honored to be here. I want to say a couple of words about the triumph of the human spirit