Download PDF of this full issue: v56n2.pdf (37.4 MB)

Democracy Defined: Vietnam Veterans Against the War

By Roger Barriteau

I was a civilian who worked with the Columbus, Ohio, chapter of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War from 1973 to 1975. VVAW had launched Operation Winter Soldier, and in part of that nationwide effort, civilians like me helped the veterans, their spouses, and partners with projects such as getting the word out about Agent Orange, Amnesty for military deserters, Medical and other benefits for Vets—and we helped Vets to express their outrage and anguish over the death and destruction of the war.

VVAW published a newspaper (which I managed to get into Marion Correctional Institution while lecturing there). Vets in the local Chapter put a lot of time and effort into absorbing and discussing the issues and projects coming from the National VVAW office—and we civilians joined in these discussions. The Columbus chapter held several joint meetings with chapters in other cities, and we got to see how each Chapter had its own character.

There was a striking openness to new ideas—the Vets were very happy to be "back in the World!" ( as they put it ) and to catch up on the social changes. The Winter Soldier civilians were anti-war activists, feminists, anarchists, and even a few hard-boiled Stalinists. The Akron chapter had a civilian gay activist with a David Bowie (Ziggy Stardust) hairstyle and a will to explain and be understood.

The vets were from the various services and of several ranks—both officers and enlisted. They were the core and the very meaning of the Chapter. When important decisions were to be made, the vets met, discussed the issues, and brought consensus regardless of previous rank (though a former enlisted man carped to me that the officers still tended to dominate things). I was asked if I wanted to join the vote, but the other civilians and I stayed out. I remember watching the circle of standing vets in the next room quietly discussing whether to support the effort to gain amnesty for deserters and draft resisters who left the country. These vets had served in Vietnam, and there was obvious reluctance from some to support amnesty—but they discussed and discussed and finally accepted the call from the national office.

To me, they were a band of brothers—united in their recognition of the truth—that so much of the war was so very wrong. Democracy became defined for me by that circle of brothers. They reached out to each other by granting each other the right to speak and be heard—to question, discuss, and render a collective and well-considered decision. They recognized that they required the help and knowledge of outsiders, but they took their own counsel.

Down the road, the VVAW vets would draw their families and partners more and more into their organization.