“We have made our decision. We will not be a part of this unjust, immoral, and illegal war. We want no part of a war of extermination. We oppose the criminal waste of American lives and resources. We refuse to go to Vietnam!!!!!!” – Fort Hood Three
When soldiers in Vietnam began refusing combat orders, organizing underground anti-war newspapers, and taking action against their officers, the U.S. military faced an army in rebellion against the war itself. This class examines the massive GI resistance movement that emerged within the ranks during the Vietnam War, from individual acts of defiance to organized mutinies, antiwar coffeehouses near military bases, and networks of active-duty soldiers who saw themselves not as heroes but as war criminals being ordered to commit atrocities. We’ll explore how this internal revolt, spanning all branches of service and crossing lines of race and rank, helped force an end to the war and why the military establishment has worked so hard to erase this history of soldiers who chose conscience over orders.
INSTRUCTOR: Mike Prysner is an Iraq war veteran turned anti-war organizer, working with U.S. service members. As a producer & director for Empire Files he has created a body of anti-imperialist films, podcasts and educational materials (most recently Earth’s Greatest Enemy). He is the new Executive Director at the Center on Conscience and War.
Join us this Tuesday as we study the legacy of the anti-war movement and the many forms it takes – from soldiers refusing orders to the building of the mass movement in the United States.
