WHILE BRAVE MEN DIE

foreign this is Vietnam in February 1965 the president orders limited airstrikes against selected military Targets in Lenoir as with Generations before them these American fighting men have been called away from their homes off to a distant land to engage in a bitter and bloody struggle this time against the aggressive forces of communist North Vietnam and the Vietcong in the swamps and jungles American soldiers carry out their orders locate and defeat the guerrillas and terrorists of the Communist Vietcong the American Mission peace an honorable end of the conflict ensuring the continued sovereignty of South Vietnam [Applause] [Applause] foreign twice before in this century American servicemen have led the fight for freedom in both Europe and in Asia now as before the price of Peace in the face of imperialist aggression is high [Music] Sam Vietnam we offer four more support to all men of Draft Day to refuse military service my objection to it is that I don't know of very many plagues which have been so often prostituted at this one well I think I think it's time to start organizing for the next one when maybe we will block him when he can't get into his White House while brave men are dying in the battle to stop communist aggression abroad here at home Americans are witnessing demonstrations teach-ins and draft card burnings conducted by a wide variety of groups and individuals United under a common Banner which they call the peace movement the purpose of this film is to help you analyze discuss and evaluate this highly vocal and at times even militant minority one which is likely to become even more vocal and militant in the months ahead to do so we must first Identify some of the activist elements involved one organization prominent in the so-called peace movement is the W.E.B Du Bois clubs of America described by FBI director J Edgar Hoover as one of the most ambitious communist youth movements in years an illegitimate spawn conceived by the Communist Party formed in June of 1964 its leaders include patina apteker an avowed Communist Party member and Eugene Dennis Jr the son of a former Secretary of the Communist Party its publication is called the Insurgent even more militant is the progressive labor party organized in New York July 1st 1962 by a group expelled from the communist party for being too extremist its Publications include challenge a weekly newspaper and pl progressive labor a monthly magazine its members were instrumental in establishing and controlling another group the May 2nd Movement or M2M founded at Yale University in March of 1964. infiltrators into the M2M report that it has actively solicited aid for the Communist troops fighting in Vietnam its publication is called the free student two other militant leftist groups are the workers world party trotskyite organization and its youth affiliate youth against war and fascism the largest most powerful trotskyite group is the Socialist Workers Party which publishes this weekly newspaper the militant its youth group The Young socialist Alliance publishes this monthly magazine the young socialist militant extremists expelled from the Socialist Workers Party in 1964 have formed still another group known as spartacist which publishes this bi-monthly newsletter of the same name students for a Democratic Society formed in 1960 has been extremely active in organizing demonstrations and urging resistance to the military draft through acts of civil disobedience in 1965 SDS members voted to permit Communists to join and serve in leadership capacity for this action they were severely chastised by their parent organization the league for industrial democracy also active in the peace movement are women strike for peace which welcomes Communists as members and leaders the committee for non-violent action whose members have refused to serve in the Vietnam War the student peace Union the Catholic Worker the war resistors League the committee for a sane nuclear policy and many others members of these many Diversified elements Communists trotskyites socialists pacifists and liberals have joined together in a united front for what they call Peace anti-American and internal threat extremist giving Aid and comfort to the enemy you be the judge as you witness the peace movement in action this is the University of California a major staging ground for radical leftist demonstrations and meetings nearly ten thousand students attend a marathon 32-hour teach-in featuring speeches by Alaska's Democrat Senator Ernest Greening Levi Lee laub a leader of the progressive labor party and Mike Myerson the international Secretary of the W.E.B Du Bois clubs who proudly displays a ring made from the tale of an American jet plane shot down in Vietnam by communist gunfire starting Lind a Yale University Professor urges the Gathering to commit acts of Civil Disobedience so massive that our top government officials will have to resign both Norman Thomas and Norman mailer Reserve their sharpest attacks for the president himself the worst possible self-righteous attitude is the worst possible indifference to human blood you play this chief game with Farm to flee and we've been doing it for God knows how many years the president needed another issue then it came to the present hot damn Vietnam Vietnam that little old country which has been under his nose all these years things were getting too quiet in Vietnam if there was one thing hotter than Harlem in the summer it was Air Raids on rice paddies and Napalm on Red Goose during the summer months the protests are accelerated in their intensity in early August students from the Berkeley campus learned that one of the major points of embarkation for troops destined for Vietnam is in nearby Oakland on several occasions radical leftists need contingents of students in attempts to block trains carrying military troops into the Oakland base police guards clear demonstrators from the tracks and escort the train through the protesting crowds foreign the first experiment in massive civil disobedience in connection with the Vietnam war protest as initiated the next day in the nation's capital weeks before a call has gone out through various militant leftist Publications announcing a three-day demonstration climaxing on Monday August 8th with a March toward the capital with the intention of convening in the chamber of the House of Representatives for a declaration of Peace will be read coordinating headquarters for the demonstration is set up at the Washington offices of Snick the student non-violent Coordinating Committee and the signers of the call include Carl bloice a correspondent for the Communist people's world and Publications director of the W.E.B Du Bois clubs starting Lynn the Yale Professor David Dellinger formerly associated with the fair play for Cuba committee and currently a sponsor of the radical committee for non-violent action and Carl Oglesby the leader of the students for a Democratic Society the three-day protest began with an attempt by the demonstrators to enter the grounds of the White House stopped by police they are advised by their leaders about their next course of action AJ musty of the committee for non-violent action there has been discussion already a much larger scale attempt on the part of a great many more people to put the thing up to the president himself and to commit civil disobedience continuously if he will not as a matter of fact see American people rather than a group of small delegates we had done we were debating whether or not to stay for a few more hours or whether to stay all night or whether to leave now and I feel the point we made is you know has been made there's no sense of staying around and I just say that I thought the president probably didn't give a damn whether we stayed here all night that by that I meant that I think he's probably gone somewhere else and that we're not blocking traffic here so there's no real point in anybody staying on any longer yeah I think I think it's time to start organizing for the next one when maybe we will block him when he can't get into his white house I am inclined to agree with Joan that the part the better part of political intelligence at this point is to figure that we have made about as much impact as we will make uh if we should for instance stay another couple hours or even all night that I would like to see those people who have spoken so cogently on the need for civil disobedience I would like to see them speaking in the workshops tomorrow and then the final reminder is that on Monday there will hopefully be more Civil Disobedience at the assembly for unrepresented people and I hope that out of the workshops will develop plans for civil disobedience on Monday of that character and I hope that since we are apparently spared from going to jail today I hope that as many as possible both of us will be able to be present at that time recommitting civil disobedience the next day demonstrators pick at the White House later they proceed to the workshops where discussions range from the war to the campaign to abolish the house committee on Un-American Activities while on the other side of the globe South Vietnamese Rangers proudly display the flag of their communist Vietcong enemy a flag which they had just captured after a long and bloody battle several participants in the Washington demonstration attract attention by planning the same Banner near their literature table in the shadow of the Washington Monument the group identifies itself as the committee to Aid the National Liberation Front the political front for the Communist Vietcong the committee's chairman explains the purposes of his organization committee is to advise people in this country who feel that the war in Vietnam is unjust and feel that the government's killing of people in Vietnam should cease on how they can send money to the National Liberation Front for purposes of Medical Aid now what is the the feeling here will you actually be sending money to people to help support people that our Marines are fighting and well the committee will not be sending any money to the National operation front ourselves we will be advising people who want to do it on their own to do it on their own we simply will be selling our buttons which advise support the National Liberation Front and uh telling people where they can send the money by registered mail too confirming teague's statement this announcement appears in a subsequent issue of spartacist urging readers to support the National Liberation Front by sending money to an address in Prague Czechoslovakia the announcement then states that more information can be obtained by writing to Walter Teague in care of the committee to Aid the National Liberation Front at a New York City address in a subsequent interview a leader of the students for a Democratic Society admits his group's role in the anti-draft movement the students for Democratic Society has taken a stronger position on this I think you yourself and representatives of your organization have actually urged people to burn up their draft cards tear up their draft cards and not comply with a draft is that true right we would urge people to have nothing to do whatsoever with all the Machinery of the war but more than that try to take the idea of resistance into the communities and organize around the poor communities negro and white communities Trade union locals even the suburbs and working-class communities around New York City people are trying to find ways to open up the dialogue on Vietnam that has been missing on the street level and on the corner level and that that is being done in a number of places this summer the next morning the march to the Capitol begins a presbyterian Minister participating in the demonstration explains his presence well I represent the Protestants at the Columbia University in New York City I'm watching simply the human being who doesn't want to get blown up sponsors of the demonstration include Russ Nixon managing editor of the national Guardian newspaper who has been identified on five occasions as a member of the Communist Party in sworn testimony before the house committee on Un-American Activities both he and Donna Allen of the women's strike for peace another sponsor of the demonstration we're cited for contempt of congress for their refusal to testify at a 1964 Committee hearing as the demonstration nears the capitol grounds the Marchers are worn by police officials twice that if they proceed they will be subjecting themselves to arrest singing We Shall Not Be Moved the Marchers continue is suddenly interrupted as members of the National Socialist Workers Party the Nazi party rushed forward shout in vectives and throw red paint on the demonstration leaders despite the interruption David Dellinger and Staunton Lynn moved the March closer to its destination the warnings by the police have no impact on the Marchers as they continue on to the Capitol grounds where they are stopped by a line of Washington police and are warned again Stoughton Lind announces to the demonstrators that they will continue and suffer arrest and the Marchers attempt to push their way through the police lines [Music] foreign stopped by the police the demonstrators sit down on the sidewalk in what they call passive resistance starting Lynn the Yale Professor is among the first to be arrested later he is joined by David Dellinger and ultimately before the afternoon is over by more than 250 others the arrested Marchers are loaded into paddy wagons and police buses and escorted off to police headquarters in an attempt to block the buses several demonstrators lie down in front of the wheels complaints of police brutality are heard as they are removed and carried away [Music] [Music] a steady flow of wagons and buses keeps Pace with the three-hour Long arrests that take place awaiting arrest the demonstrators read their declarations and make their speeches [Applause] U.S intervention in Vietnam is against the interests of the vast majority of the American people I I intend to support the Constitution of the United States I will not fight in Vietnam foreign and Cuba and Russia the whole world are watching us right now further the arbitrary centralization of decision-making constitutes a most serious erosion of the democratic right of the American people to discuss and decide the questions of War and Peace oh baby [Applause] [Music] the war simulates the most reactionary elements of this country raising the ugly thread of McCarthyism the United States out of the world that are particularly in the United States is not whether they are overthrown but where they repent what do they change in order to keep us all from being destroyed that's what I'm saying give me a chance will you we're more ugly we're more together we're more disciplined we're more engaged and we're more effective now than we were we had all the guys we organized us and that is the proof I think that we are all leaders and we all know what we're doing that we can't hear a democracy and you can't pass responsibility around it we lost certain men we lost Paris we lost Downer we lost Canada and when we had them we were staying out there we were looking around people were swimming they were screaming each other now we don't have them and Harrison one of us knows exactly what he has to do the abdication by the Congress of the United States of its right to decide the issues of War and Peace and in support of the Johnson administration's counter-revolutionary war against the Vietnamese people shows that this does not represent the interests of the vast majority of American people but only a tiny corporate oligarchy all right man thank you [Music] we have no violent intentions we're not going to hurt anyone we just wanted to March around that building to launch of that [ __ ] read a piece of paper and then go home and why aren't we allowed to do that can any of you men tell me why we're not allowed from the demonstrator's point of view their first Venture into massive Civil Disobedience over the Vietnam war is a great success they are arrested and convicted of violating the law many are even imprisoned according to subsequent news reports two of the leaders Stoughton lend on the right of your screen and Tom Hayden leave the United States on December 19th together with Communist Party official Herbert uptechter and fly to communist North Vietnam for conferences with communist officials there a new type of protest and Civil Disobedience occurs in New York City at an October 15th rally David Miller a member of the Socialist oriented Catholic Worker organization publicly burns his draft card Barry Bassin another featured performer at the rally explains his opposition to the draft [Applause] to the draft citizen I think if the United States wants an army it should be a voluntary Army if the people of the United States are willing to defend this country militarily they should do it voluntarily personally I am not willing to defend this or any other country through military means do you think that this country is in danger I think it's in danger yes from the government no other thoughts have you refused to serve in the army yes I have after going to the speaker's platform bastion's opening attack is centered on the American flag itself [Applause] [Music] would be here today my objection to it is that I don't know of very many flags which have been so woven prostituted as this one October 15th and 16th are set aside as days for international protest by the militant groups organized by the Vietnam Day committee a berkeley-based group protest demonstrations are conducted in many American and foreign cities simultaneously Berkeley demonstrators try twice to March through the city of Oakland to the Army terminal there being stopped on both days by police officials among the organizers of the New York City March are Clifton D Berry an official of the Socialist Workers Party and Levi laub of the progressive labor party even spartacist is clearly represented three weeks later the year's most dramatic public draft card burning ceremony is introduced we offer four more support to them whether they engage in burning their draft card otherwise non-cooperate with the draft or seek pacification as conscientious objectives [Music] the five draft card burners are identified as Thomas C Cornell Mark Paul Edelman Roy lisker James Wilson and David McReynolds their ceremony is interrupted briefly by a spectator with a fire extinguisher but only moments later the burning continues on Thanksgiving Day delegations from more than 100 radical leftist and pacifist organizations arrive in Washington at the Lincoln Memorial Church an affiliate of the United Church of Christ for a three-day long Convention of the national Coordinating Committee to end the war in Vietnam outside the church the delegation representing the committee to Aid the National Liberation Front headed by Walter Teague arrives and begins to unload bundles of communist North Vietnamese literature and communist Flags both Teague and an associate proudly display the Communist flag for photographers these same flags are carried in the Saturday March for peace organized by the committee for a sane nuclear policy the organizers of the March welcome any and all who might wish to join on route to the Washington Monument grounds many demonstrators stopped to purchase the latest edition of the Communist party's worker a special issue commemorating the protest demonstrations mingling among the demonstrators are members of the extremely militant spartacist organization carrying signs blaming American imperialism for both the war in Vietnam and the rioting in the Watts area of Los Angeles at the Washington Monument the American flag is casually discarded On The Ground by some as they prepare to listen to an afternoon of speeches attacking American foreign policy an invocation is given by Dr Edwin Dahlberg will you please stand Dr Dahlberg is a past president of the National Council of churches Almighty and eternal God we have come together from all parts of our nation to voice what we believe to be the better conscience of the American people the first speaker is Dr Benjamin Spock and noted pediatrician and author and co-chairman of the sponsoring committee for a sane nuclear policy Dr Spock comments it has been futile trying to impose on South Vietnam a reactionary dictatorship which has never had more than lukewarm support from a small proportion of the citizens following Dr Spock the crowd hears speeches by long-time socialist leader Norman Thomas Professor Joseph M Duffy Jr of the University of Notre Dame and Congressman George Brown Jr Democrat of California the crowd then hears the last two speakers the difference but they are intensity what the National Liberation Front is fighting in Vietnam is a complex and a vicious war and it is also a revolution as honest as they will ever come and this this is a fact which all our intricate official denials will never change can we understand why the Negroes of Watts Rebel then why do we need a devil theory for the rebellion in South Vietnam in spite of the charges of militant leftists the facts on the struggle in Vietnam remain clear the North Vietnamese dictatorship headed by Ho Chi Minh has launched clear-cut aggression against the Republic of Vietnam using the Vietcong as the military arm of attack and the National Liberation Front as its political apparatus repudiated by almost 1 million refugees from communist ruled North Vietnam Ho Chi Minh hypocritically calls for liberation of South Vietnam and attempts to disguise his aggression as a civil war the United States has intervened in accordance with International agreements and at the invitation of the government of South Vietnam the United States seeks no territory but rather seeks to protect another Nation from communist Conquest meanwhile here at home organizations and individuals involved in the so-called peace movement promised to accelerate their protest against this American policy in the months ahead you have heard some of their statements you have seen how they promote what they call Peace you have heard a charge that the president has ordered bombing of North Vietnam as a callous political move to create a diversionary issue you have heard the American flag denounced in scathing turns you have seen deliberate violations of law in what is called civil disobedience you have seen the flag of the Communist Viet Cong carried by leftist demonstrators in the heart of our nation's capital under orders from the president of the United States and with the overwhelming support of your representatives in the Congress this flag flies today off the shores of Vietnam it is carried into the swamps and jungles a symbol of Hope For Freedom And Justice For Those in that besieged Nation who are resisting communist aggression it represents you and your traditions in every crisis the American people have always rallied behind it and the brave man who answered its call and they shall again as battles Roar and brave men fall not just for the core those words duty honor country but for you and all those who cherish Liberty respond one nation into visible foreign foreign [Music]