Their plan to hold memorial service for Vietnam war dead inside the Arlington National Cemetery was blocked by locked gates. Clarity is usually a virtue in politics. As far as I'm concerned, I'm now serving my country.”, After several hundred of the veterans had filed past the statue, depositing, along with the medals and citations a few uniform jackets, helmets and even a plastic submachine gun, Larry Rottman, a veterans' or ganizer from New Mexico, de clared the week's protest “now formally concluded.”. He added that the President had instructed his Administration “to proceed in a way that would not lead to possible violence of any sort and with the understanding that people have a right to press themselves.”. Those arrested were originally charged with the serious of fense of obstructing justice, but, at the request of the Jus tice Department, the charges were reduced to lesser ones of disorderly conduct. This is where Kerry keeps his Vietnam War archive, including artifacts from his swift boat days. But the release of Kerry's war record put an end to the flap. "My parents told me that if I really did come down here and turn in my medals, they never wanted anything more to do with me. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. It was this morning's dem onstration, though—the spec tacle of the men stripping themselves of combat honors and medals given to them by parents of their dead buddies —that probably best exempli fied the point the group had been trying to make for five days. At one juncture during our interview session, he pointed above his desk to a frayed American flag tattered with bullet holes. The medals he threw … He said that he had first wanted to give them back while still in Vietnam “when I found out that the ‘political force’ we were fighting was the people. Some showed their discharge papers to re porters and others rattled off serial numbers and military unit designations. From Kerry's vantage point, there is nothing contradictory about his statement to "Viewpoints" that he had given back "six, seven, eight, nine medals." "When he threw those medals over the fence, I was pretty upset," McCann recalled. "John [Kerry] and I later became great friends. American Protest Against the War in Vietnam, 1963-1975," Nancy Zaroulis and Gerald Sullivan detail how much internal sabotage was going on within the Navy. They gave only their first name and a calm statement: "Robert, New York, and I symbolically return all Vietnam medals and other service medals given me by the power structure that has genocidal policies." For over two hours, men hurled their medals and ribbons over the fence toward a statue of John Marshall, the first chief justice of the United States. "I chose my ribbons, which is what many of the veterans did." Joseph Bangert, a 22‐year‐old former Marine who, like most of the others, was dressed in parts of his jungle fatigue uni form, returned six medals in cluding the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. But Kerry did not throw away his medals; he just pretended. Stuck in the middle of released documents was an evaluation of Kerry by Hibbard, filled out two weeks after he supposedly told Kerry he didn't deserve a Purple Heart. Representative Charles A. Vanik, Democrat of Ohio, was also present. For many of the veterans, the discarding of military paraphernalia set them psychologically free. Many veterans were seen throwing their medals and ribbons over the fence in front of the U.S. Capitol. He continued to carry the coins throughout the war in his shirt pocket as good luck charms. In 1971 alone, 488 cases were reported (191 sabotage, 135 arson, 162 wrongful destruction). Watch The Epic Moment British Soldiers Throw Their Medals Realizing That War Is Organized Murder! "Do you still have the Silver Star," I asked Kerry. ", Not all the men gave up medals or ribbons. Many were insulted by the prospect. The Americans trailed the far more experienced Soviets by five points at halftime and by 10 points with less than 10 minutes remaining, but mounted a furious rally and took a one-point lead on a pair of free throws by Illinois State guard Doug Collins with three seconds remaining. Douglas Brinkley is the director of the Eisenhower Center and a professor of history at the University of New Orleans; he is also the author of "The Unfinished Presidency: Jimmy Carter's Journey Beyond the White House.". Why, if he thought Kerry was trying to finagle a Purple Heart, did he give him such high marks for personal behavior? What happened to them? Within 20 years we were back on friendly terms with Vietnam, and all of the hysterics with their dire warnings about what would happen if Vietnam went communist were utterly wrong. Because bullets could easily penetrate the hull, sailors hung flak jackets over the sides. They heard Representative Robert F. Drinan, Democrat of Massachusetts and a Jesuit, call for a $50‐billion reparations fund to be paid over the next five years to “all peoples of Indochina.’, See the article in its original context from. All rights reserved. Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) is an American tax-exempt non-profit organization and corporation founded in 1967 to oppose the United States policy and participation in the Vietnam War.VVAW says it is a national veterans' organization that campaigns for peace, justice, and the rights of all United States military … The Boston Globe quoted him as saying, "I've had thorns from a rose that were worse." The only difference between himself and First Lieut. This is a digitized version of an article from The Times’s print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. In retrospect, however, what he did was right. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. During the Vietnam war protests over 800 Veterans threw their medals away at the Capitol building. Many chose to turn in hats, jackets and military documents. "Apparently it was quite common for soldiers to throw their medals away at the time because they were so sickened by what they saw," he said. We were taught ‘Don't trust the kids, don't trust the old women, they'll kill you.’ It's the people's struggle against the aggressor, but we're the aggressor.”, Joseph H. Triglio, 25, a for mer Air Force sergeant who threw back a plaque he received as an honor graduate of his basic training school, shook his longish hair. The players removed their medals as South Africa prepared to lift the trophy England were well beaten 32-12 in Yokohama,in a game watched by millions of fans in pubs around the country . Collectively, his photographs speak of personal liberation. Others vented their spleens, which were bursting with defiance: "Here's a bunch of bullshit," one veteran shouted as he hurled a handful of medals. After glancing at them briefly we went back to our taped interview. At the 1972 Munich Games, the United States met the Soviet Union in the men’s basketball final. Even Sen. Stuart Symington, D-Mo., when preparing to cross-examine Kerry at the Fulbright committee meeting, asked him what the "medals" on his chest represented. In 1864, Robert Blake became the first African-American to receive the award. The shrapnel in his thigh should remind us of that sacrifice. U.S. Navy poster featuring Medal of Honor recipient Robert Blake. It is a tangible souvenir from Vietnam that is still with him every day. Why did he say on that show that he gave back medals when he was telling everybody else it was ribbons? Throwing away these medals issued by their government showed that they rejected their government and demanded change, adding also a threat of … "It was numbing to witness." He stood by them as they hurled medals back at the government. Liebling of the New Yorker once claimed of Rough Rider Theodore Roosevelt: He was a "dilettante soldier but a first-class politician." 60 years on: Why Irish soldiers who died in Niemba did not get medals Defence Forces head then said being killed is not a reason to … "Yeah," he said, "do you want to see it?" According to Hibbard, Kerry had a tiny scratch. So, as its closing salvo, VVAW, in a carefully planned action, had 800 veterans congregate near the Capitol's front steps. This is where he keeps all of his war medals. The first was on April 23, 1971, when Kerry and 800 other veterans tossed their medals over a fence in front of the Capitol. The medals he tossed had been given to him by two angry veterans who wouldn't make it to Washington; he was merely serving as their surrogate. Yesterday, 106 of the veter ans were arrested on the steps of the Supreme Court for con ducting a noisy protest of the Court's decision, the night be fore, to uphold an injunction against sleeping on the Mall. The Nixon administration feared widespread mutiny. Over 35 years after the fact, Hibbard, a Republican, was trying to belittle, embarrass and malign Kerry. He walked across his study to a secondary desk with clutter on top, mainly books, and opened the top right drawer. Meanwhile, the word "throwaway" jarred veterans worldwide. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. As the memorabilia piled up and the media took it all in, it was clear that the antiwar movement had just turned a sharp corner. The Medal had been their pride and joy, the achievement of a lifetime. The first official service medal for soldiers of Imperial Germany who had taken part in the war was the Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918, established by Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg. But for 610,000 American soldiers of John M. Reis’ generation, the Battle of Bulge was a fight for their lives. A nickname for all the medals on an Americans chest is the ‘fruit salad’, as if someone took a bowl of fruit salad and threw it and some of it stuck to the chest. It was as if the U.S. government had corrupted them, seized their moral compass with shiny pin-on honor. ­Dubbed true patriots, they followed the order to fight their country’s battles. The hearing was described by an aide to Mr. McGovern as a “special ad hoc” hearing to let the veterans pre sent testimony. Nato summit leaders should have been forced to watch the moving protest of the former troops chucking their medals away. Dramatically, veterans from all branches of the armed services broadcast their names, units and citations, and then rid themselves of their mementos in disgust. She said she would divorce me if I came down here because she wanted my medals for our son to see when he grew up.". Their hopes of camping on the east end of the Capitol Mall, in clear view of Congress, seemed thwarted by a Federal injunction, hastily ob tained by worried officials, that prohibited sleeping on the Gov ernment's property. "There was so much buried pain," she recalled. While McCain's sentiment was held by many sailors, particularly careerists, others on active duty cheered VVAW onward. The White House, meanwhile, set a tone of official forbear ance toward other antiwar demonstrators, expected to number 100,000 or more, who will gather tomorrow for the fourth mass protest here since Mr. Nixon took office. In "Who Spoke Up? We spoke about the harrowing day he saved the life of Jim Rassmann, a Green Beret who fell into a river amid a hail of mortar rounds. However, when ABC News showed an old clip of Kerry talking on a WRC-TV program called "Viewpoints" on Nov. 6, 1971, claiming he gave back medals during the famous Dewey Canyon III march in Washington in April of that year, they pounced. When and why did the Japanese soldiers become bloodthirsty "savages" … Jack Smith of West Hartford, Conn., a Marine Corps veteran, read a statement explaining why men who earned Purple Hearts and Bronze Stars were now giving them back to the government. Another threw over the fence a can he used as a result of a war injury. Nobody question ed the authenticity of the am putees who frequently led the ragtag “search and destroy” mock marches in wheel chairs. It often causes him discomfort. Angry GIs sought revenge on officers and men in their platoons or units. Why Irish soldiers who fought Hitler hide their medals ... but he wears his medals in secret. “We sure as hell don't want them any more.”. The men, who had won the medals in Vietnam were throwing them away. President Nixon and his advisors considered having a U.S. military representative accept the medals in front of the White House -- such a gesture would ensure there was no violence or wild TV images. "We had just promised to be nonviolent and we were.". A photograph taken by George Butler of VVAW shows that the offerings included recruitment letters, induction papers and discharge forms. ON THE WAY to the fence where he threw some of his military decorations 33 years ago, I was 4 or 5 feet behind John Kerry. The disputed incident happened 33 years ago this past weekend, on April 23, 1971, when Kerry led the group Vietnam Veterans Against the War in a protest against the war they fought. As a World War II veteran played taps and about 500 people gathered around, the names of men who died in Vietnam were called out. What he had brought with him, and often wore, were his ribbons. As an antiwar action -- or a piece of street theater -- it was a powerful demonstration. ", Julia Kerry, John's former wife, who was with her husband the entire week, came to the conclusion that the veterans had been in deep depression and denial. Now their family and friends, their neighbors in their hometown, and even all of America was being told they hadn’t deserved it. William Carney was actually the first to come under the spotlight for his actions at Fort Wagner, South Carolina on 18 July 1863, but he received his Medal years after Blake did. Tonight thousands of long haired youths and their con servatively dressed elders joined more than 600 active duty servicemen in a memorial serv ice “for all Indochina war dead” at Washington Naval Cathe dral. Veterans Discard Medals In War Protest at Capitol. Then vet after vet mounted the stage to give their stories, moving personal testimonies about why they came to march and why they were throwing back their medals. Internatio… For over two hours, men hurled their medals and ribbons over the fence toward a statue of John Marshall, the first chief justice of the United States. Speed was its saving grace but that wasnt always an option in narrow, heavily mined canals. They didn't know whether these long-haired hippies were on drugs, or whether something had happened in Vietnam that they couldn't fully understand. The capital police said tonight that the medals were still where they had been thrown. *Subscribe Here* http://www.youtube.com/c/scrappalletman/?sub_confirmation=1? As Katherine Q. Seelye reported in the New York Times once the document was released, Hibbard went underground, unwilling to grant interviews, hiding from the press in his retirement home in Florida. Historian Andrew E. Hunt, in his superb "The Turning: A History of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War," explains the rationale of several veterans for returning personal possessions. ------------------------------------------. “It was a disservice to my country. About 700 veterans discarded medals before about 500 spec tators. Dale Grenada, 26 years old, a former quartermaster aboard the destroyer Richard B. Ronald L. Ziegler, the White House press secretary, said there was no information to suggest violence. One veteran threw away his nine Purple Hearts. They weren't medals, they were ribbons; it was -- and is -- a common mistake. Three members of the 442nd, Barney Hajiro, James Okubo, and George Sakato were awarded the Medal of Honor for their participation on the rescue, although due to discrimination at the time, they did not receive their medals … The story went away. About 700 veterans discarded medals before about 500 spec tators. "Nothing too fancy," he said as he pointed to the various boxes in which his medals were kept. Now when a veteran makes such a gesture, you have to give him tremendous credit for conviction. Further confusing the issue was the fact that Kerry did lob the medals of two no-show veterans toward the Marshall statue at their request. Associated Press articles: Copyright © 2016 The Associated Press. Which Kerry was telling the truth? The Soldier's Medal is an individual decoration of the United States Army.It was introduced as Section 11 of the Air Corps Act, passed by the Congress of the United States on July 2, 1926. William L. Calley Jr., Mr. Grenada said, was, “Calley was guilty because he could see who he was killing —I couldn't, so I'm not guilty.” Lieutenant Calley was con victed for murdering civilians at Mylai in South Vietnam. Critics saw him as trying to have it both ways. Ron Ferrizzi, for example, a Philadelphia native, disowned his Silver Star and Purple Heart against the pleas of his family. Each soldier had his own horror story that had brought him to this precipice. "You have no idea how healing the whole experience was," Bill Crandell recalled. After the crowd had returned to the campsite, to clean the area before breaking camp, one of the remaining veterans was asked what would become of the medals. His medals had been left back in Waltham, Mass. My wife doesn't understand what happened to me when I came home from Nam. Its main fear was that VVAW was going to abandon the Capitol and hurl them over the White House gate instead. The actions of these brave men has been met with venom by the media. The session was attended by Senators George S. McGovern of South Dakota, Walter F. Mondale of Minnesota and Philip A. Hart of Michigan, all Democrats. RT speaks to US veterans who feel betrayed by the system that pushed them into fighting America’s false-pretense wars, as the former soldiers throw out their medals which they deem symbols of lies. For a World War II veteran, the tossing away of medals must have been a painful sight. level 2 … “To President Nixon, I send you greetings,” said one shaggy haired young Army veteran, as he tossed a handful of service ribbons over the fence to join the Purple Hearts, Silver Stars, discharge papers and commen dation medals piled there. Soldiers talk about what they saw and did in Iraq - Duration: 5:12. opencad Recommended for you. This made perfect sense. Now the Army had a … Last week the media demanded to view Kerry's military records. And on and on it … "I did not admire the throwing of medals on the steps because I did not believe it was appropriate when so many brave men and women had sacrificed in order to get those same medals," former POW John McCain told me in 2003. What we also learned from the release of his medical records is that Kerry still has shrapnel in his body from Vietnam. But I never addressed this one issue with him directly.". In fact, Hibbard wrote that Kerry was one of the best sailors he knew in three categories -- initiative, cooperation and personal behavior. But from these doubtful be ginnings grew an antiwar pro test that, judging by the recep tion this city ultimately gave it, had an impact far greater than its numbers. Those folks were in their 60s, 70s and 80s by then; the humiliation was profoundly deep. Amazed at what people throw away. Stories of "fragging" also became widespread. Spc. WASHINGTON, April 23 — In twos and threes, the medals flew over a wire fence that had been hastily erected in front of the Capitol and landed at the feet of the statue of Chief Jus tice John Marshall, at the build ing's west entrance. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. Then we began firing phos phorous shells, incendiaries, and burned what was left to the ground.”. On the last day the veterans also planted a tree, as a symbolic gesture for the preservation of life over death. The veterans heard their right to sleep on the Mall de fended in the Senate and the House, and the Nixon Adminis tration, which pursued the mat ter to the Supreme Court, where the order was upheld, finally backed down and allowed the injunction to be dissolved. Words cannot properly describe the chilling effect the event had on the speakers and participants. Recent critics of Kerry assert that his Dewey County III ceremony is a metaphor for a lifetime of political flip-flopping. The veterans who protested today had suffered some set backs. Moral compass with shiny pin-on Honor symbolically returning his medals how healing the whole was... Reported that Kerry still has shrapnel in his thigh should remind us of sacrifice... 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