Vietnam War Report; Marvin Milbauer

This is Vietnam War report. Although the war in Vietnam is the subject of a raging national controversy it has not spawned many slogans. Supporters of the war urged the government to bomb Hanoi the closest thing to an opposition slogan is a cry popularized by Stokely Carmichael. Hell no we won't go. But to the approximately 12 percent of Americans who are negroes there are two other anti-war slogans. America is the black man's battleground and the Viet Cong never called me a nigger. Like all Americans negroes are divided on the war and many support the war because they believe it is essential to American interests in which they have a stake. But others have been outspoken in opposing the war. Some like Dr. Martin Luther King head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and co-sponsor of Vietnam summer a nationwide predominantly white anti-war movement believe the war is immoral unjust and unnecessary. Others believe that Negroes have special reasons to oppose the war. The student nonviolent coordinating committee the Congress on Racial Equality and the Black Muslims

have all declared their opposition to the war. Mrs. Joanne Eubanks of the Afro-Americans against the one Vietnam and Mr Chico Nabat Massachusetts director of Snick are actively Abrar involved in opposing the war. I talked to them at the United militant headquarters in Roxbury. The office has a sign outside advertising draft counseling inside there are buttons with anti-war slogans and anti-war literature for sale. Mrs Eubanks explained why her organization opposes the war. Basically the American against the war in Vietnam. Are no position to the war in Libya. Saying no America and Americans like me. And we rely on in the beginning that the struggle for liberation here in America was the same struggle. Badly between these people. We're fighting for in Vietnam. That.

We're fighting a common enemy. And then the black man in America. Is fighting the same enemy that the people in Vietnam are fighting in that is. An oppressive imperialistic right power structure. And. We felt that we do feel now. That. It is necessary for black people to begin to realize who the real enemy is. So we pose. A series of. Questions for young men and for all black people. To. To understand and some of the inequities of the one Vietnam directed towards black people. The black man. Makes up. More then I'm flying to 50 percent of the men fighting on the

front lines. And they're twenty two percent of the casualties in the war whereas they are supposedly only 10 to 11 percent supposedly only 10 to 11 percent of the people here in America. That. The war itself if you want to look at it on a Molly shoe which we personally do but don't really put before black people so much but if you do look at our bases the war in Vietnam is unjust. It is a small country fighting for us the relation of the United States as an aggressor. Is also. Opposition to the war on the basis that. Black men are. Discriminated against in every other way and always have been in you know in the services and bedding only outlet to black men at this time is to go into the service to receive

further education and. That is unnecessary and that is and one of the many bodies of the system is that there is no other way for black men to receive the types of benefits which are available to most white men in this society except if black men go into into the services and unfortunately going to the front line to be in there. That was Mrs. Joanne Eubanks of the F.O. Americans against the war in Vietnam. Then Mr Knobloch presented his view. Mr Ed.. A black man was the first man to die for this country. In a revolution. And then he was a fool. Because he died for nothing. And never right this country has fallen like men have begged to be a part of that to show. The enemies that we can fight just as good as or better than they can. You Nischelle response to that was known to be you can fight. Going back to work in the cotton fields. But we said also about we sure can fight battles we can

fight good you know. So that is all right to go ahead and fight that sort of black people fall out. And the rounds that meet and quote one unquote have not done to black people in the good. And that you can move from that premise from the premise that what is good for this country is not necessarily good for black people. You know the wrong Viet-Nam if one was going to be good for this country in terms of. The riches that I in se that are in Southeast Asia but that black me will not profit from that. Slavery was good for this country but it was not good for black people. So that the organizations I think have to point out a few basic facts. Fact number one that Viet Cong fight is a fight for the land to keep that land is a fight to control their lives from day to day. The fight for black men in America is a fight for man so that they can they will be able to control will be the economic the social and the political aspects of that community and that the organization should be

pointing this out especially to black people and in this country. We know that we are the first to be drafted. While the rich white folks stay home and go to school to receive a good quote good education unquote. So that what snake is doing in the aftermath. Where. Is telling people to tell sam hell no we won't go that America is the black man's. Batman. MR No but explain that the two organizations are encouraging opposition to the war by word of mouth distributing leaflets sponsoring public meetings and providing draft information Mrs Eubanks describes some of the specific projects her group has undertaken to one of the protest demonstrations we had street rallies. Last year which took place on the corners of most of the busy intersections on Saturdays. At which time our young men would get up and speak about the cases if there were any. And. Just about the inequities of

the war against black people and also we had a funeral march for the 2000. At that time it was about 2500 black men with him killed on the front lines. We also had a man. About a year and a half a year ago that went through a route out of Roxbury and followed it with a rally. We are now trying to organize a black women enraged group and that would be a group of young black women and old black women who would refuse to allow his sons husbands and boyfriends to go and bribe is to go into the service and that they would physically. Be a support group in any way that was necessary to send them home. Mic goes into. Into a position at the track whatever the show. Down. On the home front. And writing but it has to be a minute they are already in Vietnam and the service is to make them try to understand you know that they are not protecting the black women and the black women

at home being beaten and whipped by county cops. Mesa city officials and they certainly aren't being protected you know by the man so that black men should be here fighting for the fight for the women and children in homes here. Mrs Eubanks and Mr Knebel it stressed the point that Negroes should concentrate on their problems at home instead of fighting abroad. They personally consider the war immoral but do not feel this is a crucial consideration for Negroes. They are not concerned that Vietnam may interfere with the war on poverty because they believe that the anti-poverty program is only a token gesture anyway but they are deeply concerned that the one Vietnam is a racist war and the work calculated to hurt the black man in the United States. We understand. There. The United States is also perpetrating genocide against black people that it is using the Vietnam War as a means to to lessen the population here black people in this

country and its closest America along with birth control and a slow systematic process of genocide against black people. And also to getting our black men off the streets tonight to keep things quiet. And I think this I mean this G.I. to understand that black men and you know it seems to me that what is going to talk about stopping Communist aggression is always against people of color. Now we know that Italy for example is one very communist. And there is no attempt by this country to stop commerce aggression in Italy. But the reason for that is very clear because Italy and you have the Hunkies. There. We understand that the the Arab Israeli conflict. But the. People in Israel are being supported by this country not just the press but other people of color of the Arabs. Despite these arguments many civil rights advocates believe that the war is benefiting negroes. They maintain that the military is the one sector of American

society where Negroes and whites work together on equal footing. Learning to respect and understand each other. They also claim that the armed forces provide education and training and job skills that underprivileged people could not find elsewhere. Mrs. Eubanks rejects both of these ideas as far as I know. It From what I've been told. Vietnamese. Have been told quite a few myths about my people I'm sure has made by black people themselves things to the point of calling black men monkeys and saying that they have tails. This has been you know none of these things are what i've ever publicized. Then you get to be you know. He wanted to write a pretty big krit on this on the waterfront so. He wanted to write to recruit a lot of friends and be an hour where he was a very decided my son which by black men or to ten black men to be not all the time in Vietnam. And white men also

behind. Someone infringing on someone else's territory and it's generally the right man set the precedent and not the black community you know so that you have bad officers attend and white men attend to black men ben actually but they are going to get you know get away. I think that they specially trained soldiers come back. With the knowledge that is necessary for them to do with the end streets of Roxbury. I think that's about the only thing that they get out of out of it is is whatever kind of training you know. We can are why we are one of the booklets at the United militant headquarters describes the case of three soldiers stationed at Fort Hood Texas who refused orders to go to Vietnam. The three were arrested before a planned appearance at an anti-war demonstration in New York City. One of them Private First Class James Johnson was a Negro. The speech he planned to read at the demonstration said in part.

Now there is a direct relationship between the peace movement and the civil rights movement. The South Vietnamese are fighting for representation like we ourselves the South Vietnamese just want a voice in the government nothing else. Therefore the Negro in Vietnam is just helping to theat what his black brother is fighting for in the United States. When the negro soldier returns he will still not be able to ride in Mississippi or walk down a certain street in Alabama. There will still be proportionately twice as many negroes as whites in Vietnam. Those negroes that die for their country still cannot be assured of a burial place which their family feels is suitable for them. His children will still receive an inferior education and he will still live in a ghetto. But though he bears the brunt of the war he will reap no benefits. It is time that the negro realizes that his strength can be put to much better use right here at home. This is where his strength lies. We can gain absolutely nothing. In Vietnam like Private Johnson Mr. Ray green of Roxbury refused orders to go to Vietnam. Unlike Private Johnson

Mr. Greene volunteered for military service before receiving orders for Vietnam. Mr. Green was stationed in the United States and Germany. He recounts a long series of incidents that he says taught him how much prejudice there was in the army in South Carolina. Officers threatened Negro soldiers that they would be beaten by white troops in Germany. Crosses were burned on base a full scale race riots destroyed the noncommissioned officers and enlisted men's clubs which were closed down and another riot. So Negro and white soldiers fighting each other with entrenching tools and throwing each other out of barracks windows negroes were singled out for punishment while whites who had committed the same infractions at the same time were spared. Mr. Green himself was not assigned to a job for which he had been trained. He later learned that the men in the office had not wanted a negro around. Another negro soldier was refused housing for his family although 600 units were available. Despite his training Mr. Green was reassigned to a stevedore

unit in Maryland which was bound for Vietnam. The stevedore unit was 90 percent Negro. When Mr. Green received his orders for Vietnam he went to his congressman's office and complained. I was present at his first beer. And I've been to Russia and I made it quite plain to there that I was going to live the way they would get me to go. Was good we could march in front of the public and I would not write down to refuel. I was going to put it to them as you explain to me what I'm going to write I am going to guarantee my right to in this country when I come back and I will go but I'm going to reveal the situation was here an American abroad. I'm not going and when I write back in front me Madeline my words had been revealed and it was no question left about it with no no mention made about it I found it and I said quite strange because the other five of which were in jail with pending five years in Leavenworth for refusing to go. Apparently for fear of publicity. Mr. Green's orders were changed and he

eventually received an honorable discharge. Others were not so lucky. Some were sent to Leavenworth. Others to Vietnam. Mr Green describes what happened at his own base. The majority of the liberally you would run to be at now but do what I did. The average troops which were in the unit started complaining about it also. Such as the MPD and all the increase back to them going to Vietnam we were shipped out of the unit and some were sent to night with friends. But let the majority of the negroes due to the fact it had been jerked at their head so wonder there was nothing they could do except that. Their. Assignments and read a letter that came out of jail. They had about 30 of the white troops which were in a unit still station offered me in Maryland where I live a negro troops had been shipped out to Vietnam. Or soldiers and there were groups of Richard refused to

fight in Vietnam. Some of these were taken Starkey children blown in Perth on direct way to Vietnam for steel and so was the first Calvary Division they had about 30 individuals in there which refused to go to Vietnam. They were placed in the stockade in pretrial confinement which they call protective custody to ensure that the individual would not go anywhere and will be there when the unit will ship out this guarantees them that when they get really ship they come to the stockade. Priestley prisoners from us in handcuffs and leg irons put them on a truck and ship them direct flight to Vietnam. This ensures that they will. Vietnam now this is your first home of justice instead of a man being given a corrupt Marshall be placed in protective custody in a stockade and held to it was time for you to ship out. All these privileges taken from him and then placed on direct way to be and now he was close and a combat mine a frontline unit. Where

the chances of him coming back from a front line human being run maybe about 20 percent because the majority of liberal troops in Vietnam placed on what they call a recount patrol recounts as a small group of men a small band of men being sent out maybe mounted to mark the front of the advance guard of the unit all the regard of the unit or the bulk of the unit and thereby trying to make contact with the enemy and once move really went back to the company of the tourney and have reinforcements service but now it's quite frequent that it does happen that by the time the unit gets there you're not there. Mr. Green believes that not only American society but the military experience in particular teaches Negroes to question the justice of their fighting for freedom in Vietnam. They take you and all your beliefs you have you have nothing. They truly make you see what you are going to tell you. We want you to go to Vietnam and fight for your

country. We want you to go and fight for God and Country for you people for you for everything you hear and what truly you have as an American Negro. Then I am going to hell. Because then really really we're going on we're here and jeopardize my freedom when I got not even veterans of the war in Vietnam. Mr. Green says face discrimination in the service when they return. He cites one example he had been awarded Purple Heart. Being wounded in Vietnam and he was taken he was placed on a list but he didn't get to where he was shot in court every day 12 hours a day seven days a week. And this man had been in Vietnam. That is just one example and this is what he comes back to I mean this man is considered a veteran now and he comes back in and he's going to be down downs and Schauble and Jose and me for what I knew I was in the room alone on the part of our society.

Do not receive this kind of treatment. I'm going to want to isolate. Myself. For work because despite the inequities he sees in the war Mr. Green believes that the United States has something to gain from fighting in Vietnam and I believe they don't want to end the war because he kind of is helping the economy. There's plenty of money in it and everybody is making some of it there but he's getting some. And no one really wins in the world. They want to stay over there let it go on. On and on. So everybody get a piece of the action some of the money and come back. But as far as the girls went you have a country of this size you know this great strain and they are but in a country the size of snot in South Vietnam and they have all these problems rules and all these men you know for a fact you need a country that really don't give a damn about what happens to the soldiers over there. I only care about is economy is getting better with making plenty of money. But here I was a new group and the majority of Negroes feel as I do why should I go to Vietnam when I come back here from Vietnam. You

come back. Your future the place to be. You're refused a place to sleep. They tell you well you can't come in here because of color your skin and when you have a uniform on and I've been with a few fellows which have come back and they try to go in these places and are treated like they are treated and they've been over then they jeopardize their life for this country and they will come to what they have. What what what really did they fight for. Ray Green has heard of the Afro-Americans against the one Vietnam but he has never talked to them. He does not use their slogans. But some of the fears he expresses are shared by the militant antiwar groups by the U.S.. He's got some some part of the action of animal economy and something is going to be at Mount from it I mean you're still human. Carolyn Hax I mean obviously you know petroleum products and everything. Again you could have been Vietnam. And another man. Who could have said I'm going to name them programming.

Well maybe for you this is the way to kick off a new grill and kind of keep shipping them over there to the Chinese you know I mean maybe this is the way for me I mean I don't know but what it is coming down to December going to say years they just want to keep the economy. Keep all rich people happy. Send the poor people over there so everybody that's running out on the blocks out to everybody has sent him over to Vietnam and this way we will always slam problem already a little bit people and just get rid of them. I mean this is this is the this is what I'm coming to the conclusion now but dammit it must really be you know the CNN Grill. Come over here and we can fight them and come back home he can buy a sandwich and some parts of it. Like the militants Mr. Green rejects some of the reasons offered for encouraging Negroes to join the service as propaganda. You tell me. I don't know you and really if you were a listers

are you for three years you have a choice. I was sad. I understood I had a career which guaranteed me a career skill which when I came out of the military. I could go right into civilian life and still do the same. But now since we're now in has occurred the military no longer guarantees you any service I mean Mr. Green also questions the argument that Negroes can improve their formal education in the service and they have. Individuals in the military but can't read and write. And. I was one of my unit offered me to headquarters company for being mounted. And he requested to go to school and he was going to school and become the commander and first I never he was that man continue to go to school and they put him in the. Heat little elfin which as I said was a tool which was reading mouse that we call first of all time tonight 24 hours a day with no promotions and because they were meant

for the people in the world and they should be kept there. And they make your duty soldiers. And there's. This is something that a lot of people say don't exist in the military. They say going to military. You're guaranteed the opportunity to go to school and want to enroll your school will come to for your other duties but I know fact is when you try to go to school and was kept in the company and made to also because he wanted to go to school and I feel that many girls in the military should be given the opportunity to go to school. Nevertheless one reason that the Army in particular has a disproportionately large number of Negroes is that Negroes have a much higher reenlistment rate than whites. The government has pointed to the reimbursement rate as an answer to critics who claim that Negroes are treated unfairly in the military. Ray Green has his own explanation for the high reenlistment rate one of the rather.

Senator no growth is higher if you look at it for the percentage of liberal population. Bill who is in this country and a percentage of what it being in the army is quite you what I would say would be almost equal to what it is all the way on a percentage basis of I mean liberals are in this country not only the pains of 9/11 I would say 75 percent. I'm going to go to Joe's. Liberal of any military have come from the south and they've never had the opportunity for some of the photos which they encounter in the military because they have a chance to see the country and see the world. Thereby you take an average new girl from the south which has always been the beloved town USA becomes known and worked up to big cities very early and we see so we have this is this is no this is something this is this is a bomb. This is where I would be so eager was an army. And he's always worked hard in the south so eager when he found I would spend every

day and he gets pierced me so rightly so here this is this is a cruel this is really right. So one day the man cannot turn this around I want you to do this. This guy so he gets promoted to give Yeah like this. See Uncle Tom now the man has got to sightsee so he got out early and he snuck in on his big talk about you know you can make I've been less than six years and this is Bruce at work here. Feisty and we sit here and I make the five recently. And I think you know I still got two more years I knew I know I'll come out of the first sign of the 20 years and I can retire and get their first hundred dollars a month paycheck and don't have to do no work full time so this is this is good because when I was can you go into something 70 say 20 years retire at 37 years and get a pension now so ready. Yeah that's nice but see if I was doing something I have to work hard but I'm going to get me how I was and I could be out of bed and get three square meals a day and a place to

sleep every night and that to them is a wonderful way to have a good girl from the south like I got a sheet every week I got a big rare rock where I could play you know on top of that garden party and I worried about disability families bother me because the military police going to protect us and lead to better individuals or jail. Like most Americans Ray Green is not happy with America's prosecution of the war. He feels troops should be allowed to fight anywhere that is necessary including North Vietnam. But ideally he says Americans should gradually withdraw and allow the peoples of North and South Vietnam to determine their own form of government through democratic elections. White's Mr. Green says had something to fight for in Vietnam. Their freedom. But if he were right Mr. Green would still oppose the war because he considers it unjust Who are you to say that your society is better than any of us when it comes to society's working people as well as who would dare to say that I

would as well. I mean we have made it here in this country to each his own but yet we appear and have authorized individuals in this country the power and the authority to weigh these countries which do not agree with him. Now if we had thought. Democracy when we in school. And we accept the right that all people have freedom of speech anything we did. Surely these people would you know you would want to completely destroy what is another country to do. If you're right and you still don't believe you're right. This is Joanne Eubanks Mr Chico now Blitt and Mr Ray Greene are not necessarily representative of the Negro population. Many negro support the war and are fighting and dying in Vietnam. However negroes are also among the most visible of the war's opponents. The refusal of Muhammad Ali formerly Cassius Clay to be inducted is an outstanding example. In any event negroes who comprise about 12 percent of America's population

are a disproportionately large part of the fighting force in Vietnam. About 22 percent of American casualties on the ground because of their large contribution to the effort in Vietnam negro opposition to the war takes on major importance. This is more of an M. Bauer.