First Person Narratives:Antiwar activism
First-Person Narratives: Antiwar Activism
Antiwar activism has been an important part of modern political and social history, bringing together students, soldiers, religious communities, veterans, workers, women, and ordinary citizens who questioned the human consequences of armed conflict. Their experiences reveal that opposition to war is not a single political philosophy or organized movement, but a collection of personal convictions, moral decisions, and collective actions shaped by historical circumstances.
First-person narratives provide a particularly valuable perspective on this history. Oral histories, diaries, personal letters, testimony, underground newspapers, and contemporary recordings document how individuals encountered war, developed political convictions, and challenged military policies. These accounts illuminate the emotional and practical realities of dissent, including imprisonment, social isolation, family disagreements, political repression, and the difficulty of sustaining movements for peace.
The collected narratives encompass World War I conscientious objectors, Cold War pacifists, Vietnam War student protesters, active-duty military resisters, women's peace organizations, nuclear disarmament advocates, and veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Together, these accounts demonstrate how individual experiences of war and violence helped inspire broader movements for peace, civil rights, democratic accountability, and international cooperation.
Conscientious Objection and the Moral Refusal of War
Conscientious objection is among the oldest documented forms of individual resistance to military conflict. Conscientious objectors refuse some or all forms of military service because participation in warfare conflicts with deeply held moral, religious, or ethical convictions.
The collection includes accounts of World War I objectors who faced court-martial, military imprisonment, and physical mistreatment after refusing military orders. Testimonies associated with Harry Charles, Jesse Hartzler, George Miller, and Cornelius Voth reveal the extraordinary pressure placed on individuals whose beliefs conflicted with compulsory military service.
Their experiences demonstrate that objection to war frequently required more than expressing disagreement. Refusal could mean accepting imprisonment, public hostility, separation from family, and uncertainty about the future.
Later narratives from the Vietnam era reveal additional dimensions of conscientious objection. Interviews preserved by George Fox University and the Dartmouth Vietnam Project describe individuals who pursued conscientious objector status, performed alternative civilian service, or supported others facing conscription.
Religious traditions, including Quaker, Mennonite, and other Christian peace teachings, influenced many of these decisions. Other objectors grounded their opposition in humanitarian concerns, political criticism, or personal experiences with violence.
These narratives illustrate the tension between individual conscience and state authority, raising enduring questions about freedom of belief, citizenship, and the limits of governmental power during wartime.
Student Protest and the Vietnam War
Student opposition to the Vietnam War became one of the most visible expressions of antiwar activism in American history.
University campuses developed into centers of political discussion, demonstrations, teach-ins, draft counseling, civil disobedience, and resistance to military recruitment programs.
Firsthand accounts from Dartmouth College, Kent State University, the University of Washington, Iowa State University, and other institutions reveal how students became involved in organized protest.
Some activists were motivated by opposition to conscription. Others questioned American foreign policy, the destruction occurring in Vietnam, or the relationship between military intervention and broader struggles for civil rights and social justice.
The narratives describe campus occupations, antiwar theater, political organizing, underground publications, and participation in national demonstrations.
Interviews concerning the 1969 occupation of Parkhurst Hall at Dartmouth provide contrasting perspectives from student organizers, faculty members, university administrators, and other witnesses.
Similarly, testimony connected with the May 1970 Kent State shootings documents the experiences of students confronting an increasingly polarized political environment.
These accounts demonstrate that student antiwar activism involved both cooperation and disagreement. Participants differed over political objectives, protest tactics, relations with university authorities, and the effectiveness of civil disobedience.
Nevertheless, student organizing helped bring questions of military policy and democratic accountability into everyday public discussion.
Soldiers, Veterans, and Resistance Within the Military
Opposition to war did not come exclusively from civilians. Active-duty soldiers and military veterans played significant roles in organized antiwar movements.
The Vietnam War produced an extensive network of military dissent involving soldiers who questioned military orders, criticized battlefield conditions, and organized opposition to the conflict.
Oral histories collected by the University of Washington's Antiwar and Radical History Project document the experiences of service members stationed near Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base.
Some soldiers participated in underground organizations, supported civilian antiwar campaigns, or challenged military authority through public statements and collective organizing.
The Presidio Mutiny, GI coffeehouses, and the American Servicemen's Union illustrate different forms of resistance within military institutions.
Veterans also became influential critics of the war after returning to civilian life.
Personal testimony from Scott Camil, John Kerry, Ron Kovic, Bob Muller, and other veterans describes disillusionment with military operations, concern about civilian casualties, combat injuries, and the difficulty of reintegrating into American society.
Organizations such as Vietnam Veterans Against the War transformed these experiences into public political action.
Veterans' testimonies were particularly influential because they challenged assumptions that criticism of military policy necessarily reflected unfamiliarity with military service.
Their accounts reveal the complicated relationship between military identity, patriotism, personal experience, and opposition to war.
Underground Newspapers and the Everyday Practice of Resistance
Underground newspapers provide an especially important record of antiwar activism because they preserve the words, arguments, and organizing activities of participants during the conflicts themselves.
The collection includes issues of Counterpoint, Fed Up!, and the Lewis-McChord Free Press, published by soldiers and civilian supporters during the Vietnam War.
These publications documented military grievances, antiwar demonstrations, political debates, organizational campaigns, and efforts to establish communication networks outside official military channels.
Unlike retrospective oral histories, underground newspapers offer contemporary evidence of how participants understood their circumstances while events were unfolding.
Their articles, letters, announcements, and political commentary reveal the everyday work required to sustain resistance.
Publishing underground newspapers could involve significant personal and institutional risks, particularly for active-duty personnel subject to military discipline.
The surviving issues from 1969 through 1973 document the persistence of organized military dissent as American involvement in Vietnam changed.
They also illustrate the importance of alternative media in movements whose perspectives were often marginalized or contested within established institutions.
Women's Leadership in Antiwar and Peace Movements
Women played central roles in developing and sustaining peace movements, although their contributions have not always received the same attention as those of prominent male political leaders.
The Missoula Women for Peace Oral History Project preserves interviews with women whose activism developed through experiences of World War II, the Cold War, nuclear weapons fears, and opposition to the Vietnam War.
Participants describe forming local peace organizations, writing political letters, conducting public education campaigns, and maintaining community networks.
Their narratives reveal how antiwar organizing was often integrated into family responsibilities, religious commitments, teaching, and other forms of community participation.
Women's Strike for Peace provides another important example of women's organizing against nuclear weapons and military escalation.
Archival records and oral histories associated with Cora Weiss document women's leadership in national demonstrations, international peace initiatives, and opposition to the Vietnam War.
These movements frequently connected concerns about family safety and future generations with broader criticism of military policy.
Women also challenged expectations about political participation by assuming leadership roles, organizing demonstrations, and creating independent networks for political action.
Their testimonies demonstrate that grassroots peace movements depended heavily on sustained local organizing rather than only nationally prominent events.
Nuclear Disarmament and the International Peace Movement
The development of nuclear weapons transformed antiwar activism by introducing the possibility of destruction on an unprecedented scale.
Peace movements increasingly focused on preventing nuclear conflict, ending weapons testing, limiting military arsenals, and promoting international arms-control agreements.
The collection includes firsthand accounts from activists involved in American, European, and Japanese nuclear disarmament campaigns.
Hiroshima survivor Ichiro Moritaki describes how his experience of the atomic bombing influenced his commitment to the elimination of nuclear weapons.
American peace activists Randall Forsberg and Randy Kehler recount the development of the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign and the effort to transform local organizing into a national political movement.
European activists, including Petra Kelly and E. P. Thompson, discuss opposition to nuclear weapons deployment and the development of international peace networks during the Cold War.
Other accounts document nonviolent resistance at American military installations, including protests against Trident submarines and nuclear weapons facilities in Washington State.
These narratives demonstrate how personal experiences, scientific concerns, religious convictions, and political organizing converged in campaigns for nuclear disarmament.
They also reveal the transnational character of peace activism, as individuals and organizations cooperated across national boundaries to challenge military policies.
Civil Rights, Religious Leadership, and Antiwar Coalitions
Antiwar activism frequently intersected with movements for racial equality, religious freedom, social justice, and democratic reform.
Civil rights activists questioned the relationship between American military intervention abroad and inequality within the United States.
Firsthand testimony from Stokely Carmichael, Coretta Scott King, and Adrienne Manns-Israel demonstrates how opposition to the Vietnam War became connected with the Black freedom struggle.
Activists raised concerns about military conscription, unequal social burdens, and the contradiction between promoting freedom internationally while racial discrimination persisted at home.
Religious leaders also became influential participants in antiwar campaigns.
Reverend William Sloane Coffin and other clergy organized teach-ins, supported draft resistance, and participated in civil disobedience.
Catholic peace activism, including the organizing associated with Philip Berrigan, demonstrated how religious commitments could motivate direct resistance to military policies.
These coalitions brought together people whose political and theological beliefs were not always identical.
Their shared opposition to particular wars created opportunities for cooperation while also generating disagreements about political strategy, nonviolence, and broader social change.
Vietnamese Perspectives on Peace and Political Resistance
Accounts from Vietnamese participants are essential for understanding the Vietnam War beyond the experiences of American soldiers and protesters.
The collection includes interviews with Vietnamese lawyers, religious leaders, students, and community activists who experienced political repression, military conflict, and struggles over national sovereignty.
Nguyen Thi Sinh recounts women's protests against forced labor and government repression.
Buddhist leader Thich Tri Thu describes demonstrations, arrests, and attacks on religious institutions during political conflict in South Vietnam.
Tran Ngoc Lieng discusses efforts to organize for peace following the Paris Peace Accords and the repression faced by peace advocates.
Other narratives examine the role of religious movements, student activism, political imprisonment, and international solidarity.
These testimonies demonstrate that Vietnamese political resistance was diverse and cannot be understood solely through the perspectives of foreign governments or American antiwar organizations.
They also reveal the risks faced by civilians who attempted to resist violence, challenge state policies, or advocate negotiated solutions during prolonged conflict.
Community Organizing and the Personal Experience of Protest
Many antiwar movements depended on ordinary individuals whose contributions were largely invisible in national political coverage.
Personal interviews preserved by StoryCorps and regional oral history projects provide an important record of these experiences.
Participants recall attending demonstrations, organizing public meetings, joining school walkouts, discussing military conscription, and developing their political views during periods of social conflict.
Other accounts examine how war affected families and communities far removed from battlefields.
These narratives demonstrate that political attitudes often emerged through personal conversations, relationships, educational experiences, and exposure to news coverage.
They also preserve the experiences of participants who were not prominent organizers or public officials.
The resulting historical record is particularly valuable because it illustrates how large political movements were experienced at the level of individual lives.
Regional collections from Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Iowa further demonstrate the importance of community institutions, universities, libraries, and local networks in preserving this history.
Antiwar Music, Cultural Expression, and Public Memory
Music, theater, storytelling, and other cultural expressions helped communicate opposition to war and build collective identities within peace movements.
Protest songs became especially associated with the Vietnam era, providing ways to express anger, grief, solidarity, and hope.
First-person recollections describe the relationship between antiwar music and political demonstrations, including the influence of folk singers and campus cultural activities.
Student activists also used guerrilla theater and public performances to question military policies and attract attention to their campaigns.
These cultural practices could make political arguments accessible to audiences who might not participate in formal political organizations.
They also helped participants sustain emotional connections during prolonged campaigns.
Contemporary oral histories and reflections on protest music show how cultural expressions continue to influence public memory of earlier antiwar movements.
Music and storytelling therefore serve both as historical sources and as mechanisms through which movements communicate their experiences across generations.
Opposition to the Iraq War and Modern Military Intervention
Antiwar activism continued into the twenty-first century as American military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan generated new debates about foreign policy, military service, and civilian suffering.
The collection includes testimony from Iraq War veterans and their families, as well as archival interviews preserved by New York University's Tamiment Library.
These accounts examine military deployment, battlefield experiences, the consequences of combat, and the development of organized opposition to American military policy.
Some veterans describe how their experiences during military service changed their understanding of the wars in which they participated.
Others discuss the challenges of returning to civilian society and communicating their concerns to the public.
Organizations such as Iraq Veterans Against the War provided networks through which veterans could share experiences, organize demonstrations, and advocate changes in policy.
The narratives reveal continuities with earlier movements, particularly the importance of veterans' testimony, collective organizing, and public challenges to official accounts of military conflict.
They also show how each generation of antiwar activists confronts circumstances shaped by new military technologies, political institutions, and international conditions.
Preserving Overlooked Antiwar Histories
The historical record of antiwar activism extends far beyond famous demonstrations and nationally recognized political figures.
Oral histories, family collections, community newspapers, photographs, organizational correspondence, and archival records help recover the experiences of people whose actions might otherwise remain undocumented.
Such materials can reveal the participation of women, religious minorities, students, local organizers, military families, conscientious objectors, and dissenting soldiers.
They also help researchers understand the everyday practical challenges of activism, including fundraising, communication, maintaining organizations, negotiating disagreements, and confronting institutional resistance.
First-person narratives require careful interpretation. Memories may change over time, participants may disagree about events, and individual testimony does not necessarily represent an entire movement.
Contemporary documents can provide additional evidence, while oral histories preserve emotions, motivations, and personal interpretations that may not appear in official records.
Using these sources together creates a more complete understanding of how opposition to war developed and how political movements influenced society.
Conclusion
The history of antiwar activism is fundamentally a history of individuals confronting the relationship between conscience, citizenship, military authority, and human suffering.
From World War I conscientious objectors who endured imprisonment to Vietnam-era students who challenged university and government policies, antiwar activism has required people to make difficult personal and political decisions.
Soldiers and veterans questioned military operations from firsthand experience. Women organized enduring community networks. Religious activists drew upon traditions of nonviolence. Civil rights organizers connected opposition to war with demands for equality. Nuclear disarmament advocates challenged the possibility of catastrophic destruction.
The testimonies of Vietnamese peace activists and later Iraq War veterans further demonstrate that opposition to armed conflict crosses national boundaries and historical periods.
These accounts also reveal that antiwar movements were never entirely unified. Participants disagreed about political goals, tactics, patriotism, military service, and the most effective means of achieving peace.
Nevertheless, their experiences share a recurring theme: individuals and communities asserting the right to question warfare and influence decisions made in their names.
Preserving first-person narratives helps recover the experiences of people who challenged prevailing political assumptions, often at considerable personal cost.
Their stories deepen our understanding of democratic participation, civil liberties, moral responsibility, and the complex social consequences of war.
They also provide future generations with a historical record of how ordinary people attempted to influence decisions about peace, violence, and the responsibilities of government.
First-Person Narratives: Antiwar Activism
125 source entries reviewed; 122 unique URLs retained. Sorted newest to oldest within each category. Dates are as provided in the source list; undated material appears last. Four accounts sharing one archive URL have been combined into one entry.
Vietnam War: Student Protest and Campus Organizing
1. | Rolly Brown | Kent State University Libraries, May 4 Oral History Project | May 22, 2026
Rolly Brown recalls his experiences as a conscientious objector and student antiwar activist at Kent State University. He describes demonstrations in 1969, political unrest in May 1970, and his eyewitness observations of the May 4 Kent State shootings and their aftermath.
David Guest recalls serving in the Army in Germany, becoming disillusioned with military life, and subsequently participating in antiwar activities at Dartmouth College. His interview also explores the Wooden Shoe Commune and alternative communities.
Peter Sorlien recounts his transformation from an ROTC student into an opponent of the Vietnam War. He describes publicly protesting in his military uniform on February 28, 1968, and subsequently being dismissed from the ROTC program.
4. | Joan Rachlin | Dartmouth Vietnam Project | May 6, 2023
Joan Rachlin recounts participating in antiwar demonstrations at Boston University and Dartmouth College during the Vietnam era. She reflects on being among the relatively few women participating in certain student protests and on her family's influence on her political activism.
Charlotte Albright recalls participating in guerrilla theater as an antiwar tactic while studying at Bennington College. She describes the effects of military conscription on fellow students and her participation in a Washington, D.C., antiwar demonstration.
David Aylward describes participating in student antiwar demonstrations and political organizing at Dartmouth College. As editor-in-chief of The Dartmouth, he witnessed campus conflict over the war before becoming involved in George McGovern's political campaign.
Hoyt Alverson describes the development of antiwar organizing at Dartmouth College, including the 1969 occupation of Parkhurst Hall. His interview explores relationships between student activists, faculty, and the counterculture.
Denis O'Neill discusses the political atmosphere at Dartmouth during the Vietnam War, including the influence of student organizations, the death of a Dartmouth alumnus in Vietnam, the Parkhurst Hall protest, and his later experiences as a folk singer.
John Isaacs recalls participating in the antiwar movement during graduate school, working with refugees in Vietnam, and subsequently helping advance the War Powers Resolution of 1973. His account connects grassroots opposition to institutional efforts to constrain presidential war-making powers.
David Stearns recalls observing antiwar activism as a Dartmouth student before enlisting in the Army and serving in Vietnam. His account contrasts student protest with the experiences and choices of those who entered military service.
Dartmouth dean Thaddeus Seymour describes student protests against ROTC and the Vietnam War, particularly the 1969 occupation of Parkhurst Hall. His eyewitness account offers an administrative perspective on student direct action and campus confrontation.
Jim Zien recalls participating in Dartmouth's antiwar movement and campaigning for Eugene McCarthy in the 1968 presidential election. His recollections place student opposition to Vietnam within broader Cold War and civil rights politics.
John Spritzler recalls leading the Dartmouth chapter of Students for a Democratic Society and participating in antiwar organizing during the late 1960s. He describes the planning, debates, and conflicts surrounding the 1969 occupation of Parkhurst Hall.
14. | Steve Ludwig | University of Washington, Antiwar and Radical History Project | August 12, 2008
Steve Ludwig recalls declaring himself a conscientious objector, joining Students for a Democratic Society, supporting draft resisters and antiwar soldiers, and participating in the University of Washington's May 1970 student strike.
Adrienne Manns-Israel recalls antiwar demonstrations at Howard University and explains how African American students connected opposition to the Vietnam War with civil rights struggles. She discusses the contradiction between fighting abroad for freedom while confronting racial inequality at home.
Conscientious Objection, Draft Resistance, and Religious Pacifism
Phil Thornburg recalls registering as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War. He explains how growing up in Burundi influenced his views about violence, military service, and the ethical responsibilities of individuals confronting war.
Dan Nolta describes registering for the draft as a noncombatant and explains how his religious faith shaped that decision. His narrative explores the relationship between personal conscience, military obligations, and later career choices.
Dorlan Bales recalls registering as a conscientious objector in 1968 and describes his subsequent experiences in Saigon, Vietnam. His testimony documents a form of opposition to military violence combined with overseas service.
19. | Dwight Kimberly | George Fox University, War and Conscientious Objection Oral Histories | 2017
Dwight Kimberly describes becoming a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War and completing alternative service at a residential home for troubled boys. His account illustrates the personal sacrifices and social responsibilities associated with refusing military combat.
20. | Eric Palmer | George Fox University, War and Conscientious Objection Oral Histories | 2017
Eric Palmer discusses his decision to register as a conscientious objector and the role of religious conviction in his opposition to participation in warfare. The interview examines the process of translating pacifist beliefs into personal decisions about military service.
21. | Fred Gregory | George Fox University, War and Conscientious Objection Oral Histories | 2017
Fred Gregory recalls registering as a conscientious objector and performing alternative service in Vietnam through the Mennonite Central Committee. He explains how his experiences abroad influenced his subsequent dedication to community service.
22. | John Lyda | George Fox University, War and Conscientious Objection Oral Histories | 2017
John Lyda discusses the family and religious influences that persuaded him to seek conscientious objector status during the Vietnam War. He contrasts his own decisions with the later military service of his sons, illustrating changing attitudes toward war across generations.
23. | Jon Newkirk | George Fox University, War and Conscientious Objection Oral Histories | 2017
Jon Newkirk recalls registering as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War and undertaking alternative service in Vietnam. His interview explores the influence of Quaker religious beliefs and the experiences of those who sought nonmilitary ways to serve.
24. | Paul Morse | George Fox University, War and Conscientious Objection Oral Histories | 2017
Paul Morse discusses registering as a conscientious objector during the period between the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He describes how his faith shaped his understanding of military duty and the moral responsibilities of refusing participation in armed conflict.
25. | Peter Bien | Dartmouth Vietnam Project | June 1, 2016
Peter Bien recalls obtaining conscientious objector status on religious grounds and performing alternative service in a hospital. As a Dartmouth professor, he later participated in antiwar demonstrations, supported students arrested during the 1969 Parkhurst Hall occupation, and worked alongside Quaker peace activists.
26. | Justin Frank | Dartmouth Vietnam Project | May 9, 2016
Justin Frank discusses his developing political consciousness, participation in activism during medical school, and experiences securing conscientious objector status during the Vietnam War. He reflects on the relationship between religious belief, patriotism, personal conscience, and opposition to military service.
27. | Fran Oscadal | Dartmouth Vietnam Project | August 20, 2015
Fran Oscadal describes seeking conscientious objector status during the Vietnam War and explains the religious, political, and personal reasoning behind his opposition to military service. He also discusses working as a draft counselor to assist others facing conscription.
28. | Richard Parker | Dartmouth Vietnam Project | May 18, 2015
Richard Parker recalls campus antiwar organizing, efforts to obtain conscientious objector status, and his decision to surrender his draft card. He describes student demonstrations and his participation in Eugene McCarthy's 1968 presidential campaign.
Shared archive page containing multiple firsthand accounts: Harry Charles’s 1918 court-martial testimony; Jesse D. Hartzler’s recollections of imprisonment; George S. Miller’s account of court-martial and solitary confinement; and Cornelius Voth’s testimony about refusing military orders and his imprisonment. Individual accounts have different dates (1918 and 1968).
GI Resistance, Military Dissent, and Underground Newspapers
30. | Bruce MacLean | University of Washington, Antiwar and Radical History Project | July 13, 2009
Bruce MacLean describes resisting military orders, organizing with the American Servicemen's Union, producing the underground newspaper Fed Up!, and confronting military repression during the Vietnam War.
A late surviving issue of the underground newspaper, documenting the persistence of independent GI publishing after the withdrawal of American combat forces from Vietnam. The issue contributes to the primary-source record of soldiers' political expression.
A surviving issue of the independent military newspaper, providing contemporary documentation of continued political organizing and alternative press activity within the Fort Lewis and McChord military communities.
This digitized issue documents the continuation of GI Alliance publishing after the Paris Peace Accords. It offers firsthand movement-produced material for examining political activity among military personnel.
A contemporary issue from the closing phase of direct American combat involvement in Vietnam. The publication belongs to the documentary record of organized political dissent among soldiers and civilian supporters.
This newspaper issue preserves an example of independent publishing by military personnel and their civilian supporters during the transition following the January 1973 Vietnam ceasefire agreements.
A mid-month edition of the underground GI newspaper. Its publication demonstrates the continuing efforts of antiwar military organizers to circulate independent information and political perspectives.
An issue of the GI antiwar press published during the period surrounding the Paris Peace Accords. It provides contemporary evidence of the continued existence of organized dissent within military communities.
This underground newspaper issue documents the continued production of dissident military publications near Fort Lewis and McChord as American participation in the Vietnam War approached a major transition.
A surviving issue of the GI Alliance newspaper, preserving material distributed during the later stages of American involvement in the Vietnam War. It is a contemporary source for studying antiwar communication among service members.
This digitized newspaper issue documents the continuing activity of the GI Alliance and its independent press. It contributes to the contemporary record of resistance to the Vietnam War within the armed forces.
A primary-source newspaper issue from the Fort Lewis antiwar movement. Its survival provides an opportunity to examine the political messages distributed among service members during the conflict.
This issue forms part of the contemporary printed record of military opposition to the Vietnam War. It illustrates how GI organizers used underground newspapers to reach soldiers beyond traditional military communication channels.
A surviving issue from the later Vietnam War period, documenting the continuation of antiwar publishing and organizing by active-duty service members and civilian supporters.
An underground newspaper issue produced for the military community around Fort Lewis and McChord. The publication provides evidence of how dissident soldiers and their supporters maintained independent political communications.
This digitized issue preserves material circulated through the GI antiwar press during a period of growing military dissent. It offers researchers a contemporary source created within the movement itself.
A contemporary issue of the GI Alliance newspaper recording the existence and continuity of organized antiwar communication among military personnel and civilian supporters during the Vietnam War.
An issue of the underground newspaper associated with antiwar soldiers stationed at Fort Lewis. The publication serves as firsthand documentary evidence of organized military dissent and the development of alternative channels of communication among service members.
An early surviving issue of the underground military newspaper associated with soldiers and civilians near Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base. It provides contemporary documentation of antiwar publishing within the military community.
Produced with assistance from antiwar activists at the Shelter Half GI coffeehouse in Tacoma, this underground newspaper documents the efforts of soldiers and civilians to sustain opposition to the Vietnam War.
This issue includes articles and letters about the formation of GIs United at Fort Lewis. It preserves contemporary perspectives on the development of antiwar organizations among active-duty military personnel.
This issue includes reporting on an antiwar aquatic demonstration at Fort Lewis organized by the GI-Civilian Alliance for Peace. It documents the unconventional protest tactics used by students and military personnel challenging the war.
A contemporary issue of an underground antiwar newspaper produced by soldiers and civilian supporters near Fort Lewis, Washington. The newspaper provides primary-source evidence of organized GI resistance and opposition to the Vietnam War.
53. | Lyle Quasim | University of Washington, Antiwar and Radical History Project | Date not specified
Lyle Quasim discusses his experiences as an Air Force medic in Vietnam and his subsequent participation in the GI antiwar movement at Fort Lewis, connecting military resistance with civil rights activism.
54. | Randy Rowland | University of Washington, Antiwar and Radical History Project | Date not specified
Vietnam veteran Randy Rowland recalls becoming disillusioned with the war while serving as a medic, participating in the Presidio Mutiny in San Francisco, and organizing antiwar activity among active-duty soldiers.
55. | Megan Cornish | University of Washington, Antiwar and Radical History Project | Date not specified
Megan Cornish recounts her opposition to the Vietnam War, her experiences in student activism, and her work at the Shelter Half GI coffeehouse in Tacoma, where civilian organizers supported antiwar soldiers.
An archival collection preserving antiwar organizing among active-duty soldiers at Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base. Includes video interviews, underground military newspapers, historical photographs, and contemporary documents demonstrating how soldiers challenged the Vietnam War from within the armed forces.
Vietnam Veterans and Antiwar Testimony
A collection of interviews with Vietnam War veterans, their relatives, and war objectors. Personal recollections explore military service, reactions to conscription, opposition to the conflict, and its lasting effects on individuals and families.
58. | Peter Barber | Dartmouth Vietnam Project | September 29, 2016
Vietnam veteran Peter Barber recalls being drafted, suffering a severe spinal cord injury during combat, and eventually participating in Vietnam Veterans Against the War. He discusses antiwar organizing and an event at Stanford University involving John Kerry and Alan Cranston.
Peter Zastrow recalls his Army service during the Vietnam War and his subsequent involvement with Vietnam Veterans Against the War. His account documents a veteran's movement from participation in the military to organized opposition to war.
Bruce Pacht recounts participating in Vietnam War protests, including the occupation of Parkhurst Hall. He describes his political experiences at Dartmouth and Stanford and his later involvement in the Wooden Shoe commune.
61. | John Kerry | WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting | November 5, 1982
John Kerry recalls commanding swift boats in Vietnam, questioning the war's objectives, and becoming a spokesperson for Vietnam Veterans Against the War. He discusses the Winter Soldier Investigation, testimony concerning wartime atrocities, and veterans' efforts to end the conflict.
62. | Scott Camil | WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting | November 10, 1981
Vietnam veteran Scott Camil describes his experiences as a Marine, his growing disillusionment with American military operations, and his transformation into an antiwar activist. He discusses violence against Vietnamese civilians and the political anger he experienced after returning home.
63. | John Wheeler | WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting | 1981
Vietnam veteran John Wheeler discusses his complicated feelings about antiwar protesters and the divisions created by the conflict. He recalls returning from Vietnam, encountering public hostility and silence, and reconsidering the relationship between veterans and the antiwar movement.
64. | Bob Muller | The MacNeil/Lehrer Report, American Archive of Public Broadcasting | 1976
Vietnam veteran and antiwar activist Bob Muller discusses his combat injuries, the consequences of military service, and inadequate rehabilitation services. His testimony connects opposition to the Vietnam War with demands for better treatment of disabled veterans.
65. | Ron Kovic | Four More Years, American Archive of Public Broadcasting | 1972
Disabled Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic speaks about his military service, experiences in veterans' hospitals, and transformation into an antiwar activist. Documentary footage records his participation with Vietnam Veterans Against the War during protests surrounding the 1972 Republican National Convention.
66. | Gary Rader | WAMU Radio, American Archive of Public Broadcasting | December 27, 1967
Former Army Special Forces soldier Gary Rader discusses his opposition to the Vietnam War after serving in the military. The radio interview examines his antiwar activism and his incarceration following protest activities.
Three members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War discuss their military experiences and reasons for opposing the conflict. Their firsthand testimony describes civilian suffering, military operations, and the growing conviction that American intervention was causing unnecessary destruction.
Women’s Peace Movements and Grassroots Organizing
May MacDonald recalls the events that inspired her involvement in the Missoula Peace Group in 1963 and the subsequent formation of Missoula Women for Peace in 1970. Her testimony describes early grassroots organizing and the challenges of sustaining a women's peace movement.
Nancy Erickson describes her personal experiences during the Vietnam War, her family's involvement in the University of Montana community, and her participation in local peace organizing. Her interview connects campus political opposition with community activism.
Valerie Clubb discusses her family background, the influence of wartime experiences on her political consciousness, and her involvement in Missoula Women for Peace. Her recollections contribute to the history of ordinary women participating in organized opposition to war.
Florence Chessin recalls helping establish the Missoula Peace Group in 1963, her experiences as a young mother during the Cold War, and the connections between nuclear concerns, the Vietnam War, and women's grassroots activism.
72. | Lois Hove | University of Montana, Missoula Women for Peace Oral History Project | March 29, 2000
Lois Hove describes how World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and later American foreign policy influenced her commitment to peace activism. Her recollections connect international conflicts with local community organizing.
Mary Taylor recounts growing up with a pacifist father, sending relief packages to German families during World War II, writing letters to Senator Mike Mansfield, and participating in organized peace activities in Montana.
Claudia Brown recalls growing up in Butte, Montana, and how the Vietnam War shaped her participation in peace activism. She discusses Missoula Women for Peace, the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center, and organizations working for international peace.
Sandra Perrin describes her childhood in France, participation in the American civil rights movement, and later involvement in Missoula Women for Peace. She reflects on the Vietnam War, public remembrance of its victims, and continuing peace organizing.
Alice Campbell describes the origins of Missoula Women for Peace, the influence of antiwar congresswoman Jeannette Rankin, and efforts to establish a peace center. Her testimony illustrates the importance of education and community institutions to the peace movement.
Jackie McGiffert discusses her family experiences during World War I, employment in a war plant during World War II, and the development of her attitudes toward armed conflict. Her interview examines how wartime experiences influenced later peace activism.
Jean Pfeiffer describes her upbringing in Canada, her family's contrasting political beliefs, and her participation in the Missoula Peace Group beginning in 1963. Her narrative explores the development of a political commitment to organized peace advocacy.
Archival records document women's grassroots opposition to nuclear weapons, military escalation, and the Vietnam War. The collection includes materials concerning peace demonstrations, nuclear disarmament campaigns, organizational correspondence, and international women's peace initiatives. This is a finding aid rather than an individual oral history.
Barbara Winslow recalls organizing through Students for a Democratic Society and participating in the radical movements that connected opposition to the Vietnam War with women's liberation and broader social change.
Kay Bullitt discusses her involvement in civil rights and peace activism, including efforts to organize the Target Seattle anti-nuclear demonstrations during the 1980s.
82. | Cora Weiss | Columbia University, Cora Weiss Oral History Project | Date not specified
Peace activist Cora Weiss recounts her leadership in Women Strike for Peace, opposition to atmospheric nuclear testing, and organization of major demonstrations against the Vietnam War. Her seven-session life-history interview also explores efforts to facilitate communication between American prisoners of war and their families.
Archival descriptions identify the papers of pacifist activists associated with Women Strike for Peace and other peace campaigns. Correspondence, writings, and related materials offer opportunities to examine the personal reasoning and practical work behind organized opposition to war and nuclear weapons.
Anti-Nuclear Activism and International Disarmament
84. | Ichiro Moritaki | War and Peace in the Nuclear Age, WGBH | February 26, 1987
Hiroshima survivor and peace activist Ichiro Moritaki recalls experiencing the atomic bombing and losing an eye from flying glass. He describes becoming involved in Japan's antinuclear movement, participating in peace marches, and campaigning for the elimination of nuclear weapons.
85. | Randall Forsberg | War and Peace in the Nuclear Age, WGBH | 1987
Peace organizer Randall Forsberg explains how she helped initiate the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign. She recalls building local coalitions, gathering endorsements, organizing public demonstrations, and challenging the expansion of American and Soviet nuclear arsenals.
86. | Randy Kehler | War and Peace in the Nuclear Age, WGBH | 1987
Pacifist Randy Kehler describes the development of the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign in western Massachusetts and its expansion into a nationwide movement. He recalls local referendums, the massive 1982 New York disarmament demonstration, and efforts to influence Congress.
87. | Fred Wertheimer | War and Peace in the Nuclear Age, WGBH | 1987
Fred Wertheimer discusses the public debate surrounding the nuclear freeze campaign and proposed American missile systems. His interview provides a firsthand perspective on political efforts to influence arms-control policy and resistance to new nuclear weapons.
88. | E. P. Thompson | War and Peace in the Nuclear Age, WGBH | 1987
British historian and peace activist E. P. Thompson describes the revival of nuclear disarmament organizing in Europe. He recalls public meetings, pamphlet campaigns, local peace groups, and efforts to challenge the nuclear policies of both Western and Eastern governments.
89. | Nicholas Mavroules | War and Peace in the Nuclear Age, WGBH | 1987
Congressman Nicholas Mavroules reflects on the influence of the Nuclear Freeze Movement on national arms-control debates. He credits grassroots organizers with pressuring political leaders to address the nuclear arms race and discusses the contradictions between congressional votes supporting a freeze and continued weapons development.
90. | Petra Kelly | War and Peace in the Nuclear Age, WGBH | 1986
German peace activist Petra Kelly recalls the development of West Germany's antinuclear movement and its opposition to the deployment of Pershing II and cruise missiles. She discusses grassroots demonstrations, international organizing, and the relationship between peace activism and the Green Party.
Jesuit priest Bill Bichsel describes his commitment to nonviolent civil disobedience and participation in campaigns opposing Trident nuclear weapons at the Bangor Naval Base in Washington State.
92. | Kim Wahl | University of Washington, Antiwar and Radical History Project | Date not specified
Kim Wahl recalls participating in nonviolent direct action against nuclear weapons, including the 1982 Ground Zero peace blockade opposing the arrival of a Trident submarine at Bangor Naval Base.
Civil Rights, Religious Activism, and Antiwar Coalitions
93. | John and Carol Lee Hawkins: Civil Rights and the Vietnam War | StoryCorps Archive | April 11, 2024
John and Carol Lee Hawkins reflect on growing up during the 1960s and discuss their personal views of civil rights, the Vietnam War, and the social and political changes of that period.
Coretta Scott King discusses Martin Luther King Jr.'s opposition to the Vietnam War, the tensions that position created within the civil rights movement, and her family's involvement in political demonstrations. Her testimony connects antiwar organizing with struggles for racial and economic justice.
95. | William Sloane Coffin | WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting | August 30, 1982
Reverend William Sloane Coffin recalls organizing university teach-ins, supporting draft resistance, and helping establish Clergy and Laity Concerned About Vietnam. He describes working with Martin Luther King Jr., participating in civil disobedience, and confronting disagreements within the antiwar movement.
96. | Sam Brown | WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting | August 11, 1982
Antiwar organizer Sam Brown describes the 1968 Eugene McCarthy presidential campaign, the Vietnam Moratorium demonstrations, and efforts to broaden opposition to the war beyond college campuses. He reflects on organizing strategies, political divisions, and mistakes made by movement leaders.
Ivan King recounts organizing progressive student activity during the Cold War and helping establish the Anvil Club in 1957 as a forum for political discussion and social justice organizing.
Lyle Mercer recalls challenging political repression, organizing against the Canwell Commission hearings, and participating in resistance to the House Un-American Activities Committee during the Cold War.
99. | Stokely Carmichael | Eyes on the Prize, American Archive of Public Broadcasting | 1980s
Civil rights activist Stokely Carmichael describes how the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee developed its opposition to the Vietnam War. He recalls efforts to use military conscription against civil rights organizers and explains how draft resistance became connected to the Black freedom struggle.
Vietnamese Peace Activism and Resistance
Jane Griffith explains how opposition to American involvement in Vietnam led her to direct humanitarian programs for the American Friends Service Committee. She describes operating a rehabilitation center for Vietnamese war victims in Quang Ngai Province from 1970 to 1973.
101. | Hoang Phu Ngoc Tuong | WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting | February 28, 1982
Vietnamese writer Hoang Phu Ngoc Tuong recalls Buddhist protest movements, political imprisonment, and resistance to the Ngo Dinh Diem government. He describes the repression of religious communities and the broader political conflicts surrounding the Hue uprising.
102. | Tran Ngoc Lieng | WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting | March 16, 1981
Vietnamese lawyer and peace activist Tran Ngoc Lieng describes organizing for peace following the Paris Peace Accords. He recalls the harassment and imprisonment of peace advocates and his efforts to prevent the destruction of Saigon during the final days of the war.
103. | Thich Tri Thu | WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting | March 15, 1981
Buddhist leader Thich Tri Thu recounts participating in demonstrations against the Ngo Dinh Diem government's repression of Buddhist communities in 1963. He describes military attacks on pagodas, arrests of monks and nuns, and the continuation of protests despite imprisonment.
104. | Huynh Van Tieng | WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting | March 15, 1981
Vietnamese student leader Huynh Van Tieng recalls the struggle against colonial domination and discusses international solidarity with Vietnamese resistance movements. He describes the support received from British, French, and American citizens who opposed their governments' military policies.
105. | Nguyen Thi Sinh | WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting | March 11, 1981
Nguyen Thi Sinh recalls organizing with Vietnamese women to protest the forced labor of their husbands and children under the Ngo Dinh Diem government. She describes demonstrations at military posts, arrests, physical violence, and local resistance to forced relocation.
Community Protest, Eyewitness Accounts, and Oral Histories
106. | Eugene Vietnam Anti-War Movement Oral History Project | University of Oregon Libraries | 2023–2025
This collection preserves interviews with 19 former antiwar activists from Eugene, Oregon. Participants discuss student demonstrations, draft resistance, draft-card burning, civil disobedience, teach-ins, boycotts, guerrilla theater, and the movement's internal political conflicts.
107. | Mary Ginley and Callista Ross: Vietnam War Home Front | StoryCorps Archive | May 12, 2024
An intergenerational interview explores memories of the Vietnam War from the American home front, examining changing awareness of the conflict, public opinion, and the political atmosphere surrounding the war.
108. | Jacob Gilliam: Antiwar Protest Music | StoryCorps Archive | April 29, 2024
Jacob Gilliam reflects on antiwar protest music and its relationship to movements for peace, freedom, and social justice. This contemporary personal commentary illustrates how protest songs continue to preserve political memory.
109. | Jim Meyers: Protesting the Vietnam War in 1968 | StoryCorps Archive | June 2, 2023
Jim Meyers recalls demonstrating against the Vietnam War and discusses the political conflicts and social unrest surrounding 1968, including his experiences in Milwaukee.
110. | Randy Marchant: College, the Draft, and Vietnam-Era Protest | StoryCorps Archive | March 15, 2023
Randy Marchant discusses his experiences during the Vietnam era, including college life, military conscription, and the social environment surrounding protest and the draft.
111. | Robert Birmingham: Coming Home and Speaking Out for Peace | StoryCorps Archive | December 16, 2022
Vietnam veteran Robert Birmingham speaks with his granddaughter about his longtime opposition to war, participation in peace demonstrations, and belief that human solidarity should extend beyond national borders.
112. | Janet Bilskey: Vietnam Antiwar School Walkout | StoryCorps Archive | April 30, 2022
Janet Bilskey recounts participating in an antiwar walkout and protest during the Vietnam era, preserving the experiences of an ordinary participant in youth opposition to the conflict.
A firsthand recollection describes how the Vietnam War affected families in Los Angeles, the growing public opposition to the conflict, and the influence of television coverage on attitudes toward the war.
114. | Bob Alpern: Taking a Stand Against the Vietnam War | StoryCorps Archive | February 5, 2021
Bob Alpern remembers organizing against the Vietnam War with Catholic priest Philip Berrigan, participating in the Baltimore Interfaith Peace Mission, arranging public antiwar speeches, and engaging in direct action against military weapons exhibitions.
115. | Bob Alpern: A Lifetime of Nonviolent Protest | StoryCorps Archive | June 13, 2020
Bob Alpern describes anti-Vietnam War demonstrations, meetings with government officials, civil disobedience, and protests involving prominent peace activists including Dick Gregory and Benjamin Spock.
116. | Clare Bauman: Vietnam War Protester | StoryCorps Archive | May 30, 2019
Clare Bauman describes the experiences and considerations that led her to oppose the Vietnam War, offering a personal perspective on political opinion and antiwar protest.
117. | Paul M. Kattenburg | WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting | 1981
Diplomat Paul Kattenburg recalls recommending that American policymakers consider withdrawing from Vietnam during a high-level government meeting in 1963. His account provides firsthand testimony of dissent within the government before the large-scale escalation of the war.
Seventeen oral-history recordings preserve firsthand accounts from Iowa State University students, administrators, and local residents involved in campus protests against the Vietnam War. The interviews document political organizing and the effects of antiwar demonstrations on the university community.
Iraq War: Veterans and Families
Firsthand video interviews with members of Iraq Veterans Against the War explore their military experiences, opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, organizing strategies, and campaigns challenging American military policy. This is an archival collection containing multiple individual testimonies.
A compilation of personal testimonies by Iraq War veterans and their families documenting their experiences of military service, the consequences of war, and the perspectives that contributed to criticism of the conflict.
Michael Harmon recalls joining the Army following the September 11 attacks and being deployed to Iraq in 2003 as a combat medic. In his testimony, he questions the connection between Iraq and the attacks and describes his experiences as a young soldier following military orders.
British Conscientious Objectors
Firsthand testimony from conscientious objectors describes imprisonment, restricted communication, prison cells, daily routines, and personal efforts to preserve dignity while refusing military service. The transcripts provide intimate accounts of punishment and resistance.
