Why remember Vietnam? Maybe if you are fairly young and meditating about Iraq, Vietnam seems a long time ago. The sad thing is that there were some huge lessons from Vietnam that we forgot, and very much need to remember.
The author David Maraniss was a grad student at UW Madison in 1967, and the book is woven between the UW Madison Campus Dow Riots, the activities of President Johnson in Washington, and the battlefield. Because I was a grad student in 1969 during the student strike and riots, this book with the details of the UW Campus really brought back the history with its detailed sketching. The book also won the Purlitzer Prize.
The students were told by the student leaders that whatever their personal situation, whatever their personal sacrifice during the demonstrations, the mission of ending the Vietnam War was such a once in a lifetime purpose filled mission that they each must make the sacrifice. I do remember the words. I still remember the price I paid.
The book has some sketches of the young Paul Soglin which were helpful to those who mostly remember him as Mayor of Madison. Yes. There was a time in Madison when truth was written on the walls of buildings----and everything on the walls came true. As I recall when one walked down from the Capitol on State Street, the first two signs were "Free Bobby Seal" and then "Nixon's a Crook"------
Friday, May 16, 2008
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1 comment:
Fully agree with your first paragraph comments on lessons of the Viet Nam War not remembered.
Maraniss was only 18 and a UW freshman when the October 67 incidents happened.I had graduated 4 years earlier and decided to stay out of the military without realizing what a disaster the war was.The books description of the student protests, buildings,police ,and UW officials were very familiar.My experiences in mandatory ROTC class with some students trying to protest the military instructers were mild in comparison. The NORAD headquarters at Truax was a major cold war target and or defense.
Maraniss's detailed accounts of events illustrates how student protests did slowly affect politics (LBJ decided not to run 6 months later).
Alvin Francis
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