The People Make the Peace
Forty years after the Vietnam War ended, many in the United States still struggle to come to terms with this tumultuous period of U.S. history. The domestic antiwar movement, with cooperation from their Vietnamese counterparts, played a significant role in ending the War, but few have examined its impact until now. In The People Make the Peace, edited by Karín Aguilar-San Juan and Frank Joyce, nine U.S. activists discuss the parts they played in opposing the War at home and their risky travels to Vietnam in the midst of the conflict to engage in people-to-people diplomacy.
The book shatters stereotypes of protesters and shows the activists as thoughtful, courageous and compassionate strategists whose dedication to peaceful diplomacy helped end the war earlier...Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK
In 2013, the "Hanoi 9" activists revisited Vietnam together; this book presents their thoughtful reflections on those experiences, as well as the stories of five U.S. veterans who returned to make reparations. Their successes in antiwar organizing will challenge the myths that still linger from that era, and inspire a new generation seeking peaceful solutions to war and conflict today. The book's contributors [pictured below] include:
- Jay Craven
- Rennie Davis
- Judy Gumbo
- Alex Hing
- Doug Hostetter
- Frank Joyce
- Nancy Kurshan
- Myra MacPherson
- John McAuliff
- Becca Wilson
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DEAR READER: Shortly after this book went into print, it was revealed that one of the five ex-combat veterans interviewed by Myra MacPherson in Chapter 9 was an imposter. As it turned out, Chuck Palazzo had fabricated his entire story from beginning to end, entrapping many people for many years in an elaborate and ultimately devastating lie. He was a Marine, but he did not jump out of a helicopter. He was stationed in Okinawa, but he never fought in Vietnam. When Palazzo was finally exposed, the Veterans for Peace discovered that he had also stolen $100,000 from its vital resources to aid Vietnamese victims of unexploded ordnance and Agent Orange.
As you might expect, these revelations shocked and disheartened his colleagues, other veterans, and the journalists who trusted and documented his story. As Chuck Searcy put it, “I felt betrayed…This has severely damaged all of us…every lie was another betrayal.” Myra MacPherson has since submitted a revision of Chapter 9, including new research on “fake warriors.” This revision will be included in the next print run of People Make the Peace.
ON FAKE WARRIORS
“The Vietnam War, once so unpopular that college students bragged about how they pulled scams to avoid the draft, has in the fog of memory mutated into something glamorous to many who never even saw boot camp. The Vietnam memorial and its traveling mini memorials have served to honor the once scorned Vietnam veteran, but danger lies in contorting a fiasco of a war into glory, which fake warriors perpetuate.” –-Myra MacPherson
*** Read a brief overview on the JWE website highlighting the book The People Make the Peace. Click here to access it.
Click here to access a post by JWE, featuring Doug Hostetter's reflections on his experiences during the Vietnam War and his subsequent advocacy for Palestinian rights.
Click here to access a post by JWE about the passing of Marilyn B. Young. The post reflects on her legacy and contributions to the field, including her praise for The People Make the Peace.
Click here to access a post by JWE featuring an interview with Karin Aguilar-San Juan, co-editor of The People Make the Peace. She critiques Ken Burns’ PBS documentary The Vietnam War for centering American perspectives while sidelining Vietnamese voices. Co-editor Frank Joyce also weighed in with an op-ed in the Detroit Free Press, calling the series disempowering. Aguilar-San Juan contrasts Burns’ approach with the 1967 French antiwar film Far from Vietnam, which featured Vietnamese perspectives and contributions from directors like Jean-Luc Godard. You can also listen to the full podcast interview here.
Click here to access a post by JWE about the July 2019 launch of the Vietnamese edition of The People Make the Peace: Lessons from the Vietnam Antiwar Movement. Co-editors Karín Aguilar-San Juan and Frank Joyce, along with contributors Judy Gumbo Albert and Alex Hing, traveled to Hanoi for the event. Their visit included meetings with students, educators, and dignitaries, celebrating the book's release and reflecting on the enduring impact of U.S. antiwar activism.
Click here to access a post by JWE about five U.S. peace activists who revisited Vietnam in 2019, marking the launch of the Vietnamese edition of The People Make the Peace: Lessons from the Vietnam Antiwar Movement. Led by co-editor Frank Joyce, the delegation was honored with the "For Peace and Friendship Among Nations" medal by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations. Their visit included meetings with victims of Agent Orange and unexploded ordnance, reflecting on the enduring impacts of the war. check out the whole photo album of the trip that’s posted here.
Click here to access a post by JWE about the 50th anniversary of the Kent State shootings. On May 4, 1970, the Ohio National Guard opened fire on unarmed students protesting the Vietnam War, killing four and wounding nine others. This tragic event galvanized the antiwar movement and remains a pivotal moment in U.S. history. In 2019, Just World Educational commemorated this anniversary with reflections from Karín Aguilar-San Juan, co-editor of The People Make the Peace: Lessons from the Vietnam Antiwar Movement, who highlighted the international solidarity shown by North Vietnamese leaders following the tragedy.
The People Make the Peace is available in Paperback ($23.99) and Ebook ($9.99)
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