what did jane fonda vietnam what did jane fonda vietnam

Im not you know, they all went to jail. No article of ours gets hundreds of letters, but this one did, very few of them friendly. But because of the nature of Vietnam, McNamara said to me, if wed known what we know now it would have we should not have gone out. Hardly misdirected anger, Jane Fonda really was merely a silly and shallow child of privilege who allowed herself to be used for propaganda. They hadnt been able to vote on the virtues of the conflict, and they found themselves in mortal peril in the midst of an ugly, painful ordeal that a lot of vocal people back home thought was a criminal enterprise. And the question I have is 50 years later, how do you look back on that particular chapter? Which goes to reinforce the old adage that no one is truly a waste of skin. This thread gives me a great chance to ask veterans a question that has always bothered me. HANNITY: All right. She has to be a murderess too. I get up, and as I start to walk back to the car with the translator, the implication of what has just happened hits me. It wasnt firing at the time, and Fonda said in 2011 she hardly even thought about where I was sitting and that it is possible that it was a set up, that the Vietnamese NORTH: And mine too, brother, even after 37 years. JANE FONDA: Well, I didnt like it. As Pioneer Rap Trio Suffers Tragic Loss, Long-Awaited Back Catalog is Finally Released, Bret Baiers Interview With FBI Director Shows What A Joke It Is to Pose Him As Foxs Real Journalism Successor to Chris Wallace, Jimmy Kimmel Calls Tucker Carlson Putins Favorite Little Nesting Doll After He Accused Kimmel of Using Foreign Gov. By July 1972, when Fonda accepted an invitation to visit North Vietnam, America had been at war overseas and with itself for years. No license is granted to the user of this material except for the user's personal or internal use and, in such case, only one copy may be printed, nor shall user use any material for commercial purposes or in any fashion that may infringe upon Fox News Network, L.L.C. By denying their mistreatment or not investigating their treatment,in an effort to sway public opinion to her own perceived vision of the national interest, she did harm to her countrymen in captivity. As anyone who knew or worked with me in those years knows my heart has always been with the soldiers. "There's no disputing that Jane Fonda toured North Vietnam, propagandized on behalf of the communists, and participated in an orchestrated "press conference" with American POWs in 1972. In her 2005 memoir, My Life So Far, Fonda wrote of the infamous photo this way: Still,for some veterans, no apology from Fonda will ever change their views of her as an adversaryof America and the troops during wartime. As Jane Fonda promotes her new film, "Monster-in-Law", its up to all of us to let our children know about the specific activities she undertook during the Vietnam War. But she maintains she was not a traitor by speaking out against the war or trying to turn soldiers against it, because she still believesthe U.S. government was lying to them. Fonda shakes the last hand, then turns to the officer and gives him the fistful of messages. Why? As the war raged, the one-time blonde bombshell cut her naturally brown hair short, trading sex appeal for liberal activism and rebranding herself as a political crusader against the war. Fonda moves down the line, greeting each man with encouragements like Arent you ashamed you killed babies? as she shakes his hand. There's no statute of limitations on it. It is always distressing to find American citizens who benefit from the protection and assistance of this government lending their voice in any way to governments such as the Democratic Republic of Vietnam distressing indeed, said State Department spokesman Charles W. Bray, according to a July 1972 Reuters story. However, the fact that she advocated Communism does not give anyone license to make up stories or slander. North Vietnam, 1972,: Jane Fonda is in the midst of her visit when an N.V.A. I plead with him, You have to be sure those photographs are not published. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. She was a symbol of a divided nation. An analogy: I'm more upset by somebody coming into my house and stealing from me than I am by a tax increase, or even by government malfeasance. She sided with the Viet Cong as revolutionary liberators. And she travelled to Hanoi at a time when North Vietnamese soldiers were killing Americans. Hows this for a story? Heres a transcript of her remarks so you can judge for yourself. Switch to the light mode that's kinder on your eyes at day time. Outside of herself, she was manipulated by the experts in the Communist government who are masters in the art of propaganda. Otherwise, she wouldn't touch a weapon if she was genuinely anti-war. The reason Jane Fonda went to Vietnam was not wrong as Mr. Sollinger put it but the way she behaved while in Vietnam was unappropriate. That's an apology. Market data provided by Factset. Jane Fonda was more than just an actress born to a wealthy and prominent Hollywood family. . officers, toward the Chinese border amid cries of protest from Wall Street which feared war with "our trading partner" Red China. On the basis of those meetings alone, she proclaimed that American POW's weren't being mistreated, and that any who said they were mistreated werte either liars, or were simply experiencing punishment for their racist treatment and attitude towards their Vietnamese captors. Shewas active in the Black Panthers and marched for the rights of American Indians, soldiers and working mothers. Heres how we saw the article we ran: It is a survey of the singular career of a woman who both drove and was driven by many of the largest social concerns of her era, and who came to embody some of them. It was my mistake and I have paid and continue to pay a heavy price for it.. or redistributed. In 2015, about 50 veterans stood outside theWeinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick, Md., to protest Fondas appearance there. wars the intention of which is not to win but to bleed) is quite plausible. Oh, my God. I feel sorry for NORTH: She didn't apologize, Alan. She now works at Reuters. Jane Fonda was always an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War. JANE FONDA: it was a mistake to go, I never wanted to go to any military installations. This, probably more than anything, earned her the nickname Hanoi Jane.. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. War materiel, shipped via the These horrendous claims went around the nation on the Internet, resulting in a great deal of anger and consternation among veterans. He collects a group of American POWs from their septic dungeons, cleans them up, and has them mustered on parade to show his guest how well his embattled nation treats its prisoners. Fonda shakes the last hand, then turns to the officer and gives him the fistful of messages. He didnt live to see it published. Of course, she was a Vietnamese. Fifty years later, he bears witness again. The story surfaced on the Internet in 1999, and my guess is that it will live there a long time. Lets break down her remarks. Her suit was later settled for a reported $20 million. No, after the Left's "victory" in the United State's withdrawal from Southeast Asia, the matter of consequences was conveniently dropped from the discussion. I dont think they know, Fonda said in a news conference when she returned home. Pleasant Michigan, where Mary Hersberger (Capital University) and Jerry Kembcke (Holy Cross College) both gave papers on Fonda. Now, aid and comfort can be measured a lot of ways. Just another old women of no consequence, don't give her any credit for ending the war, people like John Kerry and Max Cleland don't even think it's over yet. Respected online resources such as Snopes, Truth Miners, and Urban Legends have all cited key persons in the infamous email as having refuted its claims. COLMES: She did say that she was sorry. For the next severalyears, Fonda would continue as one of the most prominent public faces in the antiwar movement. Subsequently communist China was awarded a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, its most powerful chair. I mean, he realized that . Did we lie about the body that we planted on Omaha Beach (search), trying to convince the Germans that we were going to land somewhere else? JANE FONDA: It was a terrible mistake. The people who are speaking out against the war are the patriots. She said the radio addresses were the only way to get access to American soldiers, because she was barred from meeting them at their bases in South Vietnam. Sadly, the Founders also mixed a great deal of Greco-Roman Humanism with this heritage, allowing room for much of what you decry. Halyburton told him that the POW's had tried to debunk them even though they regarded Fonda as an unsympathetic figure. . Many Americans disapproved of Fondas comments Due to the pressure of so-called "rationalists", Article VI, Paragraph 3 of the Constitution forbids Congress from excluding Communists, Anti-Semites, or Globalists from its membership, allowing the control that you decry. Talking Points, WATCH: Greg Gutfeld and Bill Maher Riff About Incest Porn Because They Are Hilarious Comedians And Hell Exists, Cocaine Bear, Hold My Beer: Production Company Behind Sharknado Releasing Meth Gator Movie This Summer. Finally the brainwashed, confused, exhausted American public forced our government to surrender. And, you know, I think they thought, Oh, shes this white privilege rich, famous daughter of all of that stuff. quote: She said that she regretted it. I never asked pilots to desert. Did our government lie to us during Vietnam? The chance to remake oneself is a universally acknowledged strength of this Republic, and the Republic itself has done it often enough. If even one of them were true, it would change the entire focus of my article. She apologized for being on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun site. I want you to go home and say, "I'm sorry I got caught doing the wrong thing.". I find that intolerable.. "Claim: POWs were beaten for refusing to cooperate or meet with Fonda during her visit. President Lyndon Johnson, Democrat, in a special address to the American public, reported an attack upon a U.S. naval vessel in the Tonkin Gulf by a North Vietnamese torpedo boat. Alisyn Camerota hosted a number of Fox News programs during a 16-year run that ended in 2014. "KOREA: Shortly thereafter Truman, with Congress averting its eyes, committed U.S. troops to Korea. Chiang refused to be extorted, citing his revulsion of the international banking cartel. For 70 years, American Heritage has been the leading magazine of U.S. history, politics, and culture. I think so, and I would hope that all Americans will at least speak their minds at the movie box office and refuse to further enrich one of the greatest American traitors. On a hot, stickyMay afternoon in 1970,a crowd of several thousand students and protesterstook over the University of Maryland mall. Daughter of legendary Henry Fonda, actress, and activist was one of the most outspoken people against the Vietnam War at the age of 34. WebJane Fonda & TheVietnam War. At that time, over 60,000 American soldiers had lost their lives, and almost one million Vietnamese. Thank you, sir. Maybe John Nolte of Breitbart had the best of intentions, but his essay We Should Accept Jane Fondas Apology About Vietnam is an ethics mess. Article 3, section three of the Constitution defines treason as "levying war against the United States or adhering to their enemies or giving them aid and comfort.". And I didnt even think and they sang me a song and Im made me laugh. That is not my place. And that we probably couldnt win it not because they werent a fabulous soldiers. In July of 1972, she made two trips to Hanoi which earned her the nickname Hanoi Jane. MacArthur complained that his conduct of the war was compromised by spies within the U.S. government: "The enemy receives my (Pentagon) directives before I do". And it was a terrible mistake because of the image that it showed, which was not at all what the reality was. This article was published more than4 years ago. You have "War Stories" coming up. How unfair! She said in a 1973 interview elaborating on the hypocrites and liars statement that it would be understandable for the North Vietnamese to torture POWs who tried to escape. And I refused to have them scare me away from being actively against the Vietnam War. Politicians make mistakes that affect the body politic and statesmen sometimes direct a foreign policy that disregards individuals in the national interest. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, Megyn Kelly Trashed by Rosie O'Donnell as 'Spineless Wanna Be Barbie' for Jane Fonda Spat, 'Jane Fonda in Five Acts' Film Review: Doc Explores the Many Lives of the Actress-Activist, How Jane Fonda Explains 'Hanoi Jane': 'Regret to My Dying Day', said she was among those at Fox News sexually harassed by Ailes. Someone (I dont remember who) leads me toward the gun, and I sit down, still laughing, still applauding. The alleged mission was to prevent communism from spreading to South Korea, a peninsula pointed at now disarmed Japan. Nobody remembers, nobody cares. She called our POWs hypocrites and liars and referred to their torture as understandable. If you must know, my original draft did make reference to the one true story that you mentioned. The war was being fought by the air during during the Nixon administration. "Hanoi Run" from USSR to Viet Nam, was produced in Russian plants that had been built by American companies and financed by the Federal Reserve System. I think that there is a lot of selectivity going on. NORTH: The real story about Vietnam. He hadnt liked the story but at least was willing to discuss it. I said that the POWs claiming torture were liars, hypocrites, and pawns. I went to a session at the 2003 Peace History Society Conference in Mt. Even so, I'm going to keep an eye open to purchase one of the urinal mats with her photograph depicted upon it. I know what its supposed to be now. I mean, you know, of all manner of slings and arrows were thrown my way. Four die; one, Col. Larry Carrigan, survivesjust barely, but it is he who tells about the incident. Kelly was defending herself after Fonda said over the weekend that the question was so inappropriate and that Kelly is not that good an interviewer.. [2] While criticizing America, she made laudatory comments about the Soviet Union. Dave You know, I have an organization in Georgia that deals with adolescents, and Ive studied parenting. The U.S. government secretly abets communism around the globe, then sends in the American military to "contain the communist menace". Fox News has enhanced the careers of numerous women who have served as hosts. By July 1972, when Fonda accepted an invitation to visit North Vietnam, America had been at war overseas and with itself for years. Peter Braunsteins article speculated that Jane Fonda had this ability to a degree unique in modern times. Even Trotsky, whose philosophy I do not advocate, could see this relationship between the capitalists and the communists clearly (hypocritically denouncing it, since he went along with it). But the reality of it is, Alan, this is a woman,who I quite frankly feel sorry for. He was denied his request to gather intelligence by aerial reconnaissance over China. Sending Out Veterans' Benefits, The Executive Branchs Response to the Flood of 1927, The Case For Calling the Language "American", America Fought Its Own Battle Over Books Before it Fought the Nazis. 1990) Pages 121-123. Its more than being a traitor; millions of Americans felt treasonous during that war. The Washington Post spent that day with Fonda, following her and a dozen or so students to Fort Meade in Maryland, where they planned to hand out antiwar leaflets to soldiers. What most Viet-Nam veterans think about Jane Fonda is expressed in a number of products sold by D & G Enterprises, Heres her explanation, from 2011: I had decided to do the broadcasts because I was so horrified by the bombing of civilian targets and I wanted to speak to U.S. pilots as I had done on so many occasions during my visits to U.S. military bases and at G.I. And I didnt even think and they sang me a song and Im made me laugh. Only the bankers know. "Happening Now" anchor Jenna Lee announced that she was leaving the Fox Newsafter working there for 10 years. JANE FONDA: it was a mistake to go, I never wanted to go to any military installations. I believe Jane Fonda has talked to at least two historians. In Hanoi, Fonda also met with seven American POWs and later said they asked her to tell their friends and family to support presidential candidate George McGovern; they feared theyd never be freed during a Richard Nixon administration. COLMES: She didn't say the words she wanted her to say. I am assured it will be taken care of. Among the products sold expressing veterans' disdain for Fonda are a variety of bumper stickers, envelope stickers, sew-on patches, but evidently D&G no longer carries my favorite Fonda item, a urinal pad depicting Jane Fonda's photograph. She was dubbed "Hanoi Jane" after traveling to the Communist capital. Whereupon Truman dismissed MacArthur for insubordination. She was young and famous at the time, maybe the Iraqi insurgents could get some of the present crop of empty headed celebrities, Britney Spears perhaps, to pose next to those Muslim mopes in robes and head towels while they aim their weapons. In another she was looking into the Colonel, Michelle Malkin (search) actually discovered other quotes that she had said. And I was I was like a limp noodle what I had experienced and what I had seen, I just I wasnt able to resist, they said were gonna take you out here today. Libertarian commentator Jedediah Bila appeared on Fox's "Outnumbered" and later turned up on ABC's "The View.". If a prisoner tried to escape, it is quite understandable that he would probably be beaten and tortured.. Now, I leave it NORTH: Well, yes, as a matter of fact I think she is. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Radio broadcasts, which attempted to shame American troops: Fonda did record messages that the North Vietnamese played for Americans to weaken their resolve. If they did, can I really blame them? Jane Fonda and the Vietnam War. But literally working hand-in-hand with the enemy to promote their cause to a worldwide audience was not protected by the First Amendment then just as it is not protected now. In her book, she says she's a Christian. However, when my credibility is challenged, I will respond. And number three: you've got the propaganda broadcasts themselves, where she substitutes for Hanoi Hannah, who broadcasts to the American troops all the time. Forget? But Youre gonna come through it, okay. I mean, the reality of it is that's not an apology. Maybe. She visited Russia in the early Sixties, and was personally impressed by the deference she received. No article of ours gets hundreds of letters, but this one did, very few of them friendly. One presumably claimed to have been struck by her, while another claimed to have had his confidence betrayed to his Communist captors. She called the POW's liars. That begs the question, responsible for what? I mean, that's like the bank robber saying, "I'm sorry I got caught.". Troop D, 1st squadron, 4th Cavalry, RVN, 1966-7 She posed on an anti-aircraft gun used to shoot down our American pilots. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. I spent many years its when I made coming home talking to American soldiers, who had been in Vietnam and the things they told me were heartbreaking. And you were photographed sitting on an anti aircraft gun. One of the times it did, Im happy to say, was with Keith Nolan, the author of several books on the war, most recently Ripcord , a superb account of the 101st Airborne in the conflicts last great battle. SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: Jane Fonda says she is sorry for some of her actions during the Vietnam War. The buck stops here. Donald Screw you. And its about a woman who had a capacity for reinvention that, like Jay Gatsbys, was the more effective for her whole-souled belief in what she devised. Free subscription>>, Please consider a donation to help us keep this American treasure alive. Switch to the dark mode that's kinder on your eyes at night time. It has simply been repeated over and over again, without proof, and duplicated on a number of websites. And heres Cat Ballou, the beautiful daughter of Young Abe Lincoln, of Mister Roberts, beaming down from a machine designed to kill them. And I don't NORTH: Well, that's not going to happen. She went to tour the countrys dike system, which was rumored to have been intentionally bombed by American forces something the U.S. government to this day forcefully denies. It was the last day of my two week time there. I wanted to tell them what I was seeing as an American on the ground there. I spent many years its when I made coming home talking to American soldiers, who had been in Vietnam and the things they told me were heartbreaking. Urban Legends story then identifies the POW and gives some quotes about his treatment by the NVA. What followed was a long-lasting wave of criticism and international outrage that earned Fonda the nickname " I make it a habit not to intervene as an intern. Hows this for a story? I stand by the article as it was written. Greta Van Susteren -- who had been one of Ailes' most stalwart defenders -- left in early September 2016 after saying that Fox had "not felt like a home" for years. It wasnt firing at the time, and Fonda said in 2011 she hardly even thought about where I was sitting and that itis possible that it was a set up, that the Vietnamese had it all planned.. I dug in my heels. [5]http://www.snopes.com/military/fonda.asp; http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/weekly/aa110399b.htm; http://www.truthminers.com/truth/hanoi_jane.htm; cited on November 24, 2004. www.DanandGEnterprises.com JANE FONDA: Well, I didnt like it. Fonda may have regrets about those photos in particular, but shes never regretted her political activism. I would like to hear more about this. Fonda addresses the media in December 1972 to protest U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War. LBJ and Congress share responsibility for the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, with its dubious basis, and everything that followed. WebNevertheless, there are Vietnam veterans out there who served in the war zone before 1969 who are convinced that Jane Fonda was in cahoots with the Commies during their own I mean, you know, of all manner of slings and arrows were thrown my way. Jane didnt make her infamous and idiotic trip to Hanoi until 1972. According to the email she visited Hanoi in 1968. You know, we can we can scare her, and boy did they try? On this weeks edition of HBO Max and CNNs Whos Talking to Chris Wallace, the host covered much of that territory, including that 1972 visit. America. The Ms. , we thought, would signal a bit of ironic distance from the broad, ingenu- ous affection contained in Miss America. . Her name was Jane Fonda. Congress held hearings. I remember one retired lieutenant colonel describing a conversation he had with an angry trooper about the treasonous behavior of Jane Fonda in the midst of the 1968 Tet Offensive. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Rumors spread and still persist that she betrayed them by accepting secret notes and then turning them over to the North Vietnamese. When I contacted him, Benge confirmed that the story was indeed his own, and true." In no sense am I a Fonda apologist. After all, she is an American; surely shell carry the message home to the families that their husband or son is alive. For example, she went on Radio Hanoi a number of times, while our troops, your friends, were being shot at by an enemy in Vietnam, saying our POWs were in good health. It is nothing more and nothing less than the full culmination of Greco-Roman Humanism as it has defined itself throughout the thousands of years. But newly discovered tapes tell a very, very different story. America. The Ms. , we thought, would signal a bit of ironic distance from the broad, ingenu- ous affection contained in Miss America., It evidently didnt. 's and eMediaMillWorks, Inc.'s copyrights or other proprietary rights or interests in the material. The great General Douglas MacArthur drove the North Koreans, led by Red Chinese Bates (private citizen), What do all you old sober sides make of this thesis? Credit: Bettmann Archive/Getty Images "It was a very tumultuous and polarized time," she said in the HBO documentary. Hanoi Jane told 60 Minutes that photos snapped while she sat on an enemy aircraft gun was a betrayal and the largest lapse of judgment I can imagine. Though she did say, meeting the locals, other artists, and intellectuals were well worth it. The Roger Ailes and Bill OReilly scandals have cast even some old departures in a new light. Its something very like the worst sort of lovers betrayal, the deep wound that time itself often is powerless to heal. Here's what she's got. The Army builds a tolerance for violence, she shouted at the crowd. A Vietnam War photographer captured the bloody Tet offensive. A new HBO documentary on Fondas life, Jane Fonda in Five Acts, explores the fallout for the actress, who is now 80. The one story that was true never touched the question of whether or not she directly participated in war crimes. Id been getting pretty sour about the incensed patriots who would curse me and my family and confidently speak on behalf of all veterans living and dead, and the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress, to declare I was a disgrace to America for running that storythen conclude by smugly assuring me they would never read it. CHRIS WALLACE: When you got that nickname Hanoi Jane, how did you feel at the time? window._taboola = window._taboola || []; Jane Fonda remains unforgiven. Almost all the messages said we had no business writing about Fonda because she was a traitor. We once published an admiring profile of Benedict Arnoldwhose actions did the nation real damage in a way Fondas fulminations never couldand nobody made a peep. It may be an old story, but being that she never stood trial for her actions still make her case an open book. Fonda traveled to Hanoi, Vietnam, to protest the Vietnam War, but she did not do most of the things the post claims. Her attackers renewed an old strike against the image of an actress who grew up as the daughter of the All-American Henry Fonda, yet became synonymous with the various rebellions of the Sixties. All rights reserved. She so symbolized the divided nation, hawks arrayed against her and doves siding with her, that she became a personal target, most recently with allegations about personal involvement in the mistreatment of POWs. I appealed to them to please consider what you are doing. MacArthur was denied his request to attack enemy forces massing across the Yalu border in preparation for attack. I did not know then. It was to these traditional Americans, alienated by the Sixties, that the email was targeted, playing on their hopes that finally, at long last, Jane Fonda would have to answer for her choices. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. She went to tour the countrys dike system, which was rumored to have been intentionally bombed by American forces something the U.S. government to this day forcefully denies. [1] Cited on November 24, 2004. In 1972, actress Jane Fonda traveled to North Vietnam on an anti-war mission. Her visit actually took place in 1972. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you, G.I. But she was advised by other activists to focus her political energies, deciding to go all-in as an impassioned voice for the antiwar movement.