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Madison, TV Airs Real Experiences

By Jim Wachtendonk

The VVAW Madison Chapter got a call from the University of Wisconsin History Department where a professor was giving a class on Vietnam. He told me that the students wanted to hear the facts of Vietnam as Vietnam veterans experienced it. Everybody but me was busy or out of town that night, so I packed up my guitar and a load of VETERANS and headed down to campus to cover the class.

It had been some time since I'd done a school. The lecture pit was filled with students, anxious to learn and listen. Many had uncles or brothers who served in country. My being with them, answering their questions and singing my recollections enabled them to put into perspective their relatives involvement or lack of involvement with the world. After the gig was over about 50 students came up to the lecture table and just wanted to talk. The VETERAN newspapers I'd brought were gone in a flash and there seemed to be a mutual respect for me as well as the opinions I represented.

Michael Hersh is an award winning TV producer from Los Angeles. He is also a Vietnam vet. PBS gave Michael a grant to do any project he wanted. He chose the war he served in and wanted to direct its content to "Vietnam vets and those who should care." After a call to the University of Wisconsin chancellor permission to film on Madison's campus, he was told of the Vietnam class being offered at the University. Madison's history of antiwar resistance was well known by Mike Hersh, so his idea was to bring the vet back on campus for the filming. Mike spoke to the teacher who directed him to the teacher who directed him to VVAW. It wasn't too much longer and Mike was in my living room wanting to hear the music I had played at UW. He was interested in reaching strictly Vietnam vets with his production. He was in need of contacts; we furnished him with these and more.

As it happened the night he was at my home (office) VVAW was meeting with the Madison school board arranging the demise of recruiters at Madison schools. We talked until 4AM and when Mike Hersh left Madison that morning he had more ammo than he had expected. The contacts we had supplied, the music he intended to use, the poetry of Steve Hassna, all gave credence to the ability of VVAW to participate in the healing of old wounds. Here was the passing on of our personal histories to a younger group so that our misfortunes might not be repeated.

The night of the concert, Charlie Haid (Renko, of "Hill Street Blues") announced and set the stage for the evening when he attacked the image of Rambo as a non-vet making megabucks off a lie. (Haid wore his VVAW button proudly, proclaiming that VVAW was his vets organization since 1971 when he marched in Dewey Canyon III.) The pavilion was packed with both young and old, vets and student vets, ROTC and curious civilians. Everybody learned something—it was impossible not to. The wounds of the Vietnam War remain; the lessons need to be taught, and the best teachers for that are ourselves.

Jim Wachtendonk
VVAW Madison