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Vietnam Veterans Film Fest & Art Show

By Sukie Wachtendonk

"Country Joe McDonald brought the Vietnam War back to the University of California at the Berkeley campus," wrote a reporter in the April 28th edition of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Joe, in fact, did much more than that in a week-long series of events which brought together veterans, peace activists, Vietnamese and students for the Vietnam Veterans Film Fest and Art Show, April 27 - May 1st in Berkeley.

"We want to reawaken people from the sleep they've fallen into. We want to pay tribute to the people who lost their lives in Vietnam, and the people who fought and resisted the war in Vietnam," McDonald said, adding that "the event brought all elements of the Vietnam experience into the fold."

The week began with a rally on the steps of Sproul Plaza on the Berkeley campus, site of some of the heaviest anti-war demonstrations throughout the war years. Joe kicked off the rally with a rousing rendition of "Fixin' to Die Rag," and was followed by speakers—anti-war activists Steward and Judy Clavis Albert, authors of a new book on the anti-war movement entitled The Sixties Papers. Other speakers included veterans poets David Brown and Steve Hassna. Music was provided by "Dynamite" Annie Johnson of the Cleanliness and Godliness Skiffle Band, and Booney Toons' Jim Wachtendonk.

VVAW's banner "Honor the Warrior, Not the War" maintained a prevalent position on the steps of the Plaza throughout the rally. Not surprisingly it attracted the attention of many vets who had thought for years that "VVAW was dead." They were heartened to see the old original colors once more flying in California without the defiling "A.I." scrawled over the shield. There was considerable talk that day and throughout the week of reviving the Berkeley Chapter of VVAW.

On Monday evening, the films began at Wheeler Auditorium with a 1977 black and white film "Faces of War" which documented the experiences of a Marine Company on patrol for 97 days in the jungles of Vietnam.

Other offerings that evening included some psychedelic flashbacks in the film "Now's Real," the San Francisco Differs film of Haight-Ashbury in the '60's, and the "Hog Far" movie about the infamous commune and its inhabitants on a bus ride through middle America in the '60's: "David Harris—A Portrait," the story of America's most celebrated draft resister; "Ecocide," an eye-witness portrayal of the defoliation and aftermath in Vietnam. My favorite film of the evening was the Green Mountain Post Film, "The Secret Agent" which is a history and overview of American use of Agent Orange in Vietnam including filed photography of spraying missions, comments by the chemical companies, VA luminaries and extraordinary veteran activists and family members. The film is complete with a soundtrack of Country Joe's best Vietnam tunes.

Tuesday night's films included the legendary "FTA" movie, not shown anywhere in many years (it's rumored that Jane Fonda had all the prints destroyed). The film features Jane, Donald Sutherland, Holly Near and others traveling with the Free The Army show to military bases overseas, bringing its anti-war message to American GI's.

Also shown Tuesday evening were "Peoples' Park" which documents Berkeley's demonstrations and student takeover of a tract of University land during which one student was killed by the police. "War Shadows" is a portrait of Vietnam vet Paul Reutersham's struggles to publicize the dangers of Agent Orange, his illness, his lawsuit which mushroomed into the class-action suit, and his death from cancer at the age of 27. "Be-In" was a film of San Francisco's 1967 Human Be-In at Golden Gate Park which launched the "Summer of Love." "Troop Train" was footage of the first anti-war actions to block the passage of the troop trains moving from Emeryville, CA on their way to the Oakland Army Terminal in transit to Vietnam.

The film series blew many minds in the audience: those of the students who were babes of tender years at the time and don't remember the violence of those years—as well as the seasoned veterans of Vietnam and anti-war activists who were also, at that time, children of tender years. The vets, still running the living memories in their brains of the jungle heat and their war at home upon their return. The demonstrators also have film running on: 20 years later they can still smell the tear gas and visibly shudder at the scenes of police violence. All in attendance were sucked into the celluloid, and shared thoughts, memories and hopes for the future after the screens went black.

Wednesday evening's program at the International House featured women in the Vietnam era and demonstrated the far-reaching effects and wide range of disruption the war had on the lives of women in the U.S. and Vietnam. Wendy Wilder Larsen and Tran Thi Nga read moving passages from their newly released book of poetry, Shallow Graves about their lives, one of a journalist's wife in Vietnam and the other a Vietnamese civilian in a war zone.

Judy Clavis Albert (Co-author of The Sixties Papers) spoke eloquently about women's roles in the anti-war movement, battling sexism and racism, and the eventual blossoming of the women's movement from these roots.

Pam White, a Vietnam combat nurse relayed startling experiences of her tour in Vietnam as a surgical nurse in triage in a field hospital. She is still very troubled by the war, and spoke angrily of the effects it still has on her life, and the lives of thousands of others who served and still need help coping with the horrors.

Penni Evans, an American Red Cross worker and civilian volunteer in Vietnam shared with the listeners passages from her journal begun while she was recovering from her trauma of Vietnam. In her writings she confronts the realities of a young woman who volunteered for duty in Vietnam and smashes the stereotypes of those many women who served as doughnut dollies.

Vangee Guettenenger, a former flight stewardess talked of transporting both live and dead soldiers to and from Vietnam and her continued concern and memories of those veterans.

Muriel Hogan, singer-song-writer, musician and VVAW member spoke of her formative years travelling with her Air Force family, and her eventual turning to anti-war activism and peace issues while virtually "in the military" with her father. Muriel performed several classic anti-war songs: "Fields of Flanders," "The Cruel War," "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," and appropriately, "Give Peace A Chance."

I was honored to be among the speakers that evening, representing wives and partners of Vietnam vets. I spoke mainly about the Agent Orange issue, our children, lingering health effects, domestic re-exposure to Agent Orange pesticides at home, and our struggles to keep our families together and healthy.

The evening was a moving educational experience for those in the audience as well as those participating in the event. The collective experiences aptly demonstrated that the consequences of war and suffering extend way beyond the soldier—tho his mother, his wife, his lover, his sister, his daughter—to every woman sharing his life.

Women veterans and volunteers in war time service also carry the scars of war and have been forgotten by the society and government they so valiantly served. I was reawakened to the hard fact that we are, all of us, veterans of Vietnam. To these women of war—those who were present in Berkeley and those who were not—I give my thanks, my gratitude, my love and my commitment to continue the struggle for us all.

The fourth evening featured comedy, music and poetry with an amazing array of artists and characters. Country Joe MC'd the show, which included Scoop Nisken, a Berkely commentator, radio news personality and anti-war activist; Paul Krassner, comedian, cartoonist and writer. Both had great comedy routines and the talent to bring laughter and comic relief to an audience which all week had been bombarded with the realities and heaviness of the war years, Wavy Gravy also added his touch of looniness to the scene when he appeared on stage in all his robustness in a hand-painted and tie-dyed rainbow sweat-suit. He applied clown make-up while discussing his life's work of making folks laugh. His story about the Chicago cops bringing him to the station during the "Days of Rage" in 1968, not to arrest him but to show him off in all his regalia was hilarious—thanks, Wavy—we needed that!

Poetry of the evening was presented by David Brown, a soft-spoken and reserved veteran of Vietnam. His book of poetry Returning Fire seethes with overpowering imagery and beauty that is Vietnam, and the undercurrent of sinister for boding which plagued every vet who served there.

Vietnam vet and poet John Trudell, leader of the American Indian Movement and veteran of Wounded Knee and Alcatraz Island takeover, shad us all riveted to our chairs while speaking of his experiences in Vietnam an chis coming home to realize that as an indigenous member of the native American race, he was the Viet Cong. His book Living in Reality—Songs Called Poems and his cassette tape "Graffiti Man" are highly recommended. He's an intensely powerful orator and human being.

John Trudell's appearance at this event added another '60's twist which I found delightful. It is well known that Bob Dylan and George Harrison are friends and often at ten John's readings. Throughout the evening the crown buzzed with the whispered rumor—"Dylan and Harrison will be here." The murmur added that flavor of the old days: the electric magic of old days: the electric magic of those years was there. Funny how some things never change.

Steve Hassna completed the poetry readings for the evening in his unmatched excellence. His poetry about Vietnam and Central America allows him to educate old and young alike. His keen ability to use words as ammo against the enemy or as beautiful gifts of love to his children never fail to amaze me after all these years of listening to his work.

The music interspersed throughout the evening's lesson in Vietnam history was provided by Muriel Hogan, Joe McDonald, Rick and Chip Duvall and Jim Wachtendonk, all VVAW members. Rick and Chip Duvall performed several favorites, "Back on the Block," "You Must Be Crazy," and a new tune, "No More War." Their lively, upbeat style and humor were crowd pleasers as usual.

Muriel brought chills to the spines of the audience with her "Agent Orange Song": "They killed me in Vietnam and I didn't even know"—which has become an anthem of sorts for the Agent Orange movement. The song has been recorded by the late Kate Wolf and also by Country Joe, with much critical success.

Jim Wachtendonk is one of the best singer-song-writers to come out of the Vietnam era. Being that he's my partner definitely colors my opinion, but nonetheless he is gifted with a beautiful voice and the talent of a wonderful lyricist. His tape "Incoming" and songbook, "Songs For America" are available through VVAW, Madison.

The final evening of the Film Fest and Art Show was definitely a '60's experience. Jerry Abrams, the inventor of the original '60's light show and pioneer in the art of combining lights and music offered a spectacular visual accompaniment to the concert which brought to a new generation of young people the best of Berkeley's legendary 1960's bands and brought flashes from our pasts.

Joe McDonald opened with the "FUCK" cheer and an interesting and humorous historical account of the song and his trials and tribulations throughout the years in performing it in the U.S. and around the world.

Berkeley's first street band, the Cleanliness and Godliness Skiffle Band performed original material and '50's and '60's rock & roll, jazz and blues to a packed house of 500.

The Joy of Cooking also made an appearance. Together for only the second time in 15 years, they had Pauley Ballroom rocking. They were the first of the '60's new wave of bands to contain women as strong, talented and equal musicians. They are responsible for many familiar folk-rock-fusion tunes, extremely popular in our era, and I would bet would be just as popular today if re-released.

Lazarus, another famous Berkeley band, wrapped up the evening with songs that stirred up the students of the '60's at Peoples' Park and Pauley Ballroom during the war years. They proved that they could still stir 'em up in the '80's.

At 1:30 AM when the biggest cop on the University Police Force made his presence known complete in body armor and his intentions clear—to pull and play—Lazarus' lead singer Pete Barsotti (now road manager for the Grateful Dead) announced to the crowd: "They're telling us to quit—so we'll do one more song"—the crowd went nuts. He launched into a driving song "Berkeley—it's the place to be for the demonstrations," complete with images in the background of campus cops and the National Guard gassing and clubbing students rolling on the giant screens. The cop slowly melted into his bullet-proof vets and quietly disappeared. What a gas!

The week-long series of events was designed to build bridges between generations and close the gaps that have long existed between the anti-war and veterans movements. Congratulations Joe—it worked!

For information on the availability of books and tapes reviewed in this article, contact Sukie care/of VVAW, Madison.

—Sukie Wachtendonk
Madison VVAW