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Reconciliation With Vietnam

By Arlene Wege

By Arlene Wege

Monday, October 2nd: the 40th and last day of Alan Miller's fast on the steps of the Capitol in Washington, DC. Alan, a Vietnam veteran from Massachusetts, chose this dramatic form of protest in his attempt to build support for U.S. reconciliation with Vietnam, in particular, ending our government's 14-year trade embargo on that country.

Although the idea of undertaking a fast was first conceived a year ago, Alan's commitment was that much stronger after his return visit to Vietnam this summer. The delegation he was a member of visited clinics, hospitals and orphanages and donated material aid in the form of desperately needed medical supplies and equipment. The warm welcome and generous hospitality Alan and the other Americans received from the Vietnamese, especially those who had suffered most as a result of the war, was not unique to their group; similar experiences have been reported by the growing number of American veterans who are returning to Vietnam. The purpose of the visits may range from fact-finding to building a clinic to establishing a cultural exchange center, but the underlying reasons are virtually the same: to finally come to terms with the devastating experience of twenty years ago.

Miller chose August 24th as the first day of his fast for a number of reasons, one being it marked the 20th anniversary of the day he was wounded and shipped out of Vietnam. After forty days of fasting he appeared fragile but reasonably healthy. His spirits were excellent, apparent from his many conversations throughout the day with supporters and passerby and his ability to joke abut the least likely topic—food.

At one point, a large cavalcade drove past and deposited some other important person at the opposite entrance to the Capitol. It might eve have been the Chief of Staff himself by the reactions of the tourists who flocked to a nearby vantage point to snap and video until the cars made their impressive exit. When the same tourists wandered over in Alan's direction, their reactions to his protest were mostly confusion and avoidance. He was obviously very used to this, although it still did not discourage him from attempting to draw them into conversation.

At the end of the afternoon, the twenty or so friends who remained formed a prayer circle on the Capitol steps, Alan expressing his thanks for the support he had received throughout. Then the assembled group walked with him the half mile to a church where a traditional Buddhist meal had been prepared. Among those who shared in the celebration where Alan's wife, Nyshie; representatives from Guatemala, Japan, El Salvador, South Africa and Vietnam; a couple from Virginia; a family from Massachusetts; four members of Vietnam Veterans Against the Wary New York/New Jersey; and Charlie Liteky, the fellow veteran who is taking on the next 40-day fast that will end of Veterans Day.

Liteky's fast will not be a new experience for him. In 1986, he and three other veterans fasted on the Capitol steps to pretest U.S. intervention in Latin America. That experience enabled him to provide much advice and support for Alan during his fast, and in turn, Alan will be devoting much time and effort to generating publicity and support for Charlie. It is hoped that the momentum will begin with veterans, individually and within their organizations; but since the American public is finally demonstrating its tolerance to look back at Vietnam, the time must come to realize how that country's future relates to them now.

Saturday, November 11th: the 40th and last day of Charlie Liteky's fast to promote U.S. reconciliation with Vietnam. Will another veteran take up the protest? Or will enough people care by that time to take action en masse so that one man does not have to take on the fight alone?