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Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of Dewey Canyon III

By Bill Davis

Twenty-five years ago as the war raged on in Southeast Asia, Richard Nixon had unveiled his "secret plan" to end the war-both the unmerciful bombing of Vietnam and the expansion of the war to Cambodia and Laos. The expansion, a massive bombing and subversion campaign, was indeed so secret that it was carried forth without the knowledge or support of the American people, except perhaps of the CIA.

As the anti-war movement planned its own spring "peace offensive," the veterans of that same war in Vietnam would that spring on April 18-25 initiate a campaign of their own named Operation Dewey Canyon III-A Limited Incursion into Washington D.C. and the Halls of Congress. DCIII, as it came to be known, was named after Dewey Canyon I and II, which were two separate invasions of Laos. The first was in January and February of 1969 by elements of the 3rd Marine Division and the subsequent invasion during the first seven days of the 1970 South Vietnamese invasion of Laos.

Organized by Vietnam Veterans Against the War, the actions of over 1,000 Vietnam vets from across the country would capture the imagination of the American people as the VVAW emblem became a mighty fixture on national network news.

Headlines of the nation's papers reported the marches of the vets on Congress, the Pentagon, and the White House, and the occupation of the Supreme Court steps. The nation cried with the vets locked out of Arlington National Cemetery and held its breath as over 1,500 Vietnam veterans returned their medals from that war, an event unparalleled in history. These powerful events, led by VVAW, served as a catalyst that propelled the events of that spring of 1971 into the most massive protests yet seen against the war in Southeast Asia.

Vietnam Veterans Against the War grew to an organization of 50,000+ members with chapters in every state, most cities and many overseas locations. Twenty-five years later, we look back proudly with the certain knowledge that our efforts helped galvanize a nation to come forward and put an end to U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Twenty-five years later the power and depth of that broad peace movement still send shudders down the corridors of the segment of the veterans' community that refuses to bow to a seemingly endless parade of war and military intervention. The White House has brought us to and over the brink of war, as if war is our only foreign policy, aimed directly at the hearts of all third world countries.

Twenty-five years ago VVAW awoke the American public to the reality of Vietnam. Today, we must speak about a decent life for all veterans. And a world without war for our children. Yellow ribbons won't pay the rent. Medals won't ease the pain of psychological problems.

Money for Human Need, Not War!
Justice for Veterans!