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Saying No To War

By Bill Galvin

In 1965, two Army privates went on hunger strikes when their applications for conscientious objector discharge were denied: Pvt. David Ovall at Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey, and Pvt. Scott Burchill in Manheim, Germany. Burchill stated that he would have nothing more to do with the Army, even if he starved to death. Eventually, both were discharged for "unsuitability."

People have been saying no to war as long as there has been war. The Center on Conscience & War (CCW) was founded in 1940, over a year before the US entrance into WWII, but at a time when it was clear we would be going, in order to protect the rights of conscientious objectors (COs). Our founders witnessed the torture and brutality endured by COs in WWI, and did not want another generation of objectors to suffer the same fate.

By 1965, CCW had clocked 25 years of dedication to extending and defending the rights of conscientious objectors. Back then, CCW was known as the National Service Board for Religious Objectors (NSBRO). At that time, one had to be religious to qualify as a CO, so our early name reflected that. But 1965 was the year that would kick off a series of events that would compel us to change our name and broaden opportunities for war resisters. It was the year the Supreme Court handed down the Seeger decision, which struck down the requirement that conscientious objectors must believe in a supreme being. That decision laid the foundation for the court to decide a few years later, in US v. Welsh, that conscientious objection could be based on ethical and moral beliefs, as well as religious beliefs.

1965 was also the year the massive US bombing campaigns began in Vietnam and the year the US put the first real boots on the ground, which made an already controversial war even more so. Many people who did not identify as conscientious objectors still opposed this war. Monthly draft call-ups began to rise significantly in 1965. In January about 5,000 men were drafted, which was in line with the monthly numbers drafted in previous recent years. By June the monthly call-up was over 17,000, and by December, it skyrocketed to more than 45,000! Protests against the war were on the rise, and resisting the draft was becoming a major focus of the anti-war movement. When people began to publicly burn their draft cards in '65, Congress made burning a draft card a federal offense. In just a couple years the nation would see draft board raids, protesters deliberately destroying Selective Service files to impede the draft. For the first time in history, a major organization of veterans (VVAW!) was actively protesting the war while it was still happening.

CCW (NSBRO), along with the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors (CCCO, which closed its doors in 2009) were busy training and resourcing a growing network of draft counselors, who helped people learn effective ways to avoid getting drafted. Soon, draft boards would begin reporting an increase in conscientious objector applications because of the unpopularity of the war.

CCW (NSBRO) also was advocating for a broader understanding and acceptance of conscientious objection. While the definition of religion began to expand in 1965, after Seeger, the law still required that conscientious objectors object to war in any form. This meant that people who objected to the US War in Vietnam, but not, say, to WWII, could not qualify as COs. This type of objection is sometimes called Selective CO, and is often equated with just war theories. In '65 NSBRO adopted a resolution stating, "An important concept in our religious and moral heritage distinguishes 'unjust' from 'just' wars. . .it appears difficult from a religious or moral viewpoint to deny a conscience formed by this conviction the recognition now accorded to conventional conscientious objectors. Indeed, as the recent history of a totalitarian government warns us, no nation can afford to penalize the discriminating conscience." Our nation still does. CO law still requires a person object to all war (think Lt. Ehren Watada, who was court martialed for refusing deployment to Iraq, but not Afghanistan).

While much of the work of CCW (NSBRO) during the 1960s was helping conscientious objectors stay out of the military, the reality was that many people who couldn't avoid being drafted also objected to war, and to the war in Vietnam in particular. In 1962 the Department of Defense (DoD) finally established a policy providing for discharge or reclassification to non-combat status for conscientious objectors already in the military. In the early years of the policy, almost all military CO applicants were turned down. But things began to change as the unpopularity of the war continued to grow, Draft Counselors got specific training on how to help military conscientious objectors and court cases were being won that clearly upheld this right for military personnel. By the early ?70s, two-thirds of all conscientious objector applications in the military were approved. By 1975, 99% of objectors already in the military were approved.

The seeds that were planted in 1965 continue to bear fruit, as Conscientious Objection is still alive and well in the US military, even without an active draft. Conscience is powerful. Few of us know that better than those who have been to war. And so many — then and now — moved by conscience, have risen up and said NO.

Bill Galvin is a Vietnam-era Conscientious Objector, and currently, the Counseling Coordinator at the Center for Conscience and War.