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Vets Against Klan: Marching for Freedom in Georgia

By Elton Manzione

The Mid-Atlantic Chapter of VVAW, including members from Athens and Atlanta, participated in January's monumental civil rights march in Forsyth County, Georgia. The march came at an opportune time for the chapter to participate. Klan activity in the area surrounding Athens has been rising in recent years and we had previously taken part in small, local counter demonstrations. At a meeting in December, we had decided to make anti-Klan activity one of our priorities.

As the only bi-racial veteran's group in the area we were particularly sensitive to the Klan's racist ravings. Remember in 'Nam we didn't give a damn what color that guy was, just so long as he covered our asses and did his job. As veterans we found the Klan's increasing affection for wearing fatigues personally insulting. It was time, we decided, to show that 'Nam vets were not racist. We also hoped a militant presence of combat veterans would persuade the Klan that Civil Rights groups were prepared to defend themselves.

Initially we had been contacted to provide security for a caravan of more than 300 people and 100 cars from Athens to the March. With "Search and Avoid" foresight we planned a route, which would bring the group to the staging area with a minimum of exposure in other areas of Forsyth County. Under such short notice (the march was planned in less than a week) it was the best we could do.

On arrival at the march we unfurled the chapter VVAW banner to the smiles and nods of several of the guardsmen called out to keep order. Several veterans in the crowd came and asked to march with us. Several of the counter demonstrators started chanting "Ho Chi Minh traitors" but were silenced by a show of Silver Stars, Purple Hearts, etc. Black guardsmen glowered at the hecklers.

The colorful banner seems to be an attention getter no matter where we are, and Forsyth County proved no exception. At the staging area, several news organizations interviewed our members. But it was not until we marched and chanted that the real attention came our way. Starting with a cadence of "Hi Dee Hi Dee Hi Dee Ho, We're just here to let you know, Hi Dee Hi Dee Hi Dee Hey, Civil rights won't go away," we were joined by several hundred of the marchers who responded to the chant. The TV crews went wild! As we neared the largest group of Klan counter-protestors, we changed to our version of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again," complete with the chorus, "Johnny fought in Vietnam but he didn't fight for the god-damned Klan." At first the crowd was slow to respond to the blatantly provocative lyrics, but several hundred were soon singing at the top of their lungs.

As we stood on the courthouse square, dozens of marchers, still arriving, saluted us, gave us clenched fist signs, applauded and generally made us proud to be there. Several more 'Nam vets came up to talk with us.

After a seven-hour march we still weren't finished. Security at the parking area where many demonstrators had left their cars was lax and carloads of rednecks were harassing people on the way to their vehicles. We took up positions in the parking lot protecting isolated demonstrators, particularly women and blacks who had been singled out for harassment. None of the rednecks responded to our invitation to step out of their cars.

Back home we were pleased at the immense play given VVAW in coverage of the march. We were mentioned in several papers, including the Miami Herald, and our banner was on the front page of every Georgia paper, as well as prominent in much of the TV coverage—especially the nationwide CNN. It was a good day for vets opposed to the racism and intimidation. And we even gained several names for our mailing list.