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Always Resisting

By John Bromer (reviewer)

Always Resisting: Choosing Prison Over Vietnam and Awakening to American Racism
by Eric Newhall
(McFarland, 2024)

This is one of my two favorite books that I've reviewed for The Veteran—the other is Southern Voices, a 68-page (in English) collection of oral histories from Biet Dong fighters. Look it up!

"If you want a just society, your life will be a permanent struggle."

Eric Newhall's family moved to Portland, Oregon, one of the whitest cities in America, in 1955, when he was 10 years old. There were no Black students in his elementary school or high school—none. Very few Latinos or Asians, either. When he was 14, his father, a Philosophy Professor, took him to join a "sympathy protest" at the Portland Woolworth's. (A month before, four Black students in North Carolina had been beaten while asking to be served at a Woolworth's lunch counter). A racist mob was taunting the 20 or so Portland picketers. Later, Eric's father asked him what he thought about what they had participated in. It was the beginning of his political and social awakening.

Through high school and into college in 1963, Newhall became more interested in the Civil Rights movement. Socially awkward but athletic (MVP in high school basketball), he felt isolated as an English major. In a college History class, a Professor ranted about "American Imperialism" and Vietnam in particular. Newhall went to the library to find a refutation of the Professor's opinions, only to realize the guy was right.

As he continued college, he realized that being drafted was a possibility. Not a pacifist, applying for CO status was out, and he decided to refuse induction if it came to that. In August of 1968, it did.

Eight months later, he was sentenced to 2 years' imprisonment. After a short stint in a county jail, he was transferred to Lompoc Federal Prison, shortly before his friend Dwight, another draft resister he had met.

This book explains a lot about prison—the different groups, the "race riots" that the guards liked to see because it kept the inmates fighting each other instead of the administration, and significantly, the basketball courts, which were white, Black, and "Indian" by choice. The white guys were lousy except for Newhall and Dwight, known as Bigfoot. They soon tired of playing with the white guys, but the Blacks kept to themselves, until one day the best Black player asked, "You boys want to play some hoop?"

That broke the ice. The guards, of course, did everything they could to interfere and make trouble, but gradually the inmates started organizing to resist.

That eventually led to a strike, time spent in the hole, and long, deep conversations with Black and Latino individuals, ultimately fostering a sense of brotherhood. After the strike ended, however, many men were transferred to other facilities.

I could go on, but you'd get much more from reading this book. One hundred eighty-eight of its 212 pages cover Newhall's education in life and prison, the last 24 are titled Epilogue. After being released, Newhall earned a Ph.D, married, and taught American Literature college courses for 44 years.

The book was published in 2024. It's a fucking education reading it, and a LOT of fun. Don't take my word for it; get it!

John Bromer is a Life member of VVAW, refused induction in 1969, got deported from Canada the same year, joined the Army rather than spend 2 years in the slammer, and got discharged after Basic because of an allergy to bee stings. Funny that New Haven didn't care about his Doctor's letter stating that.