In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Viet Nam Victory against US Imperialism, the Freedom Archives digitized a number of items from our Viet Nam Collection which highlight the strength of solidarity with Viet Nam among forces here in the Bay Area and beyond. These materials reveal how international supporters of the Viet Nam National Liberation struggle valued Vietnamese voices and worked to provide them with a platform for Western and Latin American audiences. They include first hand accounts of the country at the time of war with perspectives ranging from Vietnamese fighters to war resisters within the US military. The materials additionally shed light onto the particularities of Vietnamese women’s struggle and the important role that women played in the revolution. You can check out our new digitizations, rare audio, and other collection highlights below.
For more context and background on the Vietnamese liberation struggle, check out the timeline we created for the 40th Anniversary of the Viet Nam Victory.
Viet Nam Materials Highlights Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Viet Nam’s Victory
1. “Women of the South: Interview with Vietnamese Women” in The Second Wave: A Magazine of the New Feminism [Vol. 2-2] (1972). Read the article
Women of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of Viet Nam (PRG) discuss the double oppression and plight faced by Vietnamese women beginning with the semi-feudal and colonial periods of Vietnamese history and how the PRG and NLF (National Liberation Front) have created new opportunities for women to live dignified lives.
2. “Days with Uncle Ho,” in Tricontinental No. 40 (1974). Read “Days with Uncle Ho”
“Days with Uncle Ho” is a captivating first-hand account of the Vietnamese people’s struggle against the French, written by a member of Ho Chi Minh’s security team. In the article, the author writes about the humility and steadfastness of the Vietnamese President and revolutionary, sharing stories about exchanges with Ho Chi Minh that shifted their outlook on what it means to truly serve and be in relationship with the people.
The Tricontinental is a periodical created by the Cuban Organization of Solidarity with the peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (OSPAAAL) following the first Tricontinental conference in Havana, Cuba.
3. From Women in Prison Here to Women of Viet Nam: We Are Sisters (1975). Read the full text
This pamphlet includes letters, poems and messages to Vietnamese women political prisoners from women in prison in the United States.
“In 1973, women at CIW had attended a series of workshops about women in Vietnam; and during the summer of 1974 they wrote these letters when they found it would be possible to deliver them directly to people in Viet Nam.”
4. [Audio] In Memory of Nguyen Thai Binh: Two Poems (1972). Listen to Lincoln Bergman’s Poem / Hear Janice Mirikitani’s Poem
Nguyen Thai Binh was a member of the Union of Vietnamese Students in the US who had been protesting the US War against Viet Nam. On July 2, 1972, following deportation orders because of his activism, he attempted to divert a commercial airliner to Hanoi claiming he had a bomb that was really lemons wrapped in tin foil. After landing in South Vietnam, Nguyen Thai Binh was overcome by passengers and shot and killed by a police officer who was on the flight. The death of Nguyen Thai Binh became a catalyst for young Vietnamese to organize and resist US imperialism in Vietnam and became a hero to the Vietnamese cause for independence and self-determination.
5. [Audio] Anti-Vietnam War appeals to Mexican Ship (1965). Listen to an edited excerpt
Excerpts from a radio program produced by anti-imperialist journalist Colin Edwards focusing on a protest at Port Chicago, California, highlighting the commitment to international solidarity in the US. Edwards interviews protestors on shore who mobilized to stop the transport of US arms to South Vietnamese forces and to support the Mexican laborers aboard the ship who were also in protest against their working conditions and their role in fueling the war.
6. [Audio] Colin Edwards interview with Hoang Minh Thao (1968). Listen to an excerpt
This audio excerpt is taken from a longer interview between anti-imperialist journalist Colin Edwards and Hoang Minh Thao. Hoang Minh Thao explains his optimism about the military advances being made against US and Saigon’s puppet forces.
7. how i became a liberation fighter by tran hieu minh – a short story (1972). Read the full text
This pamphlet, was first published in Viet Nam. It was then translated into English and republished. It includes a collection of stories and sketches by Tran Hieu Minh discussing his experiences joining the armed struggle against US imperialism. He also discusses some of the lessons he learned in Viet Nam during the war.
8. Olive Drab Rebels (2004). Read the full text
A compilation of two texts focused on the impact that the Vietnam War had on members of the American military. “Harrass the Brass” (first printed in 1985) – is a leaflet handed out on various occasions at San Francisco’s ‘Fleet Week’ – a large celebratory naval show attended by thousands of naval enlistees. “Olive Drab Rebels” (first published in 1974) offers a detailed account of attempts by soldiers, civilians, and the left to organize within the US armed forces to oppose and subvert the US imperialist agenda.
9. Children of Viet-Nam (n.d.). Read the full text
This coloring book with Vietnamese illustrations and children’s poetry was designed to bridge communication between the people of Viet Nam and the US, particularly the children.
10. [Audio] Interview with US Doctor John Champlin on Political Prisoners in Viet Nam. Listen to an excerpt
A US doctor who spent several years in Viet Nam discusses the situation of political prisoners and communication strategies among Vietnamese revolutionary forces in combatting misrepresentation in mass media.
11. [Audio] Viet Nam Victory Program – Nothing is More Precious Than (1975). Listen to an excerpt
Nothing is More Precious Than was a weekly radio news magazine aired on KPFA in Berkeley during the 1970s. It takes its name from the Ho Chi Minh quote, “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom.” The Viet Nam Victory program celebrates the defeat of US imperialism with a report on the situation in Saigon at the time of victory and includes poetry and quotes from Ho Chi Minh.
12. Viet Nam, No. 201 (1975). View the full text
This magazine documents the aftermath of the Vietnamese victory over the imperialists on April 30, 1975. The articles include a wide range of perspectives from civilians, workers and members of the military, all expressing immense gratitude and relief about the exit of US troops. The magazine also includes statements of international solidarity with the Vietnamese people, with countries like Cuba, China, the USSR, Syria, Japan, Algeria, and others expressing their support of Vietnamese independence.
Additional Resources:
Women of Viet Nam by Arlene Eisen-Bergman (1974). Read the full text at the Internet Archive
This book focuses on women’s liberation in both Northern and Southern Viet Nam, starting with the history of patriarchal oppression dating from the pre-colonial era to the impact of US domination on Vietnamese Women in modern times. It also includes testimonies, biographies, and statistics that show the changing roles of women in the family, economy, politics and military defense and provides a portrait of women’s resistance–their determination to fight back and organize.
Born of the People: Ho Chi Minh and Malcolm X. Watch the Video
Part of the Freedom Archives collection, this video from 1975 pays tribute to Malcolm X and Ho Chi Minh who share a birthday, May 19th. It utilizes historical Soviet film footage of Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnamese National Liberation Front and archival film and stills of Malcolm X.
