Soldiers in Revolt: GI Resistance During the Vietnam War

Soldiers in Revolt: GI Resistance During the Vietnam War examines the widespread opposition to the Vietnam War within the U.S. military ranks. Author David Cortright, a Vietnam veteran turned peace scholar, presents extensive research on the breakdown of military order and effectiveness during the conflict. The book documents the scale of military resistance through statistics on conscientious objectors, desertion rates, and declining enlistment numbers. It catalogs hundreds of GI antiwar organizations, underground newspapers, and both individual and collective acts of protest that emerged during the period. The text places particular focus on the role of Black servicemembers in the resistance movement and examines how racial justice intersected with antiwar sentiment. Through interviews, military records, and primary sources, Cortright reconstructs this overlooked chapter of military history. This groundbreaking work explores the complex relationship between civilian antiwar movements and internal military resistance, revealing how opposition to the Vietnam War manifested within the very institution tasked with fighting it.

Readers emphasize this book documents a lesser-known aspect of the Vietnam War - the resistance movements within the US military itself. Many note it fills an important historical gap by collecting first-hand accounts from service members who participated in protests, underground newspapers, and other forms of dissent. Positive reviews focus on: - Extensive research and primary sources - Details about specific resistance incidents and organizations - Analysis of how race and class influenced resistance movements Critical reviews mention: - Political bias in presentation of events - Limited coverage of soldiers who supported the war - Some dated cultural references and language Ratings: Goodreads: 4.07/5 (28 ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (12 ratings) Notable reader comment: "Documents a critical movement that helped end the war, yet remains largely uncovered in mainstream histories" (Goodreads reviewer) Criticism example: "Sometimes reads more like an activist manifesto than objective history" (Amazon reviewer)

Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans by Wallace Terry Black soldiers share their experiences of racism, resistance, and rebellion within the military during the Vietnam War.

Winter Soldiers: An Oral History of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War by Richard Stacewicz Vietnam veterans recount their transformation from soldiers to antiwar activists and their efforts to expose military injustice.

The Spitting Image: Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam by Jerry Lembcke Research examines the relationship between GI resistance, antiwar movements, and the creation of cultural narratives about Vietnam veterans.

Sir! No Sir!: The Suppressed Story of the GI Movement to End the War in Vietnam by David Zeiger Chronicles the widespread military resistance through firsthand accounts, underground newspapers, and documented protests within the armed forces.

Breaking Ranks: GIs and Their Opposition to the Vietnam War by Robert Musil Documents the growth of the GI antiwar movement through military coffee houses, underground press networks, and organized resistance within bases.

🔹 Over 500 underground newspapers were published by GI activists during the Vietnam War era, with names like "Fed Up!" and "The Ultimate Weapon," reaching thousands of servicemembers. 🔹 Author David Cortright served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and later became a prominent peace scholar, directing policy studies at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. 🔹 By 1971, the U.S. Army had documented over 50,000 desertion cases - a rate that was six times higher than during the Korean War. 🔹 The "GI Movement" included more than 300 organized anti-war groups on military bases worldwide, with many establishing off-base coffeehouses as meeting spaces. 🔹 The book reveals that African American troops, who made up 11% of the military population, accounted for nearly 50% of all documented acts of resistance in some units during the late stages of the war.