Fifth Estate Collective
Peace Briefs
DETROIT: Six weeks ago the News Editor of the FIFTH ESTATE sent an inquiry to the Defense Department regarding the validity of an article in the VIETNAM COURIER, a paper published in Hanoi, reflecting the political positions of that country. The article in question appears in May 12, 1966 edition and claims that a battalion of the First Infantry Division mutinied and refused to fight on April 24, 1966 at Lai Khe. It further claims that several soldiers were shot by their own officers in an attempt to force them into battle. Also, several suicides by men of the First Battalion were reported. As of July 13 no answer has been received from the Defense Department. In a further attempt to ascertain the truth of the situation copies of all correspondence have been sent to Cong. Charles C. Diggs (D-13th district) asking him to investigate the matter. Nothing has been heard from him to date.
TOKYO: The Beatles today took time off from singing to condemn the Vietnam War and make it clear they thought the United States had no business in Vietnam. Wearing technicolor jackets, they stood before a press conference here as Beatle John Lennon asked about Vietnam, declared: “We think about it every day. We don’t like it. We don’t agree with it. We think it’s wrong.”
DETROIT: On June 29th 150–200 persons responded to a call by the Detroit Committee to End the War in Vietnam to demonstrate against Vice-President Humphrey who was the featured speaker at the Junior Chamber of Commerce convention held at Cobo Hall. Although the marchers were met by heckling and threats from the JC delegates the march remained peaceful.
ATHENS: In what may have been the largest anti-war demonstration in history, an estimated 700,000 persons joined the Fourth Marathon Peace March May 22 from historic Marathon Hill to Athens, Greece 20 miles away. The main force behind the march was the United Democratic Left. Signs included, “NO MORE WAR IN VIETNAM!”
Related
See Fifth Estate’s Vietnam Resource Page.