Did Jane Fonda Really Apologize for Vietnam? Oliver North Weighs In They realized that the war was wrong, that we werent wanted there. Tom Cotton Gets Revenge On Liberal Media: Acting like lawyers for Chinese communists, Joy Behar Shocks World, Defends Marjorie Taylor Greene On The View, Kellyanne Conway and George Conway To Divorce After 22 Years of Marriage: Report, He started crying like a baby that lost his pacifier: Florida Sheriff On Tough Guy Rapper Arrested For Murder, White House Doctor Drops Friday Bombshell: Joe Biden Has Cancerous Tissue Removed, Ted Cruz Calls For Anthony Fauci To Be Prosecuted And Jailed For Lying To Congress, Robert F. Kennedy Jr Puts Biden On Notice, Says Hes Thinking About Running Against Joe In Dem Primary. The day anti-Vietnam War protesters tried to levitate the Pentagon. and how good she feels in her 70s. But because of the nature of Vietnam, McNamara said to me, if wed known what we know now it would have we should not have gone out. My question is, when will people like Fonda and Kerry (unlike Joan Baez) take responsibility for what they have wrought -- the totalitarian system that gave us re-education camps and the boat people? Jane didnt make her infamous and idiotic trip to Hanoi until 1972. For 70 years, American Heritage has been the leading magazine of U.S. history, politics, and culture. Support with a donation>>. But look, you have more to talk to us about something you're going to show us. Del. How Jane Fondas 1972 trip to North Vietnam earned her the nickname Hanoi Jane, The 27 best things to do in D.C. this weekend and next week, Tom Wilson gives Capitals a boost on an otherwise painful night in Anaheim, Corey Dickerson aims to lead and have a bounce-back year with Nats. ET!. Urban Legends story then identifies the POW and gives some quotes about his treatment by the NVA. The answer, of course, is that they won't. Again and again against incredible odds, and at great cost in American casualties, U.S. forces stopped the enemy; but were prevented by President Truman from administering the coup de grace. The financial elite then move into the vacuum, establish central banks, and issue debt-credit to the devastated populations. Jane Fonda So did Joan Baez and William Sloane Coffin, Noam Chomsky and Pete Seeger, Rennie Davis and Judy Collins. After we published Peter Braunsteins article on Jane Fonda in our July/August issue, perhaps 60 people sent me this story. The great General Douglas MacArthur drove the North Koreans, led by Red Chinese Whereupon Truman dismissed MacArthur for insubordination. According to the email she visited Hanoi in 1968. Im not you know, they all went to jail. Truman refused. Each of them suggested that they had done at least one interview with Fonda, and individually they were looking into the historical accuracy behind the claims made about Fonda and why she became such a lighting rod for controversy. MacArthur was denied his request to attack enemy forces massing across the Yalu border in preparation for attack. This "police action" quickly developed into a full-blown but undeclared war. She so symbolized the divided nation, hawks arrayed against her and doves siding with her, that she became a personal target, most recently with allegations about personal involvement in the mistreatment of POWs. America. The Ms. , we thought, would signal a bit of ironic distance from the broad, ingenu- ous affection contained in Miss America., It evidently didnt. Denying a final victory over a dedicated and skilled marxist enemy was a recipe for the murder of our men. CHRIS WALLACE: Your most famous protest was 50 years ago when you went to North Vietnam at the height of the war there. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Kellysaid she was among those at Fox News sexually harassed by Ailes. Those words were written by Michael Benge, a civilian advisor captured by the Viet Cong in 1968 and held as a POW for 5 years. CNN anchorChris Wallace grilled Hollywood legend and activist Jane Fonda over her controversial visit to North Vietnam that caused millions to dub her Hanoi Jane, and got a full spectrum response on the subject. Here it is. Fonda said that whileshe may have been tricked into taking the picture, The buck stops here. Whether youre a lifelong resident of D.C. or you just moved here, weve got you covered. So did Joan Baez and William Sloane Coffin, Noam Chomsky and Pete Seeger, Rennie Davis and Judy Collins. I feel sorry for NORTH: She didn't apologize, Alan. officers, toward the Chinese border amid cries of protest from Wall Street which feared war with "our trading partner" Red China. JANE FONDA: it was a mistake to go, I never wanted to go to any military installations. Jane Fonda tested the limits of patriotic dissent. FONDA: I'm charging the government with genocide, with genocide. NORTH: The real story about Vietnam. But she was advised by other activists to focus her political energies, deciding to go all-in as an impassioned voice for the antiwar movement. Heres a transcript of her remarks so you can judge for yourself. Its something very like the worst sort of lovers betrayal, the deep wound that time itself often is powerless to heal. I sang a song. ( New York: G.P. Christopher Andersen, Citizen Jane (New York: Henry Holt and Company. To begin with, the title is deliberately misleading: his real point has nothing to do with Jane Fonda. Article 3, section three of the Constitution defines treason as "levying war against the United States or adhering to their enemies or giving them aid and comfort.". Bates (private citizen), What do all you old sober sides make of this thesis? Its going to look like I was trying to shoot down U.S. planes! And I was I was like a limp noodle what I had experienced and what I had seen, I just I wasnt able to resist, they said were gonna take you out here today. Her visit actually took place in 1972. The Roger Ailes and Bill OReilly scandals have cast even some old departures in a new light. Why? They hadnt been able to vote on the virtues of the conflict, and they found themselves in mortal peril in the midst of an ugly, painful ordeal that a lot of vocal people back home thought was a criminal enterprise. His replacement, General Ridgway, said after the war: "The reason we didn't win is because I was under orders not to win". Truman warned Chiang to integrate communists into China's nationalist government or American aid would be withdrawn. Hanoi Jane: Photos of Jane Fonda's Trip to North Vietnam in 1972 She said that she regretted it. Thats all the ground troops were going home. There is no doubt these treasonous no-win US wars were meant to disillusion the American nation into accepting loss of sovereignty and one world government." Fifty years later, he bears witness again. Heres how we saw the article we ran: It is a survey of the singular career of a woman who both drove and was driven by many of the largest social concerns of her era, and who came to embody some of them. CHRIS WALLACE: When you got that nickname Hanoi Jane, how did you feel at the time? Heres Kellys take on what she called Fondas poor me routine. I think that there is a lot of selectivity going on. Jane Fonda remains unforgiven. Ramsey Clark went to Hanoi during the war. She went to tour the countrys dike system, which was rumored to have been intentionally bombed by American forces something the U.S. government to this day forcefully denies. And you were photographed sitting on an anti aircraft gun. She now works at Reuters. After Fonda returned from hertrip, the State Department spoke out against her. And I don't NORTH: Well, that's not going to happen. Remember when Jane Fonda revolutionized exercise in Outspoken host Elisabeth Hasselbeck left "The View" to join "Fox & Friends" in 2013, which she exited at the end of 2015. As Pioneer Rap Trio Suffers Tragic Loss, Long-Awaited Back Catalog is Finally Released, Bret Baiers Interview With FBI Director Shows What A Joke It Is to Pose Him As Foxs Real Journalism Successor to Chris Wallace, Jimmy Kimmel Calls Tucker Carlson Putins Favorite Little Nesting Doll After He Accused Kimmel of Using Foreign Gov. I mean, it depends on what you want to know. Many of our veterans still call her Hanoi Jane thanks to her radio broadcasts: True, but she doesnt just have the nickname because of the radio broadcasts. She did not merely criticize the authoritarian government of South Vietnam, or the dubious motives of powerful corporations that make up the American military-industrial complex. All of the facts, in retrospect, lead to the conclusion that the U.S. government's purpose in dragging America into Korea was not to defeat communism but to kill as many Americans as possible in an ignoble defeat, get rid of the hero MacArthur as a possible presidential nominee, and lure a disillusioned America into acceptance of one world government. Maybe John Nolte of Breitbart had the best of intentions, but his essay We Should Accept Jane Fondas Apology About Vietnam is an ethics mess. WebIn July of 1972 Jane Fonda went to Hanoi, North Vietnam, for a two-week tour of the country. During her two-week stay, Fonda concluded that America was unjustly bombing farmland and areas far flung from military targets. And, you know, I think they thought, Oh, shes this white privilege rich, famous daughter of all of that stuff. I have had my say. In no sense am I a Fonda apologist. No license is granted to the user of this material except for the user's personal or internal use and, in such case, only one copy may be printed, nor shall user use any material for commercial purposes or in any fashion that may infringe upon Fox News Network, L.L.C. A new HBO documentary on Fondas life, Jane Fonda in Five Acts, explores the fallout for the actress, who is now 80. We're going to take them out. She was a symbol of a divided nation. [5] One man who was supposed to have encountered Jane Fonda, one Colonel Larry Carrigan, has denied any claim that he ever met her. Four die; one, Col. Larry Carrigan, survivesjust barely, but it is he who tells about the incident. The actual allegation took the form of an email citing the alleged experiences of a number of Viet Nam War veterans at the hands of Jane Fonda. I want you to go home and say, "I'm sorry I got caught doing the wrong thing.". And I didnt even think and they sang me a song and Im made me laugh. wars the intention of which is not to win but to bleed) is quite plausible. Thus, Europe, Russia, China, Korea, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Thailand, Japan, the Middle East were turned into killing grounds, and their existing governments destroyed. Thats what made me laugh. You know, we can we can scare her, and boy did they try? But he never met Jane Fonda, and he has no idea how the maddening tale attached itself to him. Respected online resources such as Snopes, Truth Miners, and Urban Legends have all cited key persons in the infamous email as having refuted its claims. She still does not know what she did wrong. Ramsey Clark went to Hanoi during the war. Did Jane Fonda Betray US POWs by Handing Over We're trained. I stand by the article as it was written. For the next severalyears, Fonda would continue as one of the most prominent public faces in the antiwar movement. However, since the majority of the stories cited in the e-mail have no proof behind them, I had to either give the e-mail "thumbs down" or "thumbs up" on the basis of the overall validity. Fonda may have regrets about those photos in particular, but shes never regretted her political activism. This is not a legal transcript for purposes of litigation. Kelly responded with a cannon by bringing up the time Fonda posed on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun. For example, she went on Radio Hanoi a number of times, while our troops, your friends, were being shot at by an enemy in Vietnam, saying our POWs were in good health. Many Americans traveled to Vietnam on peace delegations to end the war, yet it was Jane Fonda who was captured as a timeless image when she was photographed looking through a Viet Cong anti-aircraft gun. Joining us now is the host of "War Stories," who fought in Vietnam, Colonel Oliver North is with us. Her book just may not make the bestseller What followed was a long-lasting wave of criticism and international outrage that earned Fonda the nickname " quote: But also admits to consulting with psychics. Its more than being a traitor; millions of Americans felt treasonous during that war. Id been getting pretty sour about the incensed patriots who would curse me and my family and confidently speak on behalf of all veterans living and dead, and the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress, to declare I was a disgrace to America for running that storythen conclude by smugly assuring me they would never read it. President Lyndon Johnson, Democrat, in a special address to the American public, reported an attack upon a U.S. naval vessel in the Tonkin Gulf by a North Vietnamese torpedo boat. Sadly, the Founders also mixed a great deal of Greco-Roman Humanism with this heritage, allowing room for much of what you decry. One of the definitions of treason is giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Even so, the main focus of my essay was whether Jane Fonda participated in war crimes, not whether she was morally culpable for her part as an apologist for the mistreatment of POW's (she was). It is giving them the advantage of the propaganda visibility that this woman lent to them. What most Viet-Nam veterans think about Jane Fonda is expressed in a number of products sold by D & G Enterprises, . Hundreds of Americans had gone to North Vietnam, journalists diplomats, our Secretary of State Ramsey Clark, Vietnam veterans, but I said but a movie star hasnt gone and maybe if I go it will draw more attention, and thats what it did. And the question I have is 50 years later, how do you look back on that particular chapter? CHRIS NORTH (on camera): What did the guys in your squad say about this? It was my mistake, and I have paid and continue to pay a heavy price for it. An analogy: I'm more upset by somebody coming into my house and stealing from me than I am by a tax increase, or even by government malfeasance. He hadnt liked the story but at least was willing to discuss it. "Hanoi Run" from USSR to Viet Nam, was produced in Russian plants that had been built by American companies and financed by the Federal Reserve System. I mean, you know, of all manner of slings and arrows were thrown my way. [3] She praised the USSR for their support of the Viet Cong. Mr. Nolan wrote something that helped me better understand the fury of this sort of reaction. Then Dr. Spock attacked the Vietnam draft. Jane Fonda And heres Cat Ballou, the beautiful daughter of Young Abe Lincoln, of Mister Roberts, beaming down from a machine designed to kill them. It is possible that the Vietnamese had it all planned. Almost all the messages said we had no business writing about Fonda because she was a traitor. We once published an admiring profile of Benedict Arnoldwhose actions did the nation real damage in a way Fondas fulminations never couldand nobody made a peep. I remember one retired lieutenant colonel describing a conversation he had with an angry trooper about the treasonous behavior of Jane Fonda in the midst of the 1968 Tet Offensive. Watch above via HBO Max and CNNs Whos Talking to Chris Wallace. I know what its supposed to be now. You will not be surprised to hear that I have bowdlerised the above considerably, removing racial designators and course expressions of various sorts. Yeah, said my stepdaughter, Jill, when I told her about this. Jane Fonda sparked outrage among war veterans when she was pictured sitting on an anti-aircraft gun in 1972 during the Vietnam War, earning her the nickname Hanoi Jane. There was a real Colonel Carrigan, and he was a POW in Vietnam. How did we get into this war? Youre gonna come through it, okay. I mean, you know, of all manner of slings and arrows were thrown my way. NORTH: Well, all I did was present the facts. Here is my best, honest recollection of what took place. There's no denying that she defamed POWs by whitewashing the Viet Cong's treatment of them and later calling them liars when they spoke out." Nixon has responsibility for everything he did or didn't do on his watch. I will never know. I dont think they know, Fonda said in a news conference when she returned home. I hardly even think about where I am sitting. Number two: You've got the POW meeting, where she sits down and holds a press conference for propaganda purposes with these prisoners of war. It meant re-taking the same bloody ground over and over again. In 1972, the Academy Award-winning actress and activist traveled to North Vietnam and was photographed laughing and clapping along with Vietnamese soldiers. WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for Jane Fonda: Prime Time - Walk Out (DVD, 2010) at the best online prices at eBay! Megyn Kelly lit into Jane Fonda on Monday, highlighting the behavior that earned the actress the nickname Hanoi Jane while defending the time last fall when she questioned Fonda about plastic surgery. It is nothing more and nothing less than the full culmination of Greco-Roman Humanism as it has defined itself throughout the thousands of years. The media heaped calumny on U.S. military leadership; presented biased, horrifying scenes depicting "the wanton killing of Vietnamese civilians", and the "degeneracy" of our fighting men and women. quote: Fonda was a political activist in the counterculture era during the Vietnam War. That begs the question, responsible for what? Nevertheless, there are Vietnam veterans out there who served in the war zone before 1969 who are convinced that Jane Fonda was in cahoots with the Commies during their own tours. [2] Peter Collier, The Fondas; A Hollywood Dynasty. Jane Fonda came clean in an interview with Chris Wallace about her Hanoi Jane days and her failure as a mother. WebNevertheless, there are Vietnam veterans out there who served in the war zone before 1969 who are convinced that Jane Fonda was in cahoots with the Commies during their own Others were hoping to catch a glimpse of a famous Hollywood actress. A young photographer took this harrowing image of the Vietnam War. It wasnt firing at the time, and Fonda said in 2011 she hardly even thought about where I was sitting and that it is possible that it was a set up, that the Vietnamese www.DanandGEnterprises.com Switch to the dark mode that's kinder on your eyes at night time. However, it was a bit too long, and Dr. Shenkman needed it shortened in the interest of time. In 1972, Fonda toured North Vietnam, where she spoke against U.S. military policy in the country. These men were bombing and strafing and napalming the country, she said, according to an Associated Press report in April 1973, which quoted an interview she gave to KNBC-TV in Los Angeles. Heres the picture that was used to shut shut down American plants, critics, and there were millions of them, called you a Hanoi Jane and said you were a traitor. And I refused to have them scare me away from being actively against the Vietnam War. Thats all the ground troops were Johnson then ordered 165,000 U.S. forces under General Westmoreland to support a handful of American "advisors" previously ordered there by former President John F. Kennedy, Democrat. Her lawsuit started it all: Former Fox host Gretchen Carlson claims Ailes repeatedly sexually harassed her. However, the fact that she advocated Communism does not give anyone license to make up stories or slander. The POWs are beaten. Alisyn Camerota hosted a number of Fox News programs during a 16-year run that ended in 2014. The story surfaced on the Internet in 1999, and my guess is that it will live there a long time. They landed two months later on 7 May with the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines. If a prisoner tried to escape, it is quite understandable that he would probably be beaten and tortured., Also Read: How Jane Fonda Explains 'Hanoi Jane': 'Regret to My Dying Day', Even she had to apologize years later for that gun picture True. I believe Jane Fonda has talked to at least two historians. Of course, she was a Vietnamese. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. North Vietnam, 1972,: Jane Fonda is in the midst of her visit when an N.V.A. She also spoke about her infamous protests. It all has nothing to do with where I am sitting. Jane Fonda was on 3 times this week talking about her new book. I am trying to show up now.. Jane Fonda was always an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War. She has to be a murderess too. No article of ours gets hundreds of letters, but this one did, very few of them friendly. Subsequently communist China was awarded a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, its most powerful chair. This article was published more than4 years ago. Copyright 1949-2022 American Heritage Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. Fonda was accused of engaging in war crimes on behalf of the North Vietnamese. Which is precisely why U.S. liberals so vehemently protested U.S. involvement - and that is the only reason - we were destroying their comrades the communists. [5]http://www.snopes.com/military/fonda.asp; http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/weekly/aa110399b.htm; http://www.truthminers.com/truth/hanoi_jane.htm; cited on November 24, 2004. window._taboola = window._taboola || []; During her two-week stay, Fonda concluded that America [1] Cited on November 24, 2004. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Nobody remembers, nobody cares. http://www.truthminers.com/truth/hanoi_jane.htm; Biden Should Remove Cuba from List of State Sponsors of Terrorism, Descendants of Slaveholder Donor Denounce Law School Name Change, How Social Media and Community Schools Could Fill in Gaps Teaching Black History, American Girl Dolls Declare the 1990s Ancient History, Review: DeSantis's Book is a Campaign Tome Written by ChatGPT, Reconsidering Phillis Wheatley's Place in the Revolutionary Era, Philosopher Lewis Gordon's Impact on Black Jewish History, Quintard Taylor's Black Past Project Fights Erasure of History, Review: The Unfinished Business of "Double V", One Reason to Confirm National Archivist Fast? I make it a habit not to intervene as an intern. The "New World Order" of the capitalists and the communists is not "Jewish", sir. Thus, the U.S.A. deliberately betrayed its former ally Chiang Kai-Shek and gave mainland China to communism. Look it, there were clandestine operations conducted in every war. Also Read: 'Jane Fonda in Five Acts' Film Review: Doc Explores the Many Lives of the Actress-Activist, She posed on an antiaircraft gun used to shoot down our American pilots. True, by Fondas admission. One of the times it did, Im happy to say, was with Keith Nolan, the author of several books on the war, most recently Ripcord , a superb account of the 101st Airborne in the conflicts last great battle. They hadnt been able to vote on the virtues of the conflict, and they found themselves in mortal peril in the midst of an ugly, painful ordeal that a lot of vocal people back home thought was a criminal enterprise. Politicians make mistakes that affect the body politic and statesmen sometimes direct a foreign policy that disregards individuals in the national interest. Legal Statement. It was treason, nothing more and nothing less. This is and now she's apologizing on a book tour. She apologized for being on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun site. In 2015, about 50 veterans stood outside theWeinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick, Md., to protest Fondas appearance there. The Nixon Justice Department poured over the transcripts of my broadcasts trying to find a way to put me on trial for treason but they could find none. Jane Fonda in North Vietnam - Wellesley College Someone (I dont remember who) leads me toward the gun, and I sit down, still laughing, still applauding. Read on. Jane Fonda Coffee houses. It is always distressing to find American citizens who benefit from the protection and assistance of this government lending their voice in any way to governments such as the Democratic Republic of Vietnam distressing indeed, said State Department spokesman Charles W. Bray, according to a July 1972 Reuters story. And the question I have is 50 years later, how do you look back on that particular chapter? Us veterans will never forget or forgive her posing on a North Viet anti-aircraft gun, regardless whatever else she may or may not have done. A photograph caught her looking through the scope of an anti-aircraft gun, surrounded by revolutionaries. It was my mistake and I have paid and continue to pay a heavy price for it.. If I was used, I allowed it to happen. Her rebellion against the foreign policies of the United States suggested to many outraged Americans that treason might have an All-American face, a familiar accent, and be closer to home than the Other that had previously been assumed to embody the enemy.