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TESIS Cjunco Curso 2012/13 HUMANIDADES Y CIENCIAS SOCIALES/10 I.S.B.N.: 978-84-15910-85-5 CARLOS JUNCO EZQUERRA El movimiento contra la Guerra de Vietnam en Estados Unidos: reconstrucción histórica frente a recreación literaria Director JUAN JOSÉ CRUZ HERNÁNDEZ SOPORTES AUDIOVISUALES E INFORMÁTICOS Serie Tesis Doctorales humanidades 10 (Carlos Junco Ezquerra).indd 1 18/02/2014 10:10:42 A Salud, Mª Teresa, Gema, y al resto de la tropa resistente. Bordeando el río de amazacotadas formas de amapolas, van los detractores de la Geografía. Y en los muelles plenos de ausencias crecientes, los acorazados con su sangre fría. José Luis Junco Vivir es más que un derecho, es el deber de no claudicar. Luis Eduardo Aute AGRADECIMIENTOS Quisiera que en estas palabras de agradecimiento se reconocieran todas las personas que, de una u otra manera, están presentes en las páginas de este trabajo. Gracias por las ideas aportadas y los ánimos infundidos. Mi primera deuda quiero saldarla con Juan José Cruz, de quien he recibido un apoyo constante. Aun a riesgo de que retire su visto bueno si sabe de estas notas, debo dejar constancia de que ha sido un lujo trabajar con uno de los observadores más lúcidos de la realidad norteamericana de estos tiempos. Haber podido compartir su excelencia hace que esta aventura investigadora haya merecido la pena. Con otras muchas personas he intercambiado pareceres sobre distintos aspectos relacionados con el tema de mi investigación. Aunque no siempre hayamos estado de acuerdo, su visión ha enriquecido la mía. Desde las conversaciones casuales hasta los debates más sesudos, todas estas reflexiones han encontrado su hueco en este trabajo. Debo agradecer, igualmente, las muchas sugerencias bibliográficas que me han facilitado mis compañeros de facultad. Hago extensible mi gratitud al Departamento de Filología Moderna y a la Facultad de Filología de la ULPG a los que pertenezco. Pero quiero particularizar mi agradecimiento en los compañeros a los que me une algo más que una relación laboral: Francisco Ponce, Pedro Arbona, Dan Fyfe, Gina Oxbrow y Juanma Vigaray. A mi compañero y hermano Víctor le debo lo indecible. Con él comparto espacio físico (despacho) y, sobre todo, espacio emocional. Tampoco olvido mis años de formación en la Universidad de La Laguna, a la que, sobra decirlo, me unen aún muchos vínculos. En el terreno más personal, gracias, por encima de todo, a la familia. Deben saber que han sido fuente de inspiración. El pudor me impide ahondar en lo que significan iii para mí. Espero que también lo sepan. A todo el equipillo (Víctor, Miguel, Paco, Isidro, Toni, Gema, Pepe, Luis, Mª Teresa, Pepe Luis), mil gracias por su sentido de la honestidad y coherencia. Por último, gracias a la familia majorera por el cariño con el que me acogen. Y gracias a Salud por venir del sur para ser mi norte. Sin ella, estas páginas no se habrían escrito. iv ÍNDICE Abreviaturas……………………………………………………………………... vi Introducción……………………………………………………………………… 1 1. ¿Dónde queda la guerra?: Inicios del movimiento de protesta contra la intervención norteamericana en Vietnam……………………………………… 17 2. Hijos del amor y de la guerra: Sons y la reacción del movimiento a la escalada militar en 1965………………………………………………………… 46 3. ¿Buenos tiempos para la protesta?: Better Times Than These, Fields of Fire y el activismo en 1966……………………………………………………... 80 4. Del jardín de infancia a los jardines del Pentágono: A Country Such as This, The Armies of the Night y la radicalización de la protesta en 1967…….. 110 5. Haz el amor, ¿y también la guerra?: La literatura norteamericana sobre Vietnam y 1968…………………………………………………………………... 150 6. Con tres heridas viene: Vida, muerte y resurrección del movimiento contra 207 la Guerra de Vietnam, 1969-1975………………………………………………. 7. Conclusión……………………………………………………………………... 245 Bibliografía……………………………………………………………………...... 256 v ABREVIATURAS ADA Americans for a Democratic Action AFSC American Friends Service Committee AMP Another Mother for Peace BPP Black Panther Party for Self Defense CALCAV Clergymen and Laymen Concerned About Vietnam CAPAC Cleveland Area Peace Action Council CCAV Clergymen Concerned About Vietnam CNVA Committee for a NonViolent Action Co-Aim Coalition for an Anti-Imperialist Movement CORE Congress of Racial Equality CPA Communist Party of America FSM The Free Speech Movement LID League of Industrial Democracy M2M May Second Movement NAACP National Association for the Advancement of Colored People NCAWRR National Coalition Against War, Racism and Repression NCC National Coordinating Committee to End the War in Vietnam NCNP National Conference for New Politics New MC New Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam NLF National Liberation Front NMC National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam NPAC National Peace Action Coalition NVA North Vietnam Army PAC Peace Action Council PCPJ People’s Coalition for Peace and Justice PLP Progressive Labor Party RATF Revolutionary Armed Task Force RYM Revolutionary Youth Movement SANE Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy SCLC Southern Christian Leadership Conference SDS Students for a Democratic Society SMC Student Mobilization Committee vi SNCC Students Non-Violent Coordinating Committee Spring MC Spring Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam SPU Students Peace Union SWP Socialist Workers Party TTP Turn Towards Peace VDC Vietnam Day Committee VFP Veterans for Peace in Vietnam VMC Vietnam Moratorium Committee VVAW Vietnam Veterans Against the War WILPF Women International League for Peace and Freedom WIN Workshop in Nonviolence WRL War Resisters League WSP Women Strike for Peace WUO Weather Underground Organization YAF Young Americans for Freedom YAWF Youth Against War and Fascism YSA Young Socialist Alliance vii Introducción Como cada año, el último lunes de mayo de 2012 los estadounidenses celebraron el Día de los Caídos para honrar la memoria de los compatriotas fallecidos en las distintas guerras. El día 28 Barack Obama pronunció un emotivo discurso en Washington, D.C. junto al monumento en conmemoración de los militares norteamericanos muertos en Vietnam. Algunos sectores reaccionarios del país denunciaron el gesto propagandístico del presidente de Estados Unidos, ya inmerso en la campaña por la reelección. En distintos foros de Internet, se repetía la idea de que las fuertes medidas de seguridad habían privado a excombatientes y familiares de los fallecidos de la posibilidad de celebrar su tradicional homenaje en fecha tan señalada. Lo que no sabían los que criticaban el oportunismo político de Obama era que la iniciativa materializaba un proyecto aprobado durante la presidencia de George W. Bush. La Ley 110-181, en la que se incluía el Programa para Conmemorar el 50 Aniversario de la Guerra de Vietnam, recibió un apoyo amplísimo de republicanos y demócratas y entró en vigor el 28 de enero de 2008.1 Obama formalizó el mandato previo de las cámaras parlamentarias con la firma de una proclamación en la que rendía homenaje a los 3 millones de soldados que sirvieron en Vietnam “to protect the ideals we hold dear as Americans.”2 Por un período de trece años, el plan (fruto también de un importante consenso bipartidista) contempla la celebración a nivel local, regional, estatal y nacional de actos continuados de reivindicación del papel desempeñado por el ejército de los Estados Unidos en el Sudeste asiático. Se cumple, de esta manera, escrupulosamente con los dos objetivos principales delimitados en la ley: 1 Ver el texto en http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-110publ181/pdf/PLAW-110publ181.pdf (visita 21 octubre 2012). La referencia al programa está en la sección 598. 2 Ver en http://www.vietnamwar50th.com/about/presidential_proclamation/ (visita 21 octubre 2012). 1 (1) To thank and honor veterans of the Vietnam War, including personnel who were held as prisoners of war or listed as missing in action, for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States and to thank and honor the families of these veterans. (2) To highlight the service of the Armed Forces during the Vietnam War and the contributions of Federal agencies and governmental and non-governmental organizations that served with, or in support of, the Armed forces.3 El acto del 28 de marzo junto a la Pared Conmemorativa de Maya Lin dice mucho sobre la capacidad que conservan las estructuras de poder en el siglo XXI para tratar de imponer su discurso hegemónico. La de Obama fue la primera declaración pública sobre la Guerra de Vietnam en muchos años proveniente de tan alta instancia. No cabía esperar que un acto de aquella naturaleza fuera la ocasión para cuestionar la intervención militar norteamericana en Vietnam. En realidad, el marco elegido para la alocución era propicio para reproducir y validar la mitología de la que en su día se sirvió el complejo militar-industrial para justificar la guerra. No encontramos en su discurso el más mínimo atisbo de reprobación a los motivos que el poder político adujo por aquel entonces.4 Según se desprende de sus palabras, Vietnam es “one of the most painful chapters in our history” (04:14) no por la arrogancia e inmoralidad implícitas en el desempeño político y militar de las distintas administraciones, sino por el mal trato que se dispensó a las tropas. El motivo de “national shame” no es el abuso de poder de Estados Unidos, ni la “disgrace that should have never happened” (05:07) se refiere a la muerte de millones de ciudadanos vietnamitas, sino al hecho de no haber sabido valorar el sacrificio de los soldados norteamericanos. Finalmente, Obama emplazaba a los ciudadanos a reconocer “the true legacy” de la guerra: “Because of the hard lessons of 3 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-110publ181/pdf/PLAW-110publ181.pdf, p. 141 (visita 30 mayo 2012). 4 Para escuchar el discurso en su integridad, ver http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k3p3IWj08w (visita 30 mayo 2012). En lo sucesivo, la reproducción de algunos extractos del discurso irá acompañada en el texto principal de una referencia con el minutaje donde localizarlos.
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