Vietnam: the Unheard Voices - Refugee Educators' Network

Umrgkr in the Middle
On our return to the Unitcd Stares, we found that membm of
Congress were concerncd and that the17 wanted to discuss with us
the problems of Vict Nam. One of us was asked to tesdfy before
the Scnatc Sul~commitrcc on Kcfugcts. Othcr Senators and Rcprcscntati~~(~~
askcd us to talk with them privatcl?~ or in smaII groups. In
all, w=e met with more than scvcnty-fiw rncrn1m-s of rhc Senate and
the House. They wcrc concerncd dmut how the Unitcd Statcs
could get out of Viet Xam in a raponsible way and hour our
government could bring an cnd to the war and prcvcnt furthcr
suffering bv t hc Viemamesc peopk.
Some Congremcn felt that \ve should discus our experiences in
Viet Warn ~t-ith President Johtison. To sec the Prcddent, it 1%-ould be
nmcssarv to bc "checked nut" by one of the President's close associate.
This was attmptcd through tw=o different ch~~nels. Onc nf
these failed to work out, as mch appointment was canccicd nt the
last moment. ?kc seutmd chnncl did lcad to an inrcmiew with a
ver?. high White House aidc. After the inteniexv, hmvcver, it was
made clear that to discuss the widespread resentment against the
Saipn government, the grmving anti-American feefings in viet
Nam, the effecs of defoliants on the crops of Vietnmese farmers,
and the problems caused by the creation of rcfugces would be wasting
the President's time. ?'hc President's adviscr was intcmcd in
providing the President with informarion that xmld support
present administration thinking.
There were also some who thought we should meet with \;'ice-
President Humphrey. Mr. Humphrey had been an e~lthusiastic sup
porter of IVS and had visitcd us in Saigon in 1966. In fact, it at
the animal husbandw station nexi to our headquarters that he had
givcn his Minnesota hog-all, delighting both his entourage and the
press. But now the Vice-President seemed to be unreceptive to our
vieu-s. We learned that he had mllcd our resignations "one of thc
gratest disservice to the Arncrican cfiort in Vict h'am." T\w U.S.
government oficials, to \%=horn he had made the remark, disagreed.
They felt that discussing the issues clpcnly could l ~e most constmcrive.
Unforrunately, as happened so often, they felt ir would not be
uise to say this to the Vice-Prtrsident dirccrlg.
On the State Department side, one voung officer felt that we
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