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In 1971, antiwar activists Michael Uhl and Tod Ensign founded the Safe Return Committee in New York City, seeking amnesty for those who resisted the Vietnam War. While thousands of young Americans chose exile in Canada and Europe to avoid the draft, Safe Return worked on behalf of those who had come to oppose the war after entering the armed forces. Once in uniform, many ran afoul of a draconian system of military justice and institutionalized racism. They deserted in epidemic numbers, some to foreign exile. This book tells the story of the Committee's sponsored return of deserters and draft evaders, in a series of actions widely publicized to build public support for their acts of resistance.
List of contents
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
Preface
Prologue
Chapter¿1.¿Safe Return
Chapter¿2.¿John David Herndon
Chapter¿3.¿Safe Return's Beginner's Luck
Chapter¿4.¿Tommy Michaud
Chapter¿5.¿Organizing the Exile Community
Chapter¿6.¿The Paris Exile Conference: A Debacle
Chapter¿7.¿Moving Forward After Paris: Building FORA
Chapter¿8.¿Ed Sowders
Chapter¿9.¿Sowders Freed, Uhl in Exile
Chapter 10.¿The Trials of Private Lewis Simon: The Buildup
Chapter 11.¿The Trials of Private Lewis Simon: The Outcome
Chapter 12.¿The Trials of Private Lewis Simon: The Fallout
Chapter 13.¿The Next Turn
Chapter 14.¿Ford's Amnesty: Earned Reentry
Chapter 15.¿William Meis
Chapter 16.¿Artists and Actors for Amnesty
Chapter 17.¿Loose Ends
Chapter 18.¿Striking Developments and Sad News
Chapter 19.¿Carter's Pardon: Amnesty's Final Battle
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the author
As a political activist, Michael Uhl was co-founder of the Safe Return Amnesty Committee and the GI and veteran advocacy organization, Citizen Soldier. An independent scholar, his articles and reviews have appeared in The Nation and The Boston Globe. He lives in Walpole, Maine.
Summary
In 1971, antiwar activists Michael Uhl and Tod Ensign founded the Safe Return Committee in New York City, seeking amnesty for those who resisted the Vietnam War. This book tells the story of the Committee’s sponsored return of deserters and draft evaders, in a series of actions widely publicized to build public support for their acts of resistance.
