A Matter of Conscience: GI Resistance During the Vietnam War

Willa Seidenberg | Bill Short•www.buzzsprout.com

A Matter of Conscience is the story of the Vietnam War that the U.S. government and military don't want you to know. Hosts Bill Short and Willa Seidenberg reveal a hidden history of the war born out of personal experience. As an Army infantry platoon sergeant, Bill was serving in heavy combat in South Vietnam in 1969 when he refused to keep fighting. He was imprisoned in South Vietnam by the U.S. Army and court-martialed twice.

The podcast shares the stories of GIs who took individual and collective action while in uniform to oppose the war—including refusing to go to Vietnam or to fight in the field, publishing underground GI newspapers, sabotaging operations, going AWOL (Absent Without Leave), and even deserting. These deeply personal stories remain highly relevant today in light of current wars and issues of free speech, the meaning of patriotism, and following your conscience.

Last refreshed: July 27th, 2025 at 3:49 PM ⓘ

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Episodes

BONUS EPISODE: Free Speech Today

Free speech is under attack in the United States today, just as it was during the Vietnam War. As a companion to Episode 5, which looked at GI newspapers and coffeehouses of the Vietnam-era, we are delving into the ways that free speech is being stifled in the era of campus protests over the war in Gaza. We interviewed former UT Dallas newspaper editor-in-chief Gregorio Olivares Gutierrez about how the school shut down his university paper after it reported on a police sweep of student protester...

Jul 23, 2025•48 min

Nine for Peace

In this episode of A Matter of Conscience , you’ll hear how churches and chains made an anti-war splash in 1968. Nine young men announced their resignation from the military by chaining themselves to church clergy during a 48-hour service to protest the Vietnam War. In their words: "They could not be a part of or support the oppressive and dehumanizing activities of the American military machine." We'll hear from two of the Nine for Peace participants: Keith Mather and Oliver Hirsch. You'll also...

Jul 16, 2025•31 min

Misunderstandings, Lies and Whiskey

If you don’t know much about the U.S. war in Vietnam, we’ve got you covered! This episode delves into Vietnam’s struggle for independence and the political influence of figures like President Lyndon Johnson to decipher exactly how we got into the Vietnam War. Through personal accounts from Vietnamese citizens and U.S. veterans, you’ll learn about how the war was waged.

Jul 12, 2025•45 min

By and For GIs

What do newspapers and coffeehouses have to do with the Vietnam War? It turns out they were critical tools in the GI anti-war movement. You’ll hear the stories of GIs who got around military restrictions to publish 300 anti-war newspapers, often having to distribute them covertly. The episode also highlights the role of GI coffee houses as safe havens and organizing centers for soldiers. GIs, and their civilian supporters faced intimidation, legal challenges, and violence from military and local...

Jun 26, 2025•41 min•Ep. 5

I Quit!

The Green Berets, the special forces branch of the U.S. Army, figures into the stories of two early and well-known GI resisters: Dr. Howard Levy and Donald Duncan. Both men made strong public stands against the war, and both worked tirelessly for the GI anti-war movement after they were discharged from the Army. We’ll hear how Duncan gave up a promising lifelong military career because of the tactics used by the United States in the Vietnam War. And, Dr. Levy recounts his journey from an unsophi...

Jun 12, 2025•43 min

BONUS EPISODE: Extended Interview with Historian Chris Appy

Episode 3 gives listeners a brief overview of the history of the war in Vietnam. If you want to get more detailed information, listen to this extended interview with Chris Appy, a professor of history at the University of Massachusetts, and director of the Daniel Ellsberg Initiative for Peace and Democracy. Chris gives his thoughts on the history of Vietnam's occupation by foreign powers, the re-education camps run by the communist government after 1975, and the more details on the student and G...

May 28, 2025•1 hr 18 min

It Was All A Lie

This episode explores how men of the Vietnam generation were primed for war based on the experiences of their fathers and uncles in World War II, and how that patriotism turned to disillusionment when soldiers were confronted with the realities of Vietnam. Hosts Bill Short and Willa Seidenberg take listeners on a tour through Bill’s red bag of personal war mementos and introduce us to Marine veterans Paul Atwood and Steve Spund. They were two working-class kids who acted on instinct during the b...

May 14, 2025•43 min

The War Against the War

A Matter of Conscience uncovers a story of the Vietnam War the U.S. government and the military would like to bury. Hosts Bill Short and Willa Seidenberg draw from firsthand experience to reveal a hidden chapter of the war—one shaped by resistance from within. In this opening episode, we set the stage for the rise of the GI anti-war movement, spotlighting acts of courage and defiance by soldiers who faced internal conflicts between their duty and their conscience. Historian Chris Appy unpacks th...

May 01, 2025•33 min

A Matter of Conscience Trailer

Coming at the end of April 2025! A Matter of Conscience: GI Resistance During the Vietnam War. Listen to our trailer!

Apr 03, 2025•3 min

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