Vietnam Resisters Speak Out
During the period of 1965-1973, more than 50,000 Americans made their way to Canada, refusing to participate in an immoral war in Vietnam. At the time, Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau said: “Those who make a conscientious judgment that they must not participate in this war… have my complete sympathy, and indeed our political approach has been to give them access to Canada. Canada should be a refuge from militarism.”
Although many Vietnam War resisters came to Canada due to the imposition of the draft, 10,000 of those Americans were volunteers. Many of the most outspoken opponents of the Vietnam War had signed up to serve but later realized that they did not wish to participate in an immoral war of aggression. At the time, Canada welcomed both draft dodgers and deserters (volunteers).
Here are the stories of some of the people who chose to stay in Canada and who want a new generation of war resisters to have the same opportunity that they did. If you are a Vietnam War resister and would like to add your story, please get in touch with us.
- Andy Barrie – broadcaster
- Dick Cotterill – businessman
- Michael Klein – physician
- Bill King – musician
- Don Pease – public service
- Charlie Diamond – community worker
- Michael Shaffer – pilot
- David Rapaport – tech specialist
- Tim Maloney – social worker
- Tobey Anderson – artist
- Michael Hendricks – film business
- Tony McQuail – agriculture
- Tom Riley – social worker
- Juergen Dankwort – post-secondary educator
- Rex Weyler – ecologist and author
