"American GIs don't fight this unjust immoral and illegal war of Johnson's"
- Hanoi Hannah
About this Quote
Hanoi Hannah's quote is a clear condemnation of the Vietnam War and the Johnson administration's role in it. She is calling out the war as unfair, unethical, and unlawful, and is advising American GIs to refuse to combat in it. This quote shows the prevalent anti-war belief of the time, as lots of people thought that the war was a waste of resources and lives, which it was being defended the wrong reasons. It also shows the power of the media, as Hanoi Hannah was a popular radio personality in North Vietnam who used her platform to spread her message. Her words were likely heard by numerous American GIs, and may have had an influence on their choice to combat or not. Eventually, her quote works as a pointer of the power of words and the value of standing up for what is right.
"We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender"
"Communists have always played an active role in the fight by colonial countries for their freedom, because the short-term objects of Communism would always correspond with the long-term objects of freedom movements"
"The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself"
