"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.
"In fact men will fight for a superstition quite as quickly as for a living truth - often more so, since a superstition is so intangible you cannot get at it to refute it, but truth is a point of view, and so is changeable"