Originally posted July 24 2018
Latest Update December 17 2018
In its Vietnam War history project, Democrats Abroad Toronto is gathering the stories and personal reflections of members who moved to Canada from the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Links to these stories can be found below and we will update this article as meetings happen and stories are added.
The motivations for these moves were often related in some way to the social upheaval caused by U.S. involvement in the war in Vietnam.
Ken Sherman discusses his anti-war activism in an interview with him that appears under the News tab on the Democrats Abroad Canada website. Ken has held a number of roles in DA, including that of International Chair. He is currently the chair of the Hamilton chapter and a member of the Democratic National Committee. Click here to read the article: Views from Canada: Apocalypse Then - Looking Back at the Vietnam War after Half a Century.
Long time DA volunteer, Beverly Fay looks back on her family’s move from the U.S. to Canada in 1969. Click here to read the article: A Cross Border Journey
We realize that not everyone who has a story about the era is comfortable sharing it authored. This story was submitted with the ask that it be posted anonymously. We are honored to share "A hard decision to defy the draft" with you.
**New story added Setp 24, 2018** A Momentous Border Crossing ~anonymous
**New story added Dec 17, 2018** Fifty Years, a story from Toronto Board Member, J David Markham, serving in 'Nam
The project has had two meetings up to now, in late April and late May. Planning is now under way for a public meeting in the fall.
Many Americans who came to Canada put down roots in the country and became permanent residents. At the same time, they remained loyal to their identities as Americans and never lost their hope that the U.S. would fully realize the belief of its founders that "all men are created equal."
Half a century after the eruption of the Vietnam War as major conflict, members of Democrats Abroad want to talk about ways to gather some of the stories of those who came to Canada during that period. We want to do the gathering in a way that reveals events and motives, but at the same time protects the privacy of the story tellers. There are two purposes for this initiative: to develop a record of our personal and political lives, and to discover the contemporary relevance of resistance to the Vietnam War and other wars.
If you would like more information about this project, please contact Virginia Smith at [email protected]
Below is a list of articles in the order that they were posted. You can click on each link to read each article.
Apocalypse Then - Looking Back at the Vietnam War after Half a Century. (Ken Sherman)
A Cross Border Journey (Beverly Fay)
A hard decision to defy the draft (Anonymous)
A Momentous Border Crossing (Anonymous)
Fifty Years (J David Markham)