By Dan Shea
We just finished an event for Vietnamese Victims of Agent Orange more info on Veterans For Peace links and Education WithOut Borders website www.ewobusa.org.
The event:
Digital slide show and DVD of Julie Thi Underhill’s photography.
Welcome comments from Professor Tom Hastings, Director of Peace & Nonviolence Studies in the Portland State through the Department of Conflict Resolution. Tom is also the associate editor of The PeaceWorker a monthly publication distributed widely throughout Oregon. Tom also spoke of his brother-in-law who suffered and died from the effect of Agent Orange.
Merle Ratner, the Campaign coordinator for the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign, who gave a brief presentation of the issues and introduced each of the guests and their interpreter Mr. Vu Binh, Mrs Dang Hong Nhut from HoChi Minh City, Mr. Ho Sy Hai , a veteran army truck driver from Thai Binh, and Dr. Nguyen Trong Nhan, former president of the Vietnam Red Cross. There were many tears shed .
Dan Shea on the importance of reparations, the consequences of war and the comparison of between then and Iraq now.
There were lots of press, Seans early announcement with Thom Hartman, myself and the victims in on air interview and discussion 10:30 AM KBOO for some 28 minutes. The Portland Alliance had us on their calendar, and Bette Lee wrote a piece on Vietnam.
Flying Focus Video taped the program; Miae Kim a journalist interviewed our guests earlier in the day and wants to continue with some follow up interviews with veterans, especially VFP’ers for a documentary she is producing. A graduate student at the University of Oregon Le Khanh come and to meet and exchange information for his thesis on Agent Orange, the law suit against the chemical companies and the U.S. government for compensation of injuries.
We want to thank all the veterans who helped on this project, especially
Bob Goss, Colleen Helmstetter, and Malcolm Chaddock;
Grant Remington for the MRG grant and other details;
VFP Chapter for their support and contribution;
Julie Thi-Underhill and Tom Hastings.
