Heres the picture that was used to shut shut down American plants, critics, and there were millions of them, called you a Hanoi Jane and said you were a traitor. She said: I have very few regrets. Jane didnt make her infamous and idiotic trip to Hanoi until 1972. He hadnt liked the story but at least was willing to discuss it. Status: TRUE" In her book, she says she's a Christian. Jane Fonda in North Vietnam - Wellesley College JANE FONDA: Well, I didnt like it. http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/weekly/aa110399b.htm. And heres Cat Ballou, the beautiful daughter of Young Abe Lincoln, of Mister Roberts, beaming down from a machine designed to kill them. HANNITY: Is Jane Fonda really sorry or just trying to sell her brand new book? At the time, Hanoi Jane was serenaded with a Communist folk song and was led to a weapon that had shot down many American aircraft, and photos were immediately taken. She has to be a murderess too. There was a real Colonel Carrigan, and he was a POW in Vietnam. Richard Morgan, Daughter of legendary Henry Fonda, actress, and activist was one of the most outspoken people against the Vietnam War at the age of 34. Jane Fonda is a star of stage and screen whose career began in 1960. Almost all the messages said we had no business writing about Fonda because she was a traitor. We once published an admiring profile of Benedict Arnoldwhose actions did the nation real damage in a way Fondas fulminations never couldand nobody made a peep. Heres a transcript of her remarks so you can judge for yourself. I got the main point across. Her lawsuit started it all: Former Fox host Gretchen Carlson claims Ailes repeatedly sexually harassed her. But when you know why you did something, and youre willing to admit the mistakes that you made, but stand up for the things that you did that that mattered? He didnt live to see it published. Coffee houses. Its something very like the worst sort of lovers betrayal, the deep wound that time itself often is powerless to heal. This weekend's special I mean, this is very moving. SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: Jane Fonda says she is sorry for some of her actions during the Vietnam War. After Fonda returned from hertrip, the State Department spoke out against her. and how good she feels in her 70s. [1] According to a recent email that circulated to various Vietnam veterans, Fonda reportedly beat one POW, and betrayed the confidence of another, resulting in his death. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you, G.I. All rights reserved. Transcription Copyright 2005 eMediaMillWorks, Inc. (f/k/a Federal Document Clearing House, Inc.), which takes sole responsibility for the accuracy of the transcription. Remember when Jane Fonda revolutionized exercise in Its going to look like I was trying to shoot down U.S. planes! For example, she went on Radio Hanoi a number of times, while our troops, your friends, were being shot at by an enemy in Vietnam, saying our POWs were in good health. Fonda traveled to Hanoi, Vietnam, to protest the Vietnam War, but she did not do most of the things the post claims. He collects a group of American POWs from their septic dungeons, cleans them up, and has them mustered on parade to show his guest how well his embattled nation treats its prisoners. Here are her comments: Many of our veterans still call her Hanoi Jane thanks to her radio broadcasts, which attempted to shame American troops. Thus, Europe, Russia, China, Korea, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Thailand, Japan, the Middle East were turned into killing grounds, and their existing governments destroyed. . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. His alliance with the Reds made sense, since both upheld elite control of the world. Megyn Kelly Fact-Check: The Truth About Jane Fonda and Vietnam There's no denying that she defamed POWs by whitewashing the Viet Cong's treatment of them and later calling them liars when they spoke out." Legal Statement. How did we get into this war? Thus, the U.S.A. deliberately betrayed its former ally Chiang Kai-Shek and gave mainland China to communism. It evidently didnt. AND Fonda shakes the last hand, then turns to the officer and gives him the fistful of messages. The great General Douglas MacArthur drove the North Koreans, led by Red Chinese COLMES: She did say that she was sorry. And the question I have is 50 years later, how do you look back on that particular chapter? Imagine its the Battle of the Bulge and Betty Grable is up on top of a German tank saying the Yanks are fighting an evil war. Its not a preposterous analogynot as far as the soldiers involved are concerned. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. And you know, maybe I was set up but I was an adult, its Im gonna take responsibility for it. "VIET NAM: A repeat scenario was played 10 years later under another banker-picked Democratic administration. Screw you. And I was I was like a limp noodle what I had experienced and what I had seen, I just I wasnt able to resist, they said were gonna take you out here today. "War Stories," Colonel, we'll be watching this Sunday, 8 p.m. as usual. Lets break down her remarks. What Did Jane Fonda Really Do Over in Hanoi? - History News Please, you cant let them be published. It was the last day of my two week time there. JANE FONDA: It was a terrible mistake. Hundreds of Americans had gone to North Vietnam, journalists diplomats, our Secretary of State Ramsey Clark, Vietnam veterans, but I said but a movie star hasnt gone and maybe if I go it will draw more attention, and thats what it did. Copyright 1949-2022 American Heritage Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. They hadnt been able to vote on the virtues of the conflict, and they found themselves in mortal peril in the midst of an ugly, painful ordeal that a lot of vocal people back home thought was a criminal enterprise. Id been getting pretty sour about the incensed patriots who would curse me and my family and confidently speak on behalf of all veterans living and dead, and the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress, to declare I was a disgrace to America for running that storythen conclude by smugly assuring me they would never read it. We have no right to bomb military targets in Vietnam. No, after the Left's "victory" in the United State's withdrawal from Southeast Asia, the matter of consequences was conveniently dropped from the discussion. We have no right to attack that country. Outspoken host Elisabeth Hasselbeck left "The View" to join "Fox & Friends" in 2013, which she exited at the end of 2015. Mr. Nolan wrote something that helped me better understand the fury of this sort of reaction. Imagine its the Battle of the Bulge and Betty Grable is up on top of a German tank saying the Yanks are fighting an evil war. Its not a preposterous analogynot as far as the soldiers involved are concerned. There's nothing like a historian 'cherry-picking' his citations or only presenting a partial 'truth' from his source. She now hosts "New Day" on CNN. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The answer, of course, is that they won't. She and actor Donald Sutherland started an anti-USO troupe to counter Bob Hopes famous shows for the troops. Jane Fonda Fonda hasapologized for the liars and hypocrites statement, which she said she made out of anger that the Nixon Administration was lying about the extent of the POW torture for propaganda purposes. CHRIS WALLACE: Your most famous protest was 50 years ago when you went to North Vietnam at the height of the war there. I make it a habit not to intervene as an intern. Jane Fondas first impression of Americas involvement in Vietnam was that it was a just cause. Its more than being a traitor; millions of Americans felt treasonous during that war. She was young and famous at the time, maybe the Iraqi insurgents could get some of the present crop of empty headed celebrities, Britney Spears perhaps, to pose next to those Muslim mopes in robes and head towels while they aim their weapons. According to the email she visited Hanoi in 1968. You know, we can we can scare her, and boy did they try? Troop D, 1st squadron, 4th Cavalry, RVN, 1966-7 I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. Communism is an atheistic system, and even advocating it is a serious offense in my eyes (with or without war crimes participation). Did we lie about the body that we planted on Omaha Beach (search), trying to convince the Germans that we were going to land somewhere else? How Jane Fondas 1972 trip to North Vietnam earned her the nickname Hanoi Jane, The 27 best things to do in D.C. this weekend and next week, Tom Wilson gives Capitals a boost on an otherwise painful night in Anaheim, Corey Dickerson aims to lead and have a bounce-back year with Nats. When I contacted him, Benge confirmed that the story was indeed his own, and true." Maybe. Jane Fonda was on 3 times this week talking about her new book. Jane Fonda was always an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War. Id been getting pretty sour about the incensed patriots who would curse me and my family and confidently speak on behalf of all veterans living and dead, and the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress, to declare I was a disgrace to America for running that storythen conclude by smugly assuring me they would never read it. Shewas arrested before she got the chance, just as she had been at Fort Lewis, Wash., Fort Hood, Tex., and Fort Bragg, N.C. Fonda told The Post shed made talking to GIs herfull-time job. Fonda wasnt deterred. Halyburton told him that the POW's had tried to debunk them even though they regarded Fonda as an unsympathetic figure. tips@mediaite.com. Here's what she's got. Four die; one, Col. Larry Carrigan, survivesjust barely, but it is he who tells about the incident. Nixon has responsibility for everything he did or didn't do on his watch. Why has no one been hanged for high treason? OLIVER NORTH, HOST, "WAR STORIES": Actually, she's not really apologizing. I don't want people putting words into my mouth, saying "you're going to tell us all these bankers and financiers are Jewish", for instance. Kellysaid she was among those at Fox News sexually harassed by Ailes. I dont think they know, Fonda said in a news conference when she returned home. _taboola.push({ In 1972, the Academy Award-winning actress and activist traveled to North Vietnam and was photographed laughing and clapping along with Vietnamese soldiers. She called the POW's liars. It hurts me, she said, and it will to my grave that I made a huge, huge mistake that made a lot of people think I was against the soldiers., The Dragon Lady: How Madame Nhu helped escalate the Vietnam War. Support with a donation>>. Switch to the dark mode that's kinder on your eyes at night time. Jane Fonda was more than just an actress born to a wealthy and prominent Hollywood family. Jane Fonda Us veterans will never forget or forgive her posing on a North Viet anti-aircraft gun, regardless whatever else she may or may not have done. 1991) Pages 225-229. Thats what made me laugh. officer gets an idea. Jane Fonda tested the limits of patriotic dissent. These men were bombing and strafing and napalming the country, she said. And the more they tried, the more I. JANE FONDA: I know what Im doing. In her 2005 memoir, My Life So Far, Fonda wrote of the infamous photo this way: Still,for some veterans, no apology from Fonda will ever change their views of her as an adversaryof America and the troops during wartime. As anyone who knew or worked with me in those years knows my heart has always been with the soldiers. She was reportedly also an aspirant for a role on "Fox & Friends," the network's morning show. CHRIS WALLACE: Your most famous protest was 50 years ago when you went to North Vietnam at the height of the war there. How unfair! 's and eMediaMillWorks, Inc.'s copyrights or other proprietary rights or interests in the material. Unforgiven | AMERICAN HERITAGE To license content, please contact licenses [at] americanheritage.com. I think that there is a lot of selectivity going on. She did not merely criticize the authoritarian government of South Vietnam, or the dubious motives of powerful corporations that make up the American military-industrial complex. Which goes to reinforce the old adage that no one is truly a waste of skin. I sang a song. CHRIS WALLACE: So when you say it was a terrible mistake. The other stories allege a far more direct participation in war crimes on the part of Fonda. Whether Fonda wanted to shame troops is subjective. It never happened. I remember one retired lieutenant colonel describing a conversation he had with an angry trooper about the treasonous behavior of Jane Fonda in the midst of the 1968 Tet Offensive. As I tell my students when we discuss the proper use of testimony, we probably ought not to listen to Jane Fonda on things dealing with foreign affairs but if our goal is to rid our aging bodies from the ravages of cellulite then Fonda can be considered an authority! NORTH: In fact refused to apologize for the POW meeting, which was tantamount to, basically torture. Her book just may not make the bestseller Greta Van Susteren -- who had been one of Ailes' most stalwart defenders -- left in early September 2016 after saying that Fox had "not felt like a home" for years. Jane Fonda sparked outrage among war veterans when she was pictured sitting on an anti-aircraft gun in 1972 during the Vietnam War, earning her the nickname Hanoi Jane. It is possible that the Vietnamese had it all planned. She has said that she regrets doing this. President Lyndon Johnson, Democrat, in a special address to the American public, reported an attack upon a U.S. naval vessel in the Tonkin Gulf by a North Vietnamese torpedo boat. She so symbolized the divided nation, hawks arrayed against her and doves siding with her, that she became a personal target, most recently with allegations about personal involvement in the mistreatment of POWs. If even one of them were true, it would change the entire focus of my article. But now, very quickly, treason is the only crime defined in our Constitution. A new HBO documentary on Fondas life, Jane Fonda in Five Acts, explores the fallout for the actress, who is now 80. I think so, and I would hope that all Americans will at least speak their minds at the movie box office and refuse to further enrich one of the greatest American traitors. William Burkhead, a Democrat from Anne Arundel, said, I wouldnt want to kill her, but I wouldnt mind if you cut her tongue off, according to a Post story. NORTH: As a matter of fact, no. Watch "Hannity & Colmes" weeknights at 9 p.m. In 2015, about 50 veterans stood outside theWeinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick, Md., to protest Fondas appearance there. . Jane Fonda Her attackers renewed an old strike against the image of an actress who grew up as the daughter of the All-American Henry Fonda, yet became synonymous with the various rebellions of the Sixties. His replacement, General Ridgway, said after the war: "The reason we didn't win is because I was under orders not to win". And four months later, the bombing stopped of the dikes. She went to tour the countrys dike system, which was rumored to have been intentionally bombed by American forces something the U.S. government to this day forcefully denies. Johnson then ordered 165,000 U.S. forces under General Westmoreland to support a handful of American "advisors" previously ordered there by former President John F. Kennedy, Democrat. Fondas wide-ranging response went from apologetic to defiant and everywhere in between: CHRIS WALLACE: Your most famous protest was 50 years ago when you went to North Vietnam at the height of the war there. There is certainly no doubt that the country was basically split down the middle on the idea of our military presence in SE Asia, and as Americans we were all free to protest the war to our hearts' content. If I was Vietnamese, I probably would have tried to do the same thing, you know, but I should not have gone. FONDA: I'm charging the government with genocide, with genocide. If I was used, I allowed it to happen. "STRATAGEMS of DEFEAT AND NO-WIN WARS The story surfaced on the Internet in 1999, and my guess is that it will live there a long time. Del. I mean, the reality is, there were 24,000 American troops on the ground in South Vietnam. This article was published more than4 years ago. I mean, it depends on what you want to know. Jane Fonda I have great, great children, talented, smart, and I just didnt know how to do it. The Bushes have a long-standing relationship with Red China, one that has hardmed our national security, yet few attack them as vociferously as Fonda was attacked. MacArthur publicly insisted upon victory, infuriating the international banks. Congress held hearings. On campus, she was pushing her movement to turn U.S. soldiers into pacifists. She apologized for being on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun site. She was a symbol of a divided nation. That is not my place. Fonda has refused to tell her side of the story to historians investigating her role, purportedly because she was saving her story for her own memoirs, which are expected to be published soon. Sending Out Veterans' Benefits, The Executive Branchs Response to the Flood of 1927, The Case For Calling the Language "American", America Fought Its Own Battle Over Books Before it Fought the Nazis. What followed was a long-lasting wave of criticism and international outrage that earned Fonda the nickname " Those words were written by Michael Benge, a civilian advisor captured by the Viet Cong in 1968 and held as a POW for 5 years. It wasnt firing at the time, and Fonda said in 2011 she hardly even thought about where I was sitting and that it is possible that it was a set up, that the Vietnamese YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. [5]http://www.snopes.com/military/fonda.asp; http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/weekly/aa110399b.htm; http://www.truthminers.com/truth/hanoi_jane.htm; cited on November 24, 2004. As in Korea, communist spies within the U.S. government released vital information to the enemy. It has simply been repeated over and over again, without proof, and duplicated on a number of websites. The POWs are beaten. Here's the record, number one: you've got the photo on the anti-aircraft gun that you add on during the transition. North Vietnamese press reported and Fonda later confirmed that she made several radio announcements over the Voice of Vietnam radio to implore U.S. pilots to stop the bombings. Dave But he never met Jane Fonda, and he has no idea how the maddening tale attached itself to him. Never. and booed people attending the event, according to the Frederick News-Post. Sadly, the Founders also mixed a great deal of Greco-Roman Humanism with this heritage, allowing room for much of what you decry. She has to be a murderess too. Respected online resources such as Snopes, Truth Miners, and Urban Legends have all cited key persons in the infamous email as having refuted its claims. And therein lies the difference. On the basis of those meetings alone, she proclaimed that American POW's weren't being mistreated, and that any who said they were mistreated werte either liars, or were simply experiencing punishment for their racist treatment and attitude towards their Vietnamese captors. Urban Legends story then identifies the POW and gives some quotes about his treatment by the NVA. But also admits to consulting with psychics. To begin with, the title is deliberately misleading: his real point has nothing to do with Jane Fonda. CHRIS That begs the question, responsible for what? She went to tour the countrys dike system, which was rumored to have been intentionally bombed by American forces something the U.S. government to this day forcefully denies. And, you know, I think they thought, Oh, shes this white privilege rich, famous daughter of all of that stuff. And definitely not fonda Fonda. If I was Vietnamese, I probably would have tried to do the same thing, you know, but I should not have gone. "Because of this," the narrative continues, "I spent three days on a rocky floor on my knees with outstretched arms with a piece of steel placed on my hands, and beaten with a bamboo cane every time my arms dipped."