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Winter Soldier Investigation

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The Winter Soldier Investigation, took place in Detroit, Michigan, on January 31-February 2, 1971. An activity of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, it was presented as an assembly of 150 Vietnam War Veterans giving detailed testimony to specific crimes against humanity by the United States in Vietnam during the years of 1963-1970. The soldiers' testimony often overlaps, which if true would have exposed a pattern of atrocities against the Vietnamese people. According to a propaganda book named Stolen Valor, the investigation has been thoroughly discredited, while the VVAW maintains the validity of all accounts and participants except Al Hubbard. Jane Fonda helped raise funds for the event, and organizers included Dick Gregory, Phil Ochs, Graham Nash, David Crosby, and Donald Sutherland.

Future Senator John Kerry, then a decorated lieutenant in the Naval Reserve (inactive status), would shortly thereafter testify before the American Congress to the general conclusions gathered in Detroit. At Winter Soldier, Kerry interviewed participants before they were presented by moderator Al Hubbard.

Sen. Mark Hatfield of Oregon entered the Winter Soldier transcripts into the Congressional Record and asked the commandant of the Marine Corps for an investigation. Investigators were unable to confirm or deny the claimed atrocities, identified one participant as never being in combat, and some participants had the same names of other Vietnam veterans. Guenter Lewy in America in Vietnam says "The results of this investigation, carried out by the Naval Investigative Service are interesting and revealing ... Many of the veterans, although assured that they would not be questioned about atrocities they might have committed personally, refused to be interviewed. One of the active members of the VVAW told investigators that the leadership had directed the entire membership not to cooperate with military authorities."

Troublesome testimony

The February 2, 1971, Detroit Free Press promptly found two soldiers in James Weber's unit who disputed his statements about a white phosphorous artillery attack on a village, and had photos of the nearby large arms cache which was the target. The Pentagon confirmed that Weber and a Detroit unit member were Vietnam veterans.

Phony Vietnam veterans alleged but never found in Winter Soldier

Guenter Lewy's 1978 book America in Vietnam (pages 316-317) and B.G. Burkett and Glenna Whitley's Stolen Valor (Verity Press, Inc., Dallas, Texas)(pages 113, 131-137) contain similar disinformation about flaws in testimony and participants. Their research skills amount to little more than poor journalism.

  • Lawyer and activist Mark Lane was one of the organizers of Winter Soldier. In 1970, Lane had published a book called Conversations With Americans purporting to be interviews with Vietnam veterans about war crimes, containing absurd Vietnam tales. Reporter Neil Sheehan showed some participants had never served in Vietnam and others had not been in the situations they described. Lane admitted he did not check military records, as confirmation of details was not relevant. Lane did, however, subsequently verify these records. Winter Soldier Source
    • The following are often falsely listed as being participants in Winter Soldier, but were actually in Lane's book instead. This is probably due to Stolen Valor having a misleading explanation of Lane's history within the section on Winter Soldier.
      • Chuck Onan, stock room clerk in Beaufort, S.C.
      • Michael Schneider, deserted in Europe and deserted again in the USA.
      • Terry Whitmore, was in an unpopulated area of Vietnam.
      • Garry Gianninoto, medical corpsman at battalion headquarters.
  • Winter Soldier Source
    • Elton Mazione, falsly claiming Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) credentials, along with his friends, John Laboon, Eddie Swetz, and Kenneth Van Lesser. They claimed to kill children and remove body parts as part of the notorious Phoenix program. They were neither in Phoenix nor in Vietnam nor did they testify at Winter Soldier.
    • VVAW leader and Winter Soldier organizer Al Hubbard lied about being an officer, Vietnam Veteran, and sustaining war injuries - but he never testified at Winter Soldier .
    • Michael Harbert, another VVAW member, exaggerated his Vietnam service, but never testified.
    • Groups other than VVAW relied upon less reliable sources like:
      • K. Barton Osborn, a Vietnam veteran and testifier of atrocities to Congress. He told of prisoners being thrown out of helicopters, a woman starved to death, a prisoner being killed by a six inch dowel pushed through his ear. Osborn was not in Phoenix, refused to name names, and provided no documentation.
      • Lieutenants Francis Reitemeyer and Michael J. Cohn. Both sought conscientious objector status because of Phoenix. Reitemeyer testified to being assigned to Phoenix as an adviser and maintain a kill quota of fifty bodies a month. They became famous as My Lai hit the news. Neither served in Vietnam, or in Phoenix. Reitemeyer later denied receiving any assassination training.
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