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Fighting for Peace on ‘Hurricane Street’
Aug 6, 2016 This impassioned, timely memoir about the American Veterans Movement picks up where author Ron Kovic's "Born on the Fourth of July" left off.
Reflections on the Vietnam War: Things Warriors Know
May 24, 2015 This Veterans Day weekend, Truthdig republishes one of Vietnam vet Ron Kovic's reflections on the awful truth about war.
Reflections on the Vietnam War: The Things a Warrior Knows
Jan 20, 2013 There is nothing in the lives of human beings more brutal and terrifying than war, and nothing more important than for those of us who have experienced it to share its awful truth.
In the Presence of My Enemy: A Reflection on War and Forgiveness
Jan 21, 2011 As this, the 43rd anniversary of my wounding in Vietnam approaches, and I once again try to find meaning in that day and the days which were to follow, my thoughts return to the northern bank of the Cua Viet River on Jan. 20, 1968. It is a day that will change my life forever. In the years that have passed, I have often thought about those days on the intensive care ward and about that young Vietnamese man.
Raise Your Voices, Protest, Stop These Wars
Jan 1, 2011 As a former United States Marine Corps infantry sergeant who was shot and paralyzed from the mid-chest down on Jan. 20, 1968, during my second tour of duty in Vietnam, and as someone who has lived with the wounds of that war for over 40 years, I am writing this letter to ask you to join me as we begin a critical new phase in the growing anti-war movement.Change does not come easily, and opposing one's government during a time of war is often very difficult.
Stopping the War Machine: Military Recruiters Must Be Confronted
May 28, 2008 As a former United States Marine Corps sergeant who was shot and paralyzed from my mid-chest down during my second tour of duty in Vietnam on Jan. 20, 1968, I am sending my complete support and admiration to all those now involved in the courageous struggle to stop military recruitment in Berkeley and across the country.In Pictures: Ron Kovic Today
Jan 26, 2006 Paralyzed from the chest down by Vietnam War wounds, and confined to a wheelchair for almost 40 years, Ron Kovic stands as a symbol of the brutality of war. He also exemplifies a man's ability to transform such tragedy into a lifelong pursuit of peace -- for himself and his country. Listen to the audio, then come view the site's Kovic photo gallery.
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