'Hanoi Jane' as a scapegoat
http://www.telegram.com/article/20101013/NEWS/10130372/1011
Holy Cross professor's latest book focuses on anti-war actress
By Bronislaus B. Kush
[email protected]
October 13, 2010
WORCESTER Jerry L. Lembcke is an associate professor at the
College of the Holy Cross who has taught social theory and an
introductory course in sociology, among others.
Raised in the Bible-belt Midwest, Mr. Lembcke served as an assistant
Army chaplain during the Vietnam War and has written books about the
conflict in Southeast Asia.
If he's asked about his works or the turbulent discourse in
contemporary American politics, Mr. Lembke a slightly built and
unassuming man will reflectively ponder the particular questions
before offering quiet and to-the-point answers.
When an inquiry might stray from his areas of expertise, he will
shrug his shoulders and politely explain that he's not knowledgeable
enough about the subject to provide an appropriate response.
Mr. Lembcke has taught at Mount St. James for 22 years and isn't
considered to be an academic rabble-rouser.
Yet, on occasion, he's drawn the ire of some conservatives, who
believe he's pursuing a liberal agenda and is trying to indoctrinate
his students with left-wing ideas.
For example, David Horowitz, the conservative writer and commentator,
listed Mr. Lembcke in his 2006 book, "The Professors: The 101 Most
Dangerous Academics in America."
The book included a number of liberal academicians, including Howard
Zinn, the fiery Boston University political science professor and
activist, who died earlier this year.
"I don't know why I was included because I can tell you that I'm not
anything like Howard Zinn," said Mr. Lembcke, during an interview
about his new book, "Hanoi Jane: War, Sex, and Fantasies of
Betrayal." "I wasn't happy about being listed because I was worried
about what parents would think that I was teaching their children."
He expects that he might draw further fire from conservatives because
of his latest endeavor.
In "Hanoi Jane," Mr. Lembcke argues that actress Jane Fonda, whom he
interviewed while researching the book, was used by conservatives as
a scapegoat to blame for the American defeat in Vietnam.
Mr. Lembcke will talk about his work at 4 p.m. Oct. 23 at Acoustic
Java Coffee House, 932A Main St.
To back his premise, Mr. Lembcke said that references to Ms. Fonda as
a traitorous "Hanoi Jane" did become common in the mainstream media
until about 1978, well after the actress' two visits to Vietnam and
after the United States ceased combat operations in that country.
Mr. Lembcke also noted that conservative elements never heavily
criticized other anti-war critics who visited Vietnam, including
former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark or even Ms. Fonda's
husband, Tom Hayden.
"At the time, Jane Fonda hadn't appeared in any movies of note," he
said. "She was mostly known for playing the warrior woman in
'Barbarella,' a pretty forgettable film. There's no question that
more people were familiar with her husband."
Pointing to the notoriety of Mata Hari and Aristophanes' Lysistrata,
Mr. Lembcke said that tales of female betrayal during wartime have
recurred throughout history.
He said that Hanoi Jane is just another variation on that theme.
Mr. Lembcke, who holds a doctorate from the University of Oregon, has
written six books, including "The Spitting Image: Myth, Memory, and
the Legacy of Vietnam," which debunked accounts that U.S. servicemen
were spat upon when they returned home.
He grew up in western Iowa.
His father was a truck driver and gas station attendant while his
mother was a hospital cook.
Mr. Lembcke said he planned to study mathematics in college but said
his plans were changed by his experiences in Vietnam.
He was drafted in 1968, serving with the 41st Artillery Group as a
chaplain's assistant in South Vietnam's Central Highlands. Mr.
Lembcke said the seeds of his war opposition were planted by the
Roman Catholic priest whom he served under.
"He told me that the United States couldn't win the war because the
Vietnamese people didn't want us in their country," he said.
When he finished his tour of duty, Mr. Lembcke lived with his sister
in Denver, where he became "a foot soldier in the anti-war movement."
His activism prodded him to study psychology, sociology and political science.
"I wanted to know what the Vietnamese War was all about, and I took
all kinds of courses to try to get an answer," he explained.
While he's been in the cross-hairs of conservative elements, Mr.
Lembcke has been praised by those on the other side of the political
spectrum. Tonight, he will receive the Civil Liberties Award from the
Worcester County Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Sixties-L" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected].
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/sixties-l?hl=en.
