The John Birch Society and the Vietnam War
April 30, 2025: The 50-Year Anniversary of the End of the War
On April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese tanks rolled through the gate of the Presidential Palace in Saigon, signifying the end of the Vietnam War. The conflict had exacted a devastating toll, claiming millions of lives, dividing the American public, and leaving a legacy of political and social upheaval. As we reflect on this solemn anniversary, it is crucial to examine the policies and decisions that shaped this costly chapter in history and the lessons they hold for future generations.
John Birch Society founder Robert Welch opposed the United States getting involved in Vietnam. But after half a million Americans were deployed in Vietnam, his exit strategy was not to pull out immediately, as the Left advocated, nor to continue the no-win policies that prolonged the war and resulted in more and more casualties, but to win quickly and then get out. The JBS has long advocated for a non-interventionist foreign policy and critiqued the war as part of a broader pattern of entangling America in conflicts that did not serve its national interests. The organization argued that the war was orchestrated by globalist forces to weaken the United States militarily, economically, and politically. The JBS contended that U.S. foreign policy should focus on protecting constitutional liberties at home rather than engaging in foreign conflicts that it believed were often influenced by communist or collectivist agendas.
The JBS emphasized that victory in Vietnam was undermined by policies they viewed as deliberately prolonging the war, such as restrictions on military operations and inadequate political support for American troops. The society advocated for withdrawing from the conflict while exposing the communist threat domestically and internationally through education and grassroots activism. The JBS’s position was rooted in its broader belief in limited government, national sovereignty, and the dangers of internationalist policies.
“The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.” – Edmund Burke
What lessons from the past can we apply to today?
This web area documents what The John Birch Society was doing and saying during the Vietnam War. But it also explains the bigger picture which must be more widely understood if the United States of America is to survive as a free and independent nation.
The John Birch Society’s Campaign
In our June 1964 Bulletin, members of The John Birch Society received their first Vietnam action request — to protest U.S. neglect of soldiers captured in Vietnam. As the war escalated in Vietnam, so did the efforts of members of The John Birch Society on the home front. Hard-hitting books, articles, reprints, petitions, signs, films, and a filmstrip supported that campaign.
Communist Aid and Trade: Helping the Enemy Kill Our Soldiers
While our boys were dying in Vietnam, the U.S. government and American businesses provided technology and extended credits to the Soviet Union and other allies of North Vietnam.
Vietnam: A “No-Win” War?
Were the American fighting forces in Vietnam really given a chance to win? Various sources, including Vietnam veterans, comment on the “no-win” policies imposed upon our soldiers.
Vietnam Veterans Speak
In the decades following the Vietnam War, an increasing number of veterans have decided to publish their experiences. A rich historical resource has resulted. What these men have expressed confirms much of what The John Birch Society was saying at the time.
Betrayal by Our Leaders (Pressure From Above)
A common misconception is that Vietnam was lost because our civilian leaders mishandled the war and hawkish politicians were reluctantly forced to respond to the anti-war sentiment encouraged by a hostile mass media. The facts speak otherwise — the men at the top were not stupid. They had no intention of crippling Communism. From the very beginning, American leaders and their counterparts in the Soviet Union, China, and North Vietnam used the war as a means to build their new world order.
Agitation in the Streets (Pressure From Below)
As the war raged on in Vietnam, left-wing extremists and agitators were stirring up crowds in the streets of America to protest the war. They attempted to create the impression that these were spontaneous protests that reflected popular opinion. The news media cooperated by ignoring the evidence of organization and funding.
Propaganda in the Press
Few honest students of the Vietnam War period would dispute that Hanoi achieved its biggest victories through our press (e.g., the 1968 Tet offensive). Why did this happen? Who protested it at the time? Does the press now speak truthfully regarding Vietnam?
Support for Our Troops
Contrary to most accounts, our fighting forces in Vietnam were supported and honored by many Americans both during and after the war. Members of The John Birch Society supplied leadership to help mobilize that support.
Vietnam: Before and After the War
Analysis of the situation in Vietnam from The John Birch Society both before and after the war. Includes articles from 1958 – 1995.
POWs/MIAs
Perhaps the saddest and most despicable Vietnam policy from Washington involved the abandonment of thousands of American POWs and MIAs in Vietnam and Laos. Extensive documentation clearly shows that top government leaders intentionally abandoned many hundreds of POWs shortly after Operation Homecoming, and in the years that followed covered up the evidence of live American POWs in Vietnamese and even Soviet captivity.
March 25, 2002 edition of THE NEW AMERICAN.
Vindicating Our Veterans
After decades of defamation, caricature, and disregard, We Were Soldiers pays homage to America’s Vietnam warriors for their heroism and sacrifice.
The Real Hal Moore
Interview of Lt. General Harold G. Moore by William F. Jasper — Lt. General Harold G. Moore, the real-life protagonist portrayed by Mel Gibson in We Were Soldiers, talks with THE NEW AMERICAN about the movie, his book, and Vietnam.
Seven Myths About the Vietnam War
Three decades after pulling out of Southeast Asia, America remains hostage to a relentless barrage of distortion, myths, and outright lies about the Vietnam War.
What Can You Do?
If America is to remain free, many more Americans must recognize the subversive forces and agendas that gave us the tragedy in Vietnam. These same forces still have a grip on our nation. A much larger core of Americans must inform themselves and organize to break that grip. Otherwise, not only our soldiers will be betrayed.
Books and videos exposing the agenda to subvert our freedom and independence.
Related Materials – Order Online!