The loyal opposition

the long version

This is the first collection of interviews with Americans who publicly opposed the Vietnam War and who traveled to Hanoi to demonstrate their commitment toward ending the brutal conflict. The presence in Hanoi of these Americans enraged America's hawks, and the activists were initially denounced in the United States as either traitors or communists. However, they saw themselves as "the loyal opposition," patriots committed to preserving the ideals upon which the United States was founded. In the end, these men and women played a vital role in igniting a tumultuous international debate about U.S. involvement in Vietnam, which finally forced America's political leadership to bring the troops back home, precipitating an end to the war.