The following story was lifted from the archives of the University Press (or The Redbird as it was previously called).
October 17, 1969
Moratorium Draws Peaceful Crowd To Protest War
A crowd of about 1500 students and faculty gathered on the quadrangle Wednesday for a peaceful rally in support of the Vietnam Moratorium.
Campus Americans for Democratic Action organized the rally in opposition to the war in Vietnam, which began with a peace vigil at the fountain at 8 a.m. At the entrance to the quadrangle, an organization called the Free Campus Coalition, passed out buttons and literature supporting Americans in Vietnam.
A spokesman for the FCC said that they advocated no pull-out in Vietnam. Brandy Tryrus, member of FCC said, “People who support the Moratorium are communist dupes.”
Wayne Sullivan, CADA member and a senior chemistry student from Beaumont, said that the Moratorium also supported Americans in Vietnam—that they wanted to bring them home-alive.
The peace vigil began with CADA members passing out black armbands to be worn in mourning for the war dead. Copies of a paper, What’s Left, was circulated which contained the names of 65 Lamar faculty members who signed a petition supporting the moratorium.
While the peace vigil was in progress on campus, two members of CAD, John Shinnick, Peace Corps veteran and sophomore English student and Stanley Leonard, junior English major, were debating the Moratorium with a member of the young Republicans, Lee Rawls, over KLVI radio.
A silent march of students and faculty across campus carrying a flag-draped coffin symbolic of the war dead, began at the Liberal Arts building and ended at the fountain, kicking off the start of the two-hour rally.
Don Robertson, Campus Disciples of Christ minister, opened with a prayer for peace.
David Gray, junior pre-med student from Orange and Moratorium organizer explained the Moratorium aims which call for total withdrawl from Vietnam by December, 1970 and ask that all Vietnamese who are in danger from our withdrawl be given sanctuary anywhere outside of Vietnam.
Mrs. Henry Buller, teacher at South Park High in Beaumont and wife of Lamar assistant professor of Psychology Henry Buller, read letter she had written to Gordon Baxter of KLVI supporting the peace movement on campus as a gold star mother. The Buller’s only son, Rene, 20, was killed in Vietnam six months ago.
Mrs. Buller was on campus because she had worn a black armband to South Park High and had been told she could not teach unless she took the armband off. She refused to remove it and said that in November she would wear it for two days. The Moratorium expects to escalate the protest by two days in November. James Watts, Vietnam veteran, said that he supported the Moratorium because the “guys over there need it.” A veteran of nine months on a hospital ship, he said that he saw them as they came back and we should get out.
At this point during the rally, someone raised the flat between two buildings at the quadrangle entrance. The rope on the flagpole had been cut and no one seemed to know who was responsible.
The next speaker, James L. Jones, Unitarian minister from Beaumont, wore a green beret which had belonged to a friend killed in Vietnam. Jones, also a veteran, spoke of the apathy that prevails in the community and the nation, which he sees as a greater sin that ultimately leads us into war.
Jones brought the issue of apathy to the campus of Lamar and told the students that the campus belonged to them and that they must speak out against the lack of academic freedom here and speak up in support of those professors who publically take stands against social and campus injustices.
Jones specifically took issue with the way Dr. Frank Thomas, president, was hired, the inequality of salary raises this year, pointing out that professors who took stands politically were given token raises or none at all, and the non-renewal of contracts of two teachers directly involved with the black student movement on campus last year.
Jones received the first standing ovation from the audience.
Tom Schofiend, marine veteran and business junior from Nederland, spoke of our commitment in Vietnam and was the only pro-Vietnam speaker during the rally. He said that the VC kill too and that South Vietnam deserves freedom.
A protest song, “The Great Mandella” was sung by Vernon Davis, folk guitarist from Beaumont.
Plymouth United Church of Christ minister, Bill Oliver of Beaumont spoke of what extremism is and emphasized the “extremism of Love” practiced by Ghandi and Christ. He then read a letter from the “Texas Observer” written by Assistant Professor Buller which told of the tragedy of the death of his young son, a young man “not old enough to vote of to enjoy a beer” and said that while legislators quibbled over what obscenity was, he knew that it was seeing the body of his son “in a sack with his uniform laid on top”.
The day ended peacefully and the CADA spokeman, Sullivan, said that the day had been “beautiful”. He said that the committee feels the peace vigil and rally were a total success and brought the war issue to the Lamar campus for the first time.
He said that he was glad the opposition came out to participate and was pleased with the sponteniety of the crowd. He said they plan a two-day rally in November, if “the war is still going on.”
Compiled from the archives by Ja'Leigh Cerf.