Support for the Vietnam War at Davidson CollegeBy Sean Patrick |
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Davidson Officers Salute Flat in Front of Chambers |
Support for the war was unique at Davidson. Davidson did not have nearly the amount of protests as other colleges had (Scherer 1989). There was also a distinct culture at Davidson, the ‘Davidson Gentleman,’ who was clean, respectful, and cultured among other things (Davidson College Handbook 1923-1924). Protesting did not become a Davidson gentleman, which led some who believed that American involvement in Vietnam was wrong not to protest. Furthermore, Davidson attracted a more conservative student body, which was more prone to supporting the war against communist aggression in South Vietnam. Most students at Davidson had supported Barry Goldwater in the 1964 election, even though the rest of the country voted over 61% for Lyndon Johnson ("Goldwater" 1). | ||||||||
Students Show Conservative Tilt By Electing Goldwater |
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| Many alumni of Davidson and even students who graduated during America’s involvement in the Vietnam War saw time in combat. Porter Halyburton, a pilot who became a prisoner of war in Vietnam, said of the war, "[We were] fighting for the freedom of the South Vietnamese people.” Halyburton was also thought by the US government to be killed in action, but was later reported as a POW in North Vietnam (Perlmitt 2000). When he finally returned to Davidson, a huge party was thrown for Halyburton by the town and the College gave him VIP accommodations. There was no mistreatment of the soldier as in other parts of the country (York 1,2). | |||||||||
| While some alumni were against the war, many thought the war was just. Several alumni and students went so far to say that the ‘demonstrators help communists’ (Brown 1). One alumnus wrote a letter to the President concerning Davidson’s moratorium during nationionwide anti-war protests. He was so outraged by that Davidson had turned partisan and had lost much of its credibility that he would refuse to donate money to the college (Alexander 1). In another letter to President Spenser, the alumnus spoke up about how the protestors were not acting as gentlemen and should be more respectful of themselves, others, and the college (Harkey 1). | |||||||||
Davidson Young Republicans Discuss Politics |
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Colonel Calls Davidson ROTC Program 'One of Best' |
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| Another casualty of the Vietnam War was the canceling of Freshman year mandatory ROTC enrollment. Although the ROTC service was not mandatory, and ROTC was considered by many to be favorable to being drafted to the regular infantry, the advent of the Vietnam War created a forum in which students, faculty, and alumni discussed whether or not the program should continue ("ROTC Rolls Increase" 1). Several prominent voices in the faculty were not only for getting rid of the freshman year program, but also for getting rid of the ROTC program and military science courses altogether (Sherer 1989). The administration however, which has the final say, decided to keep ROTC but drop the mandatory first year. While the faculty had influence with the administration the student body and alumni helped provide leverage to keep ROTC at Davidson ("ROTC’s Lasting Benefits" 1, Sherer 1989). Further, many students and alumni even supported keeping the mandatory Freshman ROTC program going. Davidson College would not turn out to be like Harvard University, which severed all ties to ROTC and the US Military. | |||||||||
ROTC Cadets Drilling |
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| The social atmosphere, appreciation for the soldiers, and continued commitment to assisting the US Military showed a unique support for the war at Davidson College. Even when people were not totally for or against the war, the college fostered a culture that respected tradition more and fostered protests less than other institutions of learning around the county. | |||||||||
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Hold Mouse Still Over Images for Work Citation |
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