Breaking the Chain of Command
From A Matter of Conscience: GI Resistance During the Vietnam War by Willa Seidenberg | Bill Short
February 11, 2026 · 47 min
About this episode
This episode showcases the stories of two military officers who disobeyed orders during the Vietnam War and explores their decision-making process and consequences.
Resistance among military officers takes courage. Most officers have earned their promotion from following orders. To say “No” an officer might be risking their career. In this episode, we showcase the stories of two officers, also pilots, who disobeyed orders during the Vietnam War: Charlie Clements, U.S. Air Force and John Kent, U.S. Navy. We explore how they made the decision to rebel and the consequences of that non-conformity. For show notes, photos, and more, visit our website.
People in this episode
Guests: Charlie Clements, John Kent
Topics covered
- military resistance
- Vietnam War
- officer disobedience
- courage
Keywords
- Vietnam War
- military officers
- disobedience
- courage
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Breaking the Chain of Command
More episodes of A Matter of Conscience: GI Resistance During the Vietnam War
- BONUS EPISODE: First person with Peter Hagerty · February 18, 2026 · 18 min
- BONUS EPISODE: Interview with John Boyko · January 7, 2026 · 43 min
- BONUS: The Intrepid Four · January 6, 2026 · 30 min
- Leaving America Behind: Deserters and the War · January 6, 2026 · 46 min
- Fighting Two Wars · December 3, 2025 · 47 min
- BONUS EPISODE: First person with Alan Klein · November 12, 2025 · 17 min
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