Fighting Two Wars
From A Matter of Conscience: GI Resistance During the Vietnam War by Willa Seidenberg | Bill Short
December 3, 2025 · 47 min · Episode 9
About this episode
This episode explores the dual struggles of Black soldiers during the Vietnam War against both the enemy and racism within the U.S. military.
For Black soldiers, the Vietnam War was not only a struggle to stay alive but a battle against the persistent racism in the U.S. military. In this episode, we examine the resistance efforts by Black soldiers who were literally fighting two wars – one against Vietnam and the other against their own country. Four Black GIs tell their stories of fighting back and how PTSD affected the rest of their lives. Historian Sam Black gives context on how an integrated military and colonialism intersected...
People in this episode
Guest: Sam Black
Topics covered
- Vietnam War
- Black soldiers
- racism
- military resistance
- PTSD
Keywords
- GI resistance
- military history
- colonialism
- integrated military
Mentioned in this episode
Places: U.S., Vietnam
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
- Breaking the Chain of Command · February 11, 2026 · 47 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
- BONUS EPISODE: First person with Alan Klein · November 12, 2025 · 17 min
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