In the summer of 1972, Jane Fonda took a two week tour of North Vietnam at the tail end of the Vietnam War. Those two weeks would create a controversy that has lasted till this day, with many labeling Fonda as a traitor, giving her the name “Hanoi Jane,” and protesting her at every turn. It’s a decision she’s on record as saying she will regret her entire life.
The most recent flare up for this controversy occurred in Western Maryland during a speaking engagement at The Weinberg Center in Frederick, MD. Fonda was greeted by at least 50 protestors outside of the theater and echoed her regrets to the audience inside. From NBC Washington:
The Frederick News-Post reported many of the protesters served in Vietnam and carried signs that read: “Forgive? Maybe. Forget? Never.”
Fonda told the audience she made a “huge mistake” that led many to think she was against soldiers fighting in Vietnam, and it’s something that she’ll take to her grave. She says she understands their anger and that it makes her sad.
Numerous accusations have sprung from her appearances in North Vietnam over the year, some truthful and some false. The solid facts are enough for Fonda to regret what happened, though, and she elaborated as much in 2011 via a post on her personal web site:
There is one thing that happened while in North Vietnam that I will regret to my dying day— I allowed myself to be photographed on a Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun. I want to, once again, explain how that came about. I have talked about this numerous times on national television and in my memoirs, My Life So Far, but clearly, it needs to be repeated.
It happened on my last day in Hanoi. I was exhausted and an emotional wreck after the 2-week visit. It was not unusual for Americans who visited North Vietnam to be taken to see Vietnamese military installations and when they did, they were always required to wear a helmet like the kind I was told to wear during the numerous air raids I had experienced. When we arrived at the site of the anti-aircraft installation (somewhere on the outskirts of Hanoi), there was a group of about a dozen young soldiers in uniform who greeted me. There were also many photographers (and perhaps journalists) gathered about, many more than I had seen all in one place in Hanoi. This should have been a red flag.
The moment in question can be seen here in these famous photographs. There are other examples, like the one used above, but the photos from the anti-aircraft gun is the most damning. Fonda attempted to recall what she could:
Here is my best, honest recollection of what happened: someone (I don’t remember who) led me towards the gun, and I sat down, still laughing, still applauding. It all had nothing to do with where I was sitting. I hardly even thought about where I was sitting. The cameras flashed. I got up, and as I started to walk back to the car with the translator, the implication of what had just happened hit me. “Oh my God. It’s going to look like I was trying to shoot down U.S. planes.” I pleaded with him, “You have to be sure those photographs are not published. Please, you can’t let them be published.” I was assured it would be taken care of. I didn’t know what else to do.
Her entire piece is a very long and interesting read that sheds light on her side of the story. But much like her regrets, the thoughts of the public will carry on for the rest of her life and possibly longer. The story that sticks out to me is from 2005, when a Missouri veteran spit tobacco juice in Fonda’s face during a book signing. From Fox News:
Smith, a Vietnam veteran, told The Kansas City Star on Wednesday that Fonda was a “traitor” and that her protests against the war were unforgivable. He said he normally does not chew tobacco but did so Tuesday solely to spit juice on the actress.
“I consider it a debt of honor,” he told The Star for a story on its Web site, www.kansascity.com. “She spit in our faces for 37 years. It was absolutely worth it. There are a lot of veterans who would love to do what I did.”
Considering that and the recent protests in Maryland, it’s hard to think that any form of the truth would change hearts and minds. It’s likely up to future generations, as it is with most in the public eye, to decide how history will view Fonda.
(Via NBC Washington / Jane Fonda / Fox News)