This spring, Veterans for Peace (VFP) members were part of two impactful delegations—first to Nicaragua in March, then to Vietnam in April and May. These veterans, who are committed to exposing the true costs of war and advancing a culture of peace and justice, traveled not as tourists or officials but rather as witnesses and allies.
In both countries, the veterans encountered histories of struggle, resilience and healing in the face of U.S. imperialism—histories that feel especially urgent today as we bear witness to the U.S.-backed genocide unfolding against the Palestinian people.
Although Nicaragua and Vietnam have vastly different histories, each tells a powerful story about what it means to throw off the yoke of imperialism—and how that fight continues in different forms. These are not just lessons of the past. They’re examples for the future.
Nicaragua: Social Progress in Defiance of U.S. Sanctions
In Nicaragua, the veterans saw what it looks like when a nation asserts its independence—and is punished for it. The Sandinista-led government, with broad popular support, continues to chart its own path despite decades of U.S. interference and sanctions.
Though among the hemisphere’s poorest nations, Nicaragua has made bold investments in social equity and public health. In Matagalpa, the veterans visited a Casa Materna maternity center—part of a national network that has helped reduce maternal mortality by 80% since 2007. These free, holistic centers exemplify a commitment to dignity over dependency.
They also heard firsthand accounts of the 2018 U.S.-supported coup attempt, aimed at destabilizing the country. Students, local officials and community leaders echoed the same message: They are building a dignified future in the face of economic warfare and international disinformation.
As longtime Nicaragua solidarity activist and former VFP president Gerry Condon said, “Nicaragua is proof that people can build a society rooted in dignity and justice—if they’re allowed to breathe without the boot of empire on their necks.”
Far from being a “dictatorship,” Nicaragua is a country investing in public health, poverty eradication, gender equity and sustainable agriculture—all while calling for global and regional peace. These stories don’t make headlines in the United States because they challenge a dangerous narrative: that there is no alternative to U.S.-led empire.
Vietnam: Healing from the Legacy of War
In Vietnam, the veterans joined the 50th anniversary celebrations of reunification in Ho Chi Minh City on April 30. Some of the most powerful moments came when visiting Quang Tri Province, the most heavily bombed area during the war. There, the past is not history—it is present.
The veterans joined Project RENEW during active demining operations, met families still living among unexploded ordnance and spoke with victims of Agent Orange/dioxin poisoning. Many families continue to suffer deformities and disease across three and four generations.
Vietnam veteran and VFP organizer Chuck Searcy, now living in Hanoi, noted that “just because the bombs stopped falling doesn’t mean the war is over.”
At the Cu Chi tunnels—evoking today’s underground resistance in Gaza—survival itself can become resistance. A tour of Khe Sanh revealed a battlefield still bearing the scars of war.
Some of the veterans stood in silence at My Lai, site of the infamous 1968 massacre by U.S. troops, absorbing the weight of one of America’s worst war crimes. You don’t need a history book to understand the cost of war—it’s etched into the soil, the bodies of survivors and the lives of the injured.
At Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi (popularly known as the “Hanoi Hilton”), author Tom Wilber shared stories of his father—a U.S. pilot imprisoned there who came to oppose the war from within. Wilber’s work reminds us that myths of noble war are often dismantled by voices of dissent from within the military itself.
One of the most emotional moments came when the VFP veterans sat down with their Vietnamese counterparts—former soldiers once fiercely opposed on the battlefield. What emerged was not just conversation, but healing.
Vietnam veteran Jay Magner described it best: “To sit with people I once saw as the enemy and find only warmth—it was humbling. It reminded me that peace isn’t just a concept. It’s a relationship.”
Palestine: The Empire’s Current Front Line
The genocide unfolding in Gaza is not an aberration—it’s the latest in a long line of imperial violence. The same tactics used in Vietnam and Nicaragua—disinformation, dehumanization and overwhelming force—are now being deployed against the Palestinian people.
We see it daily: starvation, forced displacement, mass death and psychological torture—all enabled by U.S. arms, dollars and political cover.
This is why solidarity matters. Nicaraguans spoke about Palestine, echoing their support for its resistance. Vietnamese people recalled the bombings and stood in deep solidarity with others now under siege. These are not isolated struggles. In fact, they are deeply connected.
The Thread That Binds: Resistance and Resilience
Vietnam, Nicaragua and Palestine each represent different chapters in the global struggle against empire. Vietnam offers a model of trauma transformed into thriving independence. Nicaragua resists neocolonial tactics daily while building alternatives. And Palestine remains under brutal siege and on the bleeding edge of empire’s violence.
Veterans hold a unique responsibility, having seen war from the inside. They know its machinery, its lies and its cost. Not just in lives lost, but in futures stolen.
VFP’s guiding principle, “Peace at home, peace abroad,” is a reminder that empire’s violence doesn’t stop at borders. The same war economy that fuels genocide also drives climate collapse, militarized policing, mass deportations and the erosion of constitutional rights.
All of this is propped up by a system dominated by corporations and billionaires—manipulating elections, evading accountability and shaping policy in their favor.
VFP proudly supports GI resisters—those inside the military who refuse to participate in unjust wars. Their courage exemplifies the kind of moral resistance that can disrupt empire from within.
A Call to Conscience
In Vietnam and Nicaragua, the visiting veterans saw what peace looks like when rooted in truth, justice and sovereignty. Those lessons must guide our work at home—where U.S. foreign policy continues to serve profit and power, not people.
Veterans for Peace believes another world is possible—and urgently needed. We’ve seen what it looks like when war ends and healing begins. But we’ve also seen what happens when imperial violence continues unchecked.
This is a moment for clear thinking and courageous action. Now is the time to act:
- End all U.S. military and financial support for Israel’s assault on Palestine.
- Lift the sanctions punishing nations like Nicaragua and Cuba.
- Disarm the war machine—from weapons manufacturers to the lobbies that serve them.
- Build solidarity with people resisting empire—abroad and at home.
Speak out. Organize. Bear witness. Refuse to be silent.
