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Dissidents: Veterans Speak Out for Justice Main Menu Racism in the US Military Veterans Against War Women, Gender, and Sexuality in the US Military Dissidents Veterans Speak Out

Ari Sesu Merretazon: Part 1

The first interview with Ari Sesu Merretazon recounts his early life in Washington, D.C., with his family. Ari discusses how his parents, his upbringing, and the historical protests that occurred during his childhood shaped his outlook on the military and the United States. In 1966, Merretazon was drafted for the Vietnam War and served from 1966 to 1968. According to him, the relationships between black and white people in the military were severely strained.

The protests surrounding civil rights, Kennedy’s assassination, and racism significantly contributed to the division. Ari’s occupation in Vietnam was as a recon infantry soldier and emphasized ‘search, kill, and destroy’ missions. A major connection between soldiers within the war was the solidarity among black soldiers. Ari emphasizes how the only way they survived was through their blood love. 95% of the stockade in Vietnam was Black soldiers, further enforcing solidarity. Ari also stated that this solidarity transferred into sympathy for the Vietnamese people. The power struggles made both groups gravitate towards each other; however, the ‘search, kill, and destroy’ missions destroyed Vietnam and broke the Vietnamese spirit. The kill-or-be-killed mentality ran rampant. The long-lasting psychological effects of the war were also imperative to understanding the conditions of black soldiers in and out of Vietnam.

Time Index
[00:00:00] Introduction and biographical information
[00:03:10] Family life and history
[00:06:13] Family connections to the military
[00:07:35] Childhood and school experiences
[00:13:55] 1966 war draft and its implications
[00:17:45] Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
[00:20:25] Relations between black and white people in the military
[00:22:10] Search, kill, and destroy missions during the Vietnam War
[00:25:28] Beginning experiences of the Vietnam War [00:30:00] Experiences during a typical mission
[00:35:07] Solidarity among black soldiers in the war
[00:43:44] Punishment to black soldiers in Vietnam
[00:46:33] Culture of black soldiers during the war
[00:48:05] Sympathy between the Vietnamese and black soldiers
[00:51:17] Morality and expectations during the war
[00:55:43] Plans after the war
[00:56:25] Experiences with historical figures
[01:00:00] Coming home from war
[01:04:57] Identifying as a veteran
[01:07:28] Quality of the interview
[01:10:10] From Haywood Kirkland to Ari Merretazon
[1:15:00] Richard Brookshire and the Black Veterans Project

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Ari Sesu Merretazon Jason Higgins
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Ari Sesu Merretazon Part 2: After War Jason Higgins
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Ari Sesu Merretazon, interviewed by Jason A. Higgins, Part 1 Ari Sesu Merretazon, interviewed by Jason A. Higgins, January 10, 2023 remotely from Blacksburg, VA. This interview is part of a series of oral history interviews with Merretazon, documenting his memories and experiences as a Vietnam veteran, formerly incarcerated veteran, founder of the Incarcerated Veterans Assistance Organization, and activist for racial justice and reparations. Formerly known as Haywood "the Kid" Kirkland, his story is told in Wallace Terry's Bloods: Black Veterans of the Vietnam War: An Oral History and a fictionalized account of his experiences is told in the film Dead Presidents. Part 1 focuses on his childhood, teenage years in Washington D.C., his path to the military, experiences in Vietnam, and his homecoming. This interview is supported by a 4-VA Collaborative Grant, "Crossing the Military-Civilian Divide," the Virginia Tech Center for Humanities, and special thanks to my research assistant Leena Alsayab, a recent graduate of Virginia Tech.