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• 1 media/Steve Sober Aug. 1969 Qui Nhon Vietnam.jpg media/Sober combined image.jpg 2023-01-19T15:49:15+00:00 Steve Sober 109 Turning Against the War image_header 19 2026-01-26T01:47:43+00:00

  "There's a lot more to patriotism than picking up a flag and waving it."

  Steve Sober loves his country so much that he was willing to speak out against it when it’s leaders failed to live up to its principles. Like thousands of other Vietnam veterans, Sober joined the Army believing it was a beacon of freedom in the world and that he had a duty to stop the spread of Communism around the world. But while in Vietnam, his actual experiences violently contradicted his previous beliefs. 
  
  The Vietnam War was the most unpopular war in U.S. history; by 1971, more than 70% of the American public opposed the war.1 A majority not only believed the war was a mistake, but it was fundamentally immoral. Thousands of active duty American G.I.s opposed the war and engaged in daily acts of resistance, and thousands more veterans, like Steve Sober, marched against the war in protest.
  
  Sober's early life was drastically different from that of the average U.S. soldier in Vietnam. With his father in the U.S. foreign service, Sober grew up in a variety of places abroad — Madagascar, Czechoslovakia, Iceland, Turkey, and India — where he was exposed to different languages, cultures, and people, all of which influenced his perspective, political consciousness, and understanding of America and its role in the world. 
  
  February 13, 1967, one year into his time at Dickinson College, Sober enlisted in the U.S. Army. He had been working as a travel clerk in New York when he received his orders to Vietnam—nearly month into the Tet Offensive, one of the bloodiest military campaigns of the Vietnam War. Stationed at the Phu Hiep base, Sober worked as a company clerk in the finance unit as well as the company truck driver for the compound. Sober was honorably discharged after returning from Vietnam on September 16, 1969. 

  Draft or Volunteer

  
  After graduating from high school in 1966, Sober studied at Dickinson College. During his time there, the Vietnam War continued to rage and escalate. U.S. troops stationed in Vietnam increased by tens of thousands, the Draft becoming more and more of a threat to American men. In 1967, Sober decided to volunteer for the U.S. Army, both because he felt a patriotic duty to, and to be able to choose his initial occupation, rather than be assigned one when drafted. 

  When asked if he notified his parents of his plans to enlist in the military, Sober responded, "No, not really. It was either get drafted or join." 

   

  Communicating with Vietnamese Citizens 

  
  Most of the American troops sent to Vietnam had a hasty, if any, understanding of the country's language and culture. With little or no contact with Vietnamese citizens, most American soldiers did not know how locals felt, and at times, unable to tell an enemy from an ally, leading to the all-too-common dehumanization of the Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. 
  
  Sober, being born in an ex-french colony, and growing up hearing French regularly from his father, was able to speak French and communicate with some Vietnamese citizens during his time in Vietnam. Being able to do what other American soldiers couldn't — interact with locals — Sober was able to learn how some Vietnamese citizens felt about the war and the American troops. 

  "And that is where I began to get uneasiness about what we were doing. Because they were telling me things in French that they would not say in English. Almost certain they would not be talking about national pride." 

  Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW)

  
  When Sober returned from Vietnam, he learned of the national organization called Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW). Founded in New York City in 1967, the VVAW provided a voice for the growing opposition to the Vietnam War from service members returning from Vietnam. The VVAW continues its work in advocating for the rights and needs of veterans today. 
  
  After finding a flier, Sober joined the VVAW and their march protest from Trenton, New Jersey to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, as a part of the VVAW's Operation RAW (Rapid American Withdrawal). The march included demonstrations showcasing American soldiers' treatment of Vietnamese citizens and destruction of Vietnam. 

  "I remember going through those VFW -- in front of VFW facilities and people are [screaming], 'why didn't you go there, hippie?' They would not accept the fact that we were Vietnam veterans protesting the war. Would not accept it." 

  Patriotism

  
  Often when we think of patriotism we associate it with American flags on our neighbor's lawn, on clothing, or bumper stickers with "support our troops" plastered on cars. However, Steve Sober would argue that this type of patriotism that many Americans showcase is superficial — one that forgets about the veterans who do not fit the mold defined by their blinded patriotism, but also one that leaves out America's true values and ideals. 
  
  As a concept, not a feeling, patriotism is a lot more complex than what people might think, according to Sober. 

  "What is it about patriotism? It is a responsibility for yourself. It is not the country here. It is a concept and it means creating the space first for yourself because you are responsible for yourself. And maybe making enough space to bring others along with you and making sure they are creating their space, too. You cannot just wave a flag and say, 'I am a patriot.' That has nothing to do with a flag." 

  Rather than wait to be drafted, Sober believed he had a patriotic responsibility to volunteer for the U.S. Army. What he experienced in Vietnam made him question whether his country was living up to its principles and values that he holds so dear. Sober then believed that he had the patriotic duty to stand up and protest against the Vietnam war as his country swayed too far from its founding ideals. 

  When asked what he wanted the American public to understand about veterans that turned against the war, he responded, "There's a lot more to patriotism than picking up a flag and waving it."  

  
  Not His Father's War

  
  

  “But dad always had the government line, ‘we were there to prevent the spread of communism throughout the rest of Southeast Asia.’ And it did not spread through the rest of Southeast Asia. So, from that perspective, we won the war. My issue is we did not have to go there for there to be the same result. War was entirely unnecessary, totally without reason. I do not know that he ever came to that point. I ended up taking care of both my folks as they passed for a long time. And we were close. But I do not know that he ever was able to understand.”

  Crossing the Military-Civilian Divide 

  
  The American public often perceives the U.S. military as a homogenized entity, one with the notion that veterans and service members automatically (almost blindly) support their country and its endeavors. Especially when it comes to military and war efforts. However, Steve Sober's experiences and story teaches us how damaging that perception is to veterans and service members that do not fit that stereotype. 
  
  Today, is is often misunderstood just how unpopular the Vietnam war was in America, and frequently forgotten is the large impact Vietnam veterans and service members had on the anti-war movement; leaders of the dissent. As American citizens, Sober would argue, it is our responsibility to not only hold our country accountable, but to serve and represent its values of democracy, patriotism, and liberty. The responsibility of understanding the complexities of veterans and service members included. 

  
  Explore Additional Moments from the Interview or View the Full Interview Below.

• 1 media/Steve Sober Aug. 1969 Qui Nhon Vietnam.jpg 2023-04-17T18:30:41+00:00 Communicating with Vietnamese Civilians 18 plain 2026-01-25T23:24:12+00:00 Initially, American officials sought to win the war based upon winning the "hearts and minds" of the Vietnamese people. However, the American soldiers tasked with doing so were ill-equipped — linguistically and culturally — to do the job. Before America began aiding South Vietnam in its fight against communism, the two countries had little contact. Americans had very limited understanding of the country's language, culture, history, religious traditions, etiquette, or politics. From 1950-1965, America had a small footprint in Vietnam. But that quickly changed from 1965-1967, when Americanization of the Vietnam war brought hundreds of thousands of American troops into the country. 
  
  As American presence swelled, tensions rose between the two allies. Vietnamese citizens resented the way their Americans visitors looked down on them and the soldiers' actions and attitudes. Soon, relocation of villagers, bombings, and destruction only added to those sentiments. Despite those that were kind and respectful towards the Vietnamese, most Americans arrived in the country with little to no understanding of the land nor its people. Communication and cultural barriers separated American troops from the Vietnamese people, often leading to Americans not knowing how civilians felt or how to tell a friend from a foe. 
  
  Sober's experience was drastically different than that of the average U.S. soldier in Vietnam when it came to interacting with locals. He grew up in various places around the world and was not a stranger to new cultures, languages, or people. 

  "My dad was a foreign service officer. He was an expert in French and wanted a French posting when he decided to join the foreign service with my mom. So, they sent him to Antananarivo which is an ex-French colony. . .  I was born there and after a year or so we got reassigned to Czechoslovakia, Prague, where my sister was born . . . we ended up in Reykjavik, Iceland for a couple of years.
  
  Then dad had a semester at Northwestern University in Chicago which was the first time I had been in the U.S. We were there for three months or so and then it was Turkey. Ankara, Turkey for three years, then back to Washington [D.C.] for the first time I was in school in the U.S. 3rd grade, I guess." 

  Sober's past exposure to french and his father's influence helped him when he was deployed to Vietnam. As an ex-french colony, Sober was able to communicate with some of the Vietnamese citizens — something other soldiers could not do. By speaking with locals, Sober had the ability to empathize and listen to their perspectives on the war in Vietnam. 

  "Well, I could speak un peu francais [a little french]. And in Nha Trang, which had been a french resort, [a] beautiful city, I was able to speak to an older man briefly. My french was not really that deep, but it was pretty clear there. And then again, in Tuy Hoa, where I met an old man that I could speak to. 
  
  And this is where I began to get uneasiness about what we were doing. Because they were telling me things in french that they would not say in english. Almost certain they would not be talking about national pride."