Goodbye And Good Luck

Colonel Donaldson like to personally welcome you to the personnel center. Uh you're in Oakland, California in case you don't know it. across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco, California. Home to the topless, bottomless, sideless, you name it. For those of you that haven't eaten, dinner or breakfast will include T-bone steak, French fries, apple pie, and all the cold fresh milk you can drink. Okay, we have a lot of processing to do. >> One of the major benefits that many of you will be interested in is in continuing your education. This is administered by the Veterans Administration. It permits you to go to college to complete your high school education if you have not already. >> If you elect to reinlist here at this station, you take your regular bonus, add it on to this, it gives you your total bonus to include your variable reinlistment bonus. >> Give me a ticket for an airplane. [music] Ain't got time to take a fast train. Lonely days are gone. Mama, we're going home. [music] My baby just wrote me a letter. I don't care how much money I got to spend. [music] Got to get back to my baby again. Only days ago, [music] I'm going home. My baby used to hook me a little [music] >> overcast all the way there. >> Chicago is reporting 2500 broken 5,000 overcast better than 10 miles visibility. Uh temperature is 75 degrees and they've got a uh fairly strong gusty wind in the southwest at about 25 miles hour. >> Your father? >> No, my mother. >> When you were young, you know, you kind of hated, you know, your mother always holler at you. You know what I mean? Well, when you go away for a year, you miss all that. You know, now she don't holler anymore. Yeah. >> The only thing the only thing that really bothers me, man, is whether or not I read a couple of months ago in the newspaper came home, you know, and he went to get a job. He couldn't get a job. He got discharged and um couldn't get a job. When he got say after he couldn't get a job, he turned to be a hula and that would look too swift for me to come over here. Some of the guys have actually invited me to come home with them. I don't know if they wanted to invite me down there to do me some wrong or not. They invited me to come down there to stay with him for a week or two. I said, "No, I can't do it." >> While you're here, >> I talked to him. I joke with him. >> $42. >> But we know just where to stop. Just finger one year. >> Thank you, man. >> I'll see you later, man. Nice to meet you, man. Hope you have good luck. >> Okay. Thank you. Stand by. A lot of the guys on the plane with me were debating whether I I should wear my uniform home or not. So I said myself, I said, "I'm going to wear mine. I'm Negro and I'm proud of it." And I went over there and I fought and I did what I had to do. I'll do it again if time came. >> If you a negro man, then you got a family. I mean, I can always find something to keep my little girl. If I ain't got to do nothing but go out there on the dock and sell bananas. See, a lot of people give up too easy. If I had gave up overseas, I'd have been dead by now. >> Oh yeah. Open the door then WE >> did come over again. [screaming] Ain't [music] got time to take a fast train. Lonely days are gone. I'm going home. My baby wrote me a letter. [music] I don't care how much money I got to spend. Got to get back to my baby again. The only day the door I'm going home. My baby used to hook me a letter. When she wrote me a letter, said she couldn't live without me no [music] more. List. Can't you see I got to get back to my baby once more? Anyway, good ticket for an aeroplane. Ain't got [music] time to take a fast train. Lonely days are gone. I'm going home. My baby whoop me a little. >> Good evening. Debate over Vietnam turned to the streets today with the noise blessing. >> Oh, my mother petted me a lot. When I went overseas, I learned a lot, man. So my best the only way I can actually see that you you will understand it is for you to get a little experience man because the person over there you don't have nobody rely on but yourself man you can't you can't go back home and cry mama today uh this guy shot at me >> now what you think about that >> now I'm glad my father's home. >> Make her mind. He's changed quite a bit. I think >> he's quiet. >> He knows that he has quiet seen more. After all, you must remember he's a whole grown man now. >> He's more matured. And I I I just enjoy him. Some things over there that he has seen, he's not going to forget. And he could be just sitting down and he'll be his mind will be over there being >> would he be the same way um um or would he be the same way his daddy was when daddy came out of service? >> I don't know. Your daddy had to get adjusted too. He >> Is he snappy like that? >> No, he's not snappy at all. In fact, I think he's adjusting himself quite well. >> Like I said before, >> this jive about racial scene that's going on back here between the people. It's not too good for the guys that are fighting with >> the guys that don't actually hear the real truth. >> I mean, you got to face it. >> You can't change everything. You can change some things. Some things you just can't change. Just like about the army with me. The army wasn't made for me. >> I I want him to try to see if he can go to CTA. >> Actually, that's a nice job. And he >> Excuse me. He loves to drag. So I think I don't know. I mean anything what he wants to do is okay with me but >> I still like >> he want to do a job with what is he feels more suitable in doing you know I mean just like DADDY WORKED AT HIGH POINT. >> Well I said he still like driving. >> I mean he likes driving. >> It's it's it's all right. Only thing I hate about it you don't have no regular hours for the first year. like I'm doing now. Working nights, days, afternoons. >> After a year, you get regular. You pick what you want to work. >> Well, if wants to go and um go to college, what I think is nice. Not if he wants to go [clears throat] to school cuz he had discussed it with me that he was going to school. Now, provided you pass the medical examination, we will give you a final review after which your application is investigated. We don't require that our personnel be bonded, but we do check into their background, their work record very, very thoroughly. >> You're going to work for CTA? I will issue you an instruction permit. They'll teach you how to drive the bus in the truck. CTA, >> right? >> Then they'll give you a certification and they'll wave your road test. >> Mr. Jenkins, I'm Mr. Evans. I'm the contact officer, Veterans Benefits. What particularly are you interested? >> I'm interested in education. Now, you didn't graduate from high school, and you're seeking now a certificate. Is that correct? Do you know your social security number? Do you have your 214 with you? You and your wife lived together. And your wife was Edith Smith. And of course, you're still married to her. And neither of you have been married before. Is that correct? And you live together. Is there any other question that you'd like to ask? >> Um, I am a VA counselor and uh I'm here to help you with your plans for training. Um, naturally, I have a few questions I'd like to ask you. Now, I mentioned that this counseling is optional. It is not required but the service is available. And there are two types of counseling uh sessions. We have uh group counseling sessions where we have uh orientation of the total program and we give you certain educational information. But then there is the individual counseling where uh the two people the counselor and the veteran work closely together. Now if you're going to a school you need to go at least 25 hours a week. There is an allowance for absences. Uh, of course again we watch that carefully because if it goes beyond a certain point then it's considered excessive and uh a check is made on it. Uh it's been very [clears throat] nice talking to you and uh we will send you an appointment. Thank you very much. Well, that's really you. >> What What do you think about doing here? You know, like you think about going to school or >> Sure. I want to go to school. >> Have you explored how much money you could get from them to go to school? >> United States. >> You know, like I went up today. I could get 2 years. >> 3 years. >> I want to get this job first, get established, and I'm worried about my wife and family. >> Let me ask you this now. You got out uh when? I got out a week ago. >> Now, now that you're here in the country, you're going to have a lot more information about what kinds of things going on here. There's a new militant heir among Negroes. People are saying that when the troops come back home that they ain't going to take that mess and they're going to have a big fight on the hand right here in the country. Second war, you know, people are talking about rebellion and revolution. It's really a critical stage. I mean, where guys got to come home. He's got to worry about who's his enemy now. I mean, how can you uh lay down and get a decent nice wrench without worrying about maybe this guy going to take out a little angle tonight and burn my house down or something? I mean, that's things you see overseas. You don't see that. That's supposed to be seen over here. This supposed to be a civilized country. How did the Negro soldiers over there felt when they had all the riots, especially the riots in Chicago? How do they feel about that? >> They feel pretty bad because they don't feel that uh they don't see why they would have to fight two different wars act togetherness over there. Yeah. when I came back uh in ' 65 uh now we had a lot of fellows that had mixed emotions about the situation you know and they watched uh riots and everything rebellion or what do you want to call it a lot of guys felt that uh the people were fighting for a just cause here and I do feel you that we're fighting for a just cause and all this money is being spent you know in a situation over there to protect and give them freedom and yet I got to come back here and get my freedom shall I on installment or not really giving it all to me. I got to wait. >> I would go back if they go back. >> And I don't think that none of the guys that served with me that I knew that came in with me that wouldn't go back. Not unless it was something very serious. >> Why? Why is that? >> Because I feel that I I'm still a United States citizen and I have that that duty to do. >> But are you a first class citizen? This is first class. >> That's a pretty good question. That's a hard question to answer. I I don't have the answer myself, you know, but there is a friend of mine and uh you know, I'd like to introduce you to a fellow named Reverend James Beville. >> There's another police car right behind us again. See, you know, you have to see everything. And I'm going to show you how to I'm going to show you how to watch people and to show you why people look like they look. See, now you see that man there with the red thing on. See? See how he's walking? The problem is that he has worked all of his life and for nothing pulling and carrying a load and he exemplifies in his very body. That's a used man. You see what I mean? And he accept the fact that he was used. You see, you walk in a community and you look at it and you ask who own it, who own the store. You see who own the business? You see what I mean? The buildings, the businesses, all are owned by the white people. Now, see, see how they do that? They got all said to join the wack, join the army. In other words, they they give this is as an expression of a way out of here. See? See? 300 opportunities to fulfill your military obligation, your obligation to murder folks. Ain't nobody obligated to murder people for white people. You see what I mean? And that's another police car. Now you're going to start seeing a lot of policemen cuz they got them on every corner. See, contrary to a lot of people think the ghetto is dishes, all these people are very loving. The the ghetto is all that dirt on the street. It's simply because the city will not give these people the services like they don't sweep the street down here. You get the man scheme now. You got to understand he have so much contempt. And this is a very old black neighborhood where black people live own their houses. See how they keep them up? See, these people are home owners here. Though the h houses are very old, they they keep them up. See, they respected and protected. Now, here's the beautiful thing. Stop right here. Right here. You see they said black women committed for the protection and care of our children. And what they're doing is really giving women back their dignity and selfrespect because they have sort of lost it. The respect for the humans. That's the essence of black culture. Respect respect. Anybody around here >> trying to overcome man. See that's black power right. >> Everybody around here trying to overcome. That's right. Yeah. >> My man just came back from Vietnam, man. My man here. >> My man just came back from Vietnam. >> What do you get out the wall besides black? >> Oh, we got the lemonade down. >> B, you know, >> all [ __ ] got to go. Dig. >> I mean, people that hasn't respect the neighborhood really respect respect know you, man. Yeah, we all know about it. I think you know that man had a reputation of not fighting and whatnot. You know what I mean? >> That's cash reason up there. >> They say that a prize fighter's main goal is violence. They say that actually every time that I enter the ring in a way I'm going to war. They say to me daily, you are a prize fighter. What's the difference? And I like to say to those critics of the press and to the others that there's one hell OF A LOT OF difference in fighting in the rain and going to war in Vietnam. We are fighting for the minds of our people wherever we are. We are fighting to get the minds of a people away from the white man because once he has their mind, he has them hook, line, and sink. If they're willing to stop oppressing people, there will be no violence. If they do not, we are going to throw them off our backs by any means necessary. Please do not judge us harshly. For those of us who wanted to lay a foundation for kindness, could not ourselves be kind. and everybody wants a different thing. The hardest part about it is getting started then getting out. You know, I have to drop out for something. >> That's the epitome of slavery, man. When people exist for somebody other than themselves, if your life, if you going to spend the next 40 years for CTA, Chicago Transfer, or for any other agency other than for Jenkins, then Jenkins was slave. So what happened? You d have been tricked out of your whole life and don't even know it. What were you trained to do when you were in high school? Are you a brick layer? Did they teach you that? Did they teach you mechanical drawing? >> They didn't train me anything. In other words, you've been in high school, you don't even know anything, do you? You can't write well anymore. Can you type? No. You been telling me that you fought for a government and you you come out of the high school for that government. You can't even read, right, and typewriter and you have no skills? >> If I tell you that what you should be doing is studying, remember they're going to Vietnam? You mean you don't know whether I'm right or wrong? Huh? >> Yeah, I know you. >> How long were you in Vietnam? >> 13 months. >> 13 months. >> How many people did you kill? >> Five. No. You love Jonathan as much as you love your family, don't you? >> No. >> Why you killing Jonathan? >> I love the government that you people put there. >> You love the government. >> You people put him there. >> I mean, you people put in there. I didn't put him there. Who put him there? >> Johnson. >> Who voted him in there? >> Who voted him in there? >> You vote? >> No, I didn't vote. >> When negroes couldn't vote, did you do anything about that? >> I supported him. >> Did you go and help fight? >> No, I didn't go. >> Why didn't you? >> Because I had a family. Huh? >> I had a friend last year. >> When when Johnson asked you to go, you leave your family once. In other words, you leave your family for white folks, but you won't leave it for black people. >> So, you wanted to go kill the Vietnamese? >> I didn't want to go kill the Vietnamese, but that's what I was sent to do. >> By who? >> If I had no one, who's going to say, "Well, this man is not supposed to go to jail because he didn't go to the >> You tell me you'd become a killer before you go to jail?" That's the only way that I can actually say, well, keep my record clean. >> Record clean for who? For the white people, right? >> For myself. But >> what's that? What record? Don't you understand who you are? >> I understand who I am. But that don't mean I got to be a >> I don't mean I got to go to prison in >> All right. But you are a killer. That is your record. >> H you know you're a killer, right? >> You kill more people in Vietnam than a negro killed in Detroit. Did you know that? Jenkins by himself killed more Vietnamese than Negroes kill white people. Now, why was you in Vietnam? >> Huh? When this rioting broke out in Detroit, I was overseas. I couldn't see why that he he did that. >> You couldn't see why he did that. >> No. You know damn well you know why those negroes burn them goddamn stores down. They get that you because they've been [ __ ] over by white people and they hate it just like you do. And you know that don't you? >> Yeah, I know that. >> Well, why you pretend like you don't know why they burn down? Because you was told by the white folks to say you don't know why they did that in a greater country where there's peace and justice. And you know damn well there ain't no peace and justice, don't you? >> There's no justice. And you you know why you kill Vietnamese, but you can't know why [ __ ] run a damn store out >> because they let him come in there. >> How can they keep him out when the man got the gun? How can the Vietnamese keep the white men out when you killing the five their sons? You killed five young men, boy. Godamn. How the women going to be protected? Either be killed or killed. That's all that. >> In other words, what Johnson have done, he's done a real trick on you, black boy. And let me tell you what he done. He made your po ass fight the Vietnamese po ass. You understand that? You a see you no better than that, man. Why you want to play that old foolish game? Scared you won't get your bus job. You've got to make a decision now that you're back. Are you going to educate other black kids or just go on and be a flunky for the white folks? What about man? What are you guys doing? >> Oh yeah, man. Wait guy what happened to get big gun up over there making jokes like this man you jump on here man why you jump on >> prank's my father come high school my brother got shot over that mother shot there you know >> cuz I believe in it I don't think black men should have to go fight I don't think got to go fight for country ain't going to get >> Will you open that sidewalk please do I have to put 10 men out here in a cordon drink I want to talk >> let's open it up Please walk it out of here. Hold on. >> One of the uh >> I was supposed to be in the march, man. Walk along with me. I'll talk to you. >> You think you're going to accomplish anything that is? >> Well, we're sure going to try. >> We're not going to stop to them. We're sure. So, they either beat us down or we win. And we're going to win. >> Why? >> Cuz we're right for one thing and we're growing. >> Have you ever heard of Vietnamese killing in? Have you ever heard of the Vietnamese going to Africa raping folks and taking them out of their country and enslaving them? Have you ever heard of a Vietnamese dropping atomic bomb on people? Who do all those things? Huh? Do you think you can solve human problems through murdering people? >> We affirm that a person has a right and a duty to defy the state when he clearly believes that obedience to a draft law, for instance, is for him an immoral and unconscionable act. You become a killer before you go to jail. >> You are a killer. That is your record. >> You killed five young men, boy. Godamn. [applause] >> It was your responsibility to go and kill people who are in the same position you are. >> No, but the government said it was right. That's what I had been taught. >> The government, man. >> That's what I had been taught. See, >> you see, that's what >> But you But you know that that's wrong. Regardless whether it's right or wrong, we wrote it, didn't we? >> We wrote the Constitution. >> Who wrote it? You wrote it. The Constitution said there were people like you did, right? Not my forefathers. And I don't think they were your forefathers either. >> And you know who it is that's pointing a gun at our head cuz they're standing all around. >> All people who are intending to turn in their draft cards or like me if they have non-statements of non-ooperation will go down here to the revol to the revolving door right down in this corner of the building since all the doors are locked. And now that one will probably be instantly >> where I have legitimate business. I will leave it on his desk if that is the case. >> Open the doorway. >> Speak to my man. I'll be right. >> Speak to him. Open the doorway. >> I'm warning him for the last time. >> THEY'RE BUILDING OUR LAND NOW. WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT THAT? LOCKING THE DOOR. People go through it. >> Cuz he's not allowing it to turn around. That's why do our business. Get over. >> Look at this. >> All right. You better go. >> If I have thought of this before I left, they wouldn't have got me over there. But when I left, I thought it was something prior. I go over there and fight for two night. >> Come on, [music] baby. >> [music] >> all baby. [music] [singing] He's changed quite a bit. When >> I went overseas, I learned a lot, man. But are you first class citizen? >> I'm negro. I'm proud of it. I went over there and I fought and I did what I did. >> Ain't nobody obligated to murder people for white people. >> Some things you just can't change. >> You killed five young men, boy. Goddamn. >> I became a We are going to throw them off our backs by any means necessary. going to get this job person. >> That's the epitome of slavery. >> I said he feel like driving. >> Jenkins is a slave >> trying to overcome >> the respect for the human right. >> That's the essence of black culture. >> I think he's adjusting himself quite well. >> You've got to make a decision now that you're back. [music] [music] >> Come on, man. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Come on, [music]