Resistance within the military: difference between revisions

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The abbreviation or acronym ”’RITA”’ (sometimes written in lowercase letters, ”’rita””) means “Resistance within the Army”, “Resistance within the Army” or “Resistance! In the Army”.(https://books.google.com/books?id=iiLjwkLBI3wC&dq=RITA+Resistance+Inside+the+Army&pg=PA164 Books.google.com)

The abbreviation or acronym ”’RITA”’ (sometimes written in lowercase letters, ”’rita””) means “Resistance within the Army”, “Resistance within the Army” or “Resistance! In the Army”.(https://books.google.com/books?id=iiLjwkLBI3wC&dq=RITA+Resistance+Inside+the+Army&pg=PA164 Books.google.com)

It was first invented by American Private Richard (Dick) PerrinRA 11748246,Richard Perrin wrote “GI Resister” in September 1967. It was soon widely used to describe “resistance within the US military” during the ((Vietnam War)), and to this day as a concept for similar “resistance” movements in other armies. The term is also sometimes projected back historically, to earlier wars when the term did not yet exist, but the phenomenon probably already existed.

It was first invented by American Private Richard (Dick) PerrinRichard Perrin wrote “GI Resister” in September 1967. It was soon widely used to describe “resistance within the US military” during the ((Vietnam War)), and to this day as a concept for similar “resistance” movements in other armies. The term is also sometimes projected back historically, to earlier wars when the term did not yet exist, but the phenomenon probably already existed.

Such RITA movements differ from other components of the ((anti-war movement)), such as ((conscription resistance)) or ((desertion)), in that their activists are soldiers and intend to remain soldiers.

Such RITA movements differ from other components of the ((anti-war movement)), such as ((conscription resistance)) or ((desertion)), in that their activists are soldiers and intend to remain soldiers.

The protest movement of the American war in Vietnam

Abbreviation or acronym RITA (sometimes written in lower case, “Rita“) stands for “Resistance within the Army”, “Resistance within the Army” or “Resistance! Within the Army”.⁽¹⁾

It was first invented by American Private Richard (Dick) Perrin⁽²⁾ September 1967. Soon it was widely used to describe “resistance within the US military” during The Vietnam Warand to this day as a concept for similar “Resistance” movements in other armies. The term is also sometimes projected back historically, to earlier wars when the term did not yet exist, but the phenomenon probably already existed.

Such RITA movements differ from other components anti-war movementsas it is draft resistance or desertionby the fact that their activists are soldiers and intend to be soldiers.

The definition of RITA was given in 1968 by PFC Terry Klug⁽³⁾ and published in GI paper ACT (the publication of which, as an “unauthorized” work written by them and for the soldiers, was in itself a major act of RITA). It was written during The Vietnam War and is still used until now with necessary adjustments for other countries and later wars such as Iraq War.

As can be seen from the context, “RITA” can refer both to the phenomenon of “Resistance within the Army” and to a person who is “Resistance within the Army”.

What is Rita? Rita is a resister within the armed forces, an American soldier resisting imperialist aggression in Southeast Asia. His reasons may be political, pacifist or whatever.

What is a full-time RITA? A full-time resister is a soldier who temporarily left the Armed Forces to work against his country’s inhumane aggression in Southeast Asia. He does not consider himself a deserter; he usually intends to return after the war. He is neither unpatriotic nor anti-American. He is just an individual who acts in ways he believes are right and in the best interests of humanity.

what is FRITA? RITA’s friend, American, European or other civilian, who helps Ritas in his work.

What do RITAs do? They organize resistance to the war as it grows American Military Workers Union (ASU) within the Armed Forces. They provide a source of truth for GI by distributing GI papers such as BOND and writing and editing ACT. The RITA newsletter ACT is published by permanent resisters with the sole purpose of presenting the truth to American soldiers who will at one point or another be called upon to serve the war machine.

RITA and FRITA are not tightly organized with officers, membership or a particular political line. Rather, they are individuals of many political, religious and philosophical persuasions united in their opposition to this war.

RITA and FRITA work with any person, organization or group that will help American soldiers fight this war.

The above definition⁽⁴⁾ – published in ACT, RITA’s newsletter – ended with a direct address to American soldiers, especially soldiers serving in Europe: We are more interested in actions than words. Can you help?.

Those interested were invited to write to “JP Sartre, BP 130, Paris 14, France,” and this address received letters from American soldiers from all over the world, including Vietnam itself.

The mailbox was indeed registered in the name of a famous philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. An outspoken opponent of American military involvement in Vietnam, Sartre agreed to provide this service to dissident American soldiers stationed in Paris, who feared police interference with their mail. For a long period, Sartre’s secretary emptied the mailbox every morning and delivered RITA mail to activists living in Latin Quarter.

Of course, it was difficult for soldiers on active duty to maintain this kind of correspondence through official military mail, subject to official surveillance and censorship. However, successful black market maintained by American soldiers and deserters on Cholon area of Saigon included a fairly effective “alternative postal link” through which the “Ritas” could send and receive mail completely without any interference from the military authorities.

According to Max Watts, an activist who was associated with RITA in Paris late 1960s and later during the early 1970s in Heidelberg, West Germany⁽⁵⁾ (currently based in Australia), contact with the movement had a significant role in radicalizing the positions of the famous actress Jane Fonda.⁽⁶⁾

The FTA The film was released commercially around July 12, 1972. At the time Jane Fonda was in the North Vietnamunder American bombs. She was invited by the North Vietnamese government to witness US attacks – which the US government denied – on embankments in Red River delta. A week later, by the time Fonda returned to the US via Paris, all the copies FTA the film was “withdrawn” and apparently destroyed. It is still unclear why. According to Francine Parker, one of the directors, the Nixon White House “pressed the distributor,” American Independent Films (AIF). AIF did not respond to inquiries on this topic.

Fonda was at the world premiere FTA in the National Cinema in Westwood Village (Los Angeles), California in July 1972. She was interviewed by reporter Bob Banfield on local TV news.

“Dirty” video copies FTA circulated both in Vietnam and later, and among American soldiers in Iraq. The subtitles were hard to read. A “clean” copy has surfaced and is now available on DVD.

“Cleanup” sequences FTA film, with Jane Fonda as she was in 1971, are included in the RITA film Sir! No sir!in which Fonda also talks about Iraq War.

Jane Fonda became very active again as Frita (“friend of RITA”) who opposes the Iraq-American war.

ACTRita’s Newsletter – had an initial “direct print” of 10,000. Volume 1 had 5 issues. By Vol 2 (2 issues) direct printing was 25,000. ACT it has been frequently reprinted by other RITA GIs and Fritas in Europe, the US, Vietnam and Australia.⁽⁷⁾

• Several excerpts from “ACT”, including an article by Pfc Terry Klug, were reprinted in “US-Army – Europe”; Max Watts, publisher Harald Kater, Goerlitzer Str. 39, West Berlin 1989. German and English. A Spanish edition appeared a few years later.
• Extracts of “ACT” and “Rita Notes” also appeared in “Protest and Survive – Underground GI Newspapers during the Vietnam War” by James Lewes et al., Praeger, Westport, CT, USA, 2003.
• Pfc Terry Klug (reprise) appears in the newer (2007) version of the film: “Sir! No sir!” (4).