Ever since I first heard about Cindy Sheehan and her quest to meet with President Bush to discuss the matter of for what her son died in the Iraq War, I could not help but remember Peg Mullen. Mullen was an Iowa mother who lost her son in Vietnam in 1970. She became an anti-war activist after trying to find out how her son died only to be lied to by the military which tried to cover-up the fact that her son had been killed by so-called “friendly fire” while he slept. One thing led to another and soon Mullen was an anti-war mom from the farms of Iowa.
I first learned of Peg Mullen’s story when I read the book “Friendly Fire” in college. It was a deeply moving story of a grieving mother’s quest to hold her government accountable for its misguided policies that led to her son’s death. About the same time, I was reading the book, a 1979 made-for-TV movie based on Mullen’s story was broadcast. Carol Burnett gave a great performance as Peg. The two, the book and the movie, left a deep impression on me so when Cindy Sheehan surfaced in the news camping out near the president’s made-for-TV “ranch”, I immediately thought of Mullen.
There is a part in the Friendly Fire book that describes Mullen’s first journey from Iowa to Washington DC to take part in an anti-war protest. This post today on the Huffington Post Blog brings it all home again.
1 comment:
Dave,
A most excellent book, which you loaned to me. The story was turned into a made for television movie starring Carol Burnett. Carol gave a break out dramatic performance as Ms. Mullen.
Yes, the Pentagon was cooking the KIA stats for years to help smooth out public perception - lies to mourning families was the norm - all to sell the war.
They tried to create a perception that there were no "bad days" in Vietnam.
JeromeProphet
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