Aid and Comfort
To render assistance or counsel. Any act that deliberately strengthens or tends to strengthen enemies of the United States, or that weakens or tends to weaken the power of the United States to resist and attack such enemies is characterized as aid and comfort
His name was Tom Bernard, a member of
“WORMS” (We Openly Resist Military Stupidity), Air Force linguists stationed in Asia who went on strike during the 1972 Christmas bombings of Hanoi and Haiphong.
I didn’t know Tom well as he moved to Portland in 2005 and until his appearance in the award winning documentary Sir! No Sir!,he had not been on the radar of the Portland peace community.
Sir! No Sir! tells the long suppressed story of the GI movement to end the war in Vietnam. This is the story of one of the most vibrant and widespread upheavals of the 1960’s- one that had a profound impact on American society yet has been virtually obliterated from the collective memory of that time.
After the film came out, Tom would come to screenings in the area and be part of the Q&A when it was over.
The following is tribute to Tom by someone who knew him much better than I.
Tom Bernard: Another Friend Dies…
I knew him pretty well – the left in Denver was never that big and leftists working in the labor movement few and far between. Leftists working effectively in the labor movement were even rarer. Tom’s life as an organizer touched two great social movements of our time – the movement against the war in Vietnam and the labor movement. Tom was a key player in both – and in both – he played hard ball so to speak and the work he did was dangerous and required great courage and skill. He had both qualities. Tom organized units of the military intelligence detachment he worked with (flying AWACs) to go on strike against the US invasion of Cambodia. He was lucky to come out of that 1. alive 2. without serving much time in prison. His experiences as anti war activist within the military are touched upon in `Sir, No Sir‘ , a dvd about anti-war organizing by the soldiers, sailors and air men who fought the war in Vietnam and opposed it. Theirs was a much harder and more dangerous form of activism than that of civilians marching and protesting in this country’s streets. It is a pretty powerful dvd. He continued organizing serving military folk here in Denver where, with a group of intrepid ex-military friends he organized both in Denver and in Colorado Springs.
The above link includes Tom’s obituary from The Oregonian (local bird cage liner) and a tribute to Tom Bernard from
Dick Zeigler of Sir! No Sir!
It is with deep, deep sadness that I am writing to tell you of the death of Tom Barnard. Tom suffered a massive heart attack on Sunday, December 27. He was 60 years old.
I met Tom while filming Sir! No Sir! in what I later learned was a typical “Tom” way. I’ll never forget the email I got out of the blue from this guy I had never heard of, telling me simply that he had been part of an extremely significant group that had to be part of this film. They had never told their story publicly, and in fact had been threatened with prosecution for treason if they ever did. I was certainly intrigued, and soon Tom and I were friends.
Several months and a couple of failed attempts later, I found myself in a house with Tom and three other courageous, exemplary members of the WORMS–We Openly Resist Military Stupidity.
One of the most thrilling aspects of the GI Movement during the Vietnam War was its ubiquitous nature. In every corner of the military, everywhere on the planet, GIs found creative, stunning ways to rebel. Even if no one outside their individual unit knew they existed, they became part of an elegant tapestry of chaos and resistance.
And none were more elegant than the WORMS. Trained in Vietnamese, they were part of an ultra-secret unit that flew over North Vietnam intercepting communications from the “enemy,” and translating them for the Pentagon to use in planning military strategy. As Tom described it to me, they began developing an almost personal relationship with the voices they were hearing, and soon knew that the real “enemy” was not the people they were listening to, but their own bosses. Knowing firsthand how civilian centers were targeted and hospitals were being bombed, they decided to dedicate their lives toward ending that criminal war.
As they told me their story, the depth of their humanity and courage shown through–and I knew Tom had not exaggerated their significance. Finding themselves in a critical position for the war effort, they developed creative, challenging, fun(that was a requirement!), and profoundly effective ways of resisting. Their impact was far greater than they or anyone else knew.
I don’t know much about Tom’s life after Vietnam, but I do know that–as is true for thousands–those years as a GI resister informed all of it. I know that he never gave up his determination to change the world and his sense of purpose that was born with the WORMS.
My heart goes out to his wonderful wife, Helen, and their family. I will never forget Tom, and am very grateful to have known him the brief time I did.
Tom, along with all the other G.I. resisters, helped to “… weaken the power of the United States to resist and attack such enemies…”.
I would argue that while the powers that be classified the Viet Cong and the NVA as enemies, in fact we were the enemy. Those who promulgated the war were the real “traitors”, not those who resisted it.
I sometimes finish a diary or comment with “War is the enemy”. Those who support the GWOT and its resulting erosion of civil liberties and the continued growth of the war budget, are giving “Aid and Comfort” to the enemy.
“War is the enemy”.
BOHICA
RA18960500
Repentant ex member of Murder Inc.
Southeast Asia Division