Historic Newspapers: Vietnam War Era

FITCHBURG SENTINEL, Fitchburg,  Massachusetts, August 17, 1960

* Joseph Kittinger parachute jump
* Excelsior III (1st report)

This 32 page newspaper has a two column photo of "Air Force Capt. Joseph Kittinger stands beside the open balloon gondola" with small caption: "Makes Record Leap".

Other news, sports and advertisements of  the day throughout. Very minor margin wear, otherwise in nice condition.

wikipedia notes: Joseph William Kittinger II (born July 27, 1928) is a former…

THE VILLAGE VOICE (weekly), Greenwich Village, New York City, June 22, 1961

* White Horse Tavern - Hudson Street
* Bohemian culture - writers & artists
* Drunken antics of Jack Kerouac fame

The front page has a heading: "The Wonderful World Of the White House" with photo inside the tavern. (see images) Article continues inside.
Background: In 1961, the White Horse Tavern stood as a dimly lit sanctuary for New York City's restless intelligentsia, its warped wooden bar and…

FITCHBURG SENTINEL, Mass., March 16, 1962

* Flying Tiger Line - Constellation
* Flight 739 airplane mystery - Pacific

The front page has a banner headline: "Plane, 107 Abroad, Vanishes In Pacific" with subhead, related photo and map. First report coverage on the Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 airplane disappearance in the Western Pacific.
Complete with 16 pages, light toning at the margins, generally very nice.

wikipedia notes: Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 was a Lockheed L-1049 Super…

THE SPRINGFIELD UNION, Mass., Nov. 2, 1963

* 1963 South Vietnamese coup d'état
* President Ngo Dinh Diem assassination

The top of the front page has a six column headline: "SAIGON REGIME TOPPLED; DIEM, NHU SAID SUICIDES" with subheads and photo of General Doung Van Minh. (see images)
Complete with 40 pages, light toning at the margins, nice condition.

background: On November 2, 1963, in Saigon, South Vietnam, President Ngô Đình Diệm and his brother Ngô Đình Nhu were assassinated…

THE SPRINGFIELD UNION, Mass. Oct. 19, 1964

* United States involvement in Vietnam War prelude ?
* North Vietnamese territory aircraft bombings 

The front page has a two column heading: "North Viet Nam Says Its Villages Strafed" with subhead. (see images)
Complete with all 24 pages, tiny binding holes along the spine, nice condition. 

Background: In October 1964, U.S. involvement in Vietnam quietly escalated as American and South Vietnamese forces conducted limited bombing raids on…

LEOMINSTER ENTERPRISE, Mass. Feb. 19, 1965 

* South Vietnamese Coup attempt
* General Lâm Văn Phát - Colonel Phạm Ngọc Thảo
* General Nguyễn Khánh - Saigon siege 

The top of the front page has a three column headline: "Saigon Seized; Coup Directed At Khanh" (see images) 
Complete with 14 pages, light toning a the margins, tiny binding holes along the spine, generally nice.

background: On February 19, 1965, Saigon was gripped by a high-stakes military coup attempt led by General Lâm Văn Phát and…

LEOMINSTER ENTERPRISE, Mass., March 30, 1965

* U.S. Embassy bombing
* Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City
* Vietnam War - conflict

The front page has a banner headline: "Bombing To Bring Retaliation" with subhead. (see images)
Complete 1st section only with all 10 pages, some tiny binding holes along the spine, nice condition.

background: The 1965 U.S. Embassy bombing in Vietnam occurred on March 30, 1965, when a powerful car bomb detonated outside the U.S. Embassy in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh…

DETROIT FREE PRESS, Oct. 31, 1965

* Pro-Vietnam War march in NYC
* Support of American troops 

During the Vietnam War, much had been reported on the protests against U.S. action there. Here is a report of American citizens in support of our efforts over there. The front page has a three column heading: "65,000 Stage March in NY In Support of Vietnam War" with related photo. (see images)
Complete with 50+ pages, light toning at the margins, nice condition.

Background: On October 30,…

DETROIT FREE PRESS, December 31, 1965

THE SPRINGFIELD UNION, Mass. March 7, 1966 

* Battle of Lo Ke - Operation Cocoa Beach
* Lai Khê, Bình Dương Province, South Vietnam

The top of the front page, above the masthead has a banner heading: "5000 Allied Troops Battle No. Viet Force" with subheads. (see images) 
Complete with 24 pages, light toning at the margin, nice condition.

background: The Battle of Lo Ke, fought on March 5, 1966, was a fierce engagement during Operation Cocoa Beach where the 1st Infantry Division’s 2nd Battalion,…

THE VILLAGE VOICE (weekly), Greenwich Village, New York, April 14, 1966

* American flag burning in theater performance
* Puerto Rican artist Jose Rodriquez-Soltero
* Timothy Leary appearance ad - Andy Warhol

Page 7 has a heading: "American Flag Burned In Theatre Spectacle" with lead-in: "Closing Threatened" and 2 related photos. (see images)
Background: In 1966, José Rodriguez-Soltero staged a controversial and politically charged performance at New York City's Bridge Theater in which…

THE VILLAGE VOICE (weekly), Greenwich Village, New York, April 28, 1966

* American poet & writer Allen Ginsberg release
* "Wichita Vortex Sutra" anti- Vietnam war poem

Starting on page 17 is the release of a poem by Allen Ginsberg titled: "Wichita Vortex Sutra" with lengthy text continuing on 2 other pages.
background: Published in the April 28, 1966, edition of The Village Voice, the debut of "Wichita Vortex Sutra" stands as a monumental moment in counterculture history where poetry directly…

THE SPRINGFIELD UNION, Mass. May 16, 1966 

* Early anti-Vietnam War march on Washington D.C. 
* Veterans for Peace - Pennsylvania Avenue 

The front page has a three column heading: "Thousands March for Peace" with subhead and related photo. (see images) 
Complete with all 26 pages, light toning at the margins, tiny binding holes along the spine, nice condition.

Background: The May 15, 1966, march on Washington D.C. represented a critical inflection point in American history, marking the moment the…

THE VILLAGE VOICE (weekly), Greenwich Village, New York, Aug. 25, 1966

* The Beatles press conference at Warwick Hotel - NYC
* Liverpool, England rock band - counterculture music
* The Beatles' 1966 US tour - Shea Stadium
* John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr & George Harrison

Starting on the front page with a heading: "John, Paul, George, Ringo: Cool Duel with the Press" with photos of each band member. (see images) Coverage continues on inside pages with another photo of the…

MUHAMMAD SPEAKS, Chicago, Illinois, April 21, 1967 

* Nation of Islam religious movement
* Elijah Muhammad - founder
* Fight for civil rights era original

This newspaper was one of the most widely-read ever produced by an African American organization. Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad began the publication on May 1960 as a weekly publication. It was distributed nationwide by the Nation Of Islam and covered current events around the world as well as relevant news in African American…

THE RUSSELL DAILY NEWS, Kansas, April 28, 1967 

* Cassius Clay - Muhammed Ali 
* Heavyweight boxing champion 
* Refuses to enter the military draft

The top of the front page has a one column heading: "Clay Refuses to Take Oath After Passing Exams" (see images) 
Complete with 6 pages, small library stamp in the masthead, some small binding holes along the spine, generally very nice. 

Background: On April 28, 1967, Muhammad Ali—then still addressed by the U.S. government as Cassius Clay—cemented his…

THE RUSSELL DAILY NEWS, Kansas, April 28 & 29, 1967 

* Cassius Clay changes name to Muhammad Ali
* Stripped of the Heavyweight boxing title belt
* For avoiding Vietnam War military draft

The April 28th issue has a one column heading on the front page: "Clay Refuses to Take Oath After Passing Exams" (see) The April 29th issue has a one column heading on page 4: "Clay's Refusal to Enter Army Has Backlash Effect"  (see) This was a seminal event in the career of Cassius Clay, having…

THE SPRINGFIELD UNION, Mass. June 20, 1967

* Battle of the Mekong - Delta - River
* Vietnam War - U.S. Navy River Patrol Boats

The front page has a two column heading: "GIs Kill 276 Reds In Heavy Fighting" (see images)
Complete with 36 pages, tiny binding holes along the spine, nice condition.

Background: The June 19, 1967 Battle of the Mekong refers to a sharp river-ambush engagement during the Vietnam War in which U.S. Navy River Patrol Boats (PBRs) and South Vietnamese forces…

THE SPRINGFIELD UNION, Massachusetts, January 22, 1968 

* Battle of Khe Sanh begins 
* Vietnam War 

The front page has one column headlines: "Foe's Toll Heavy In Attacks", "Enemy Troops Melt Into Jungle After Assaults on Outposts" 1st report coverage on the initial start of the battle of Khe Sanh during the Vietnam War.

Other news, sports and advertisements of the day throughout. Complete in 24 pages, very minor spine wear, very nice condition.

THE VILLAGE VOICE, Greenwich Village, New York, April 4, 1968

* Columnist Nat Hentoff - NYC police
* Be-in at Central Park advertisement
* Protest to End the War in Vietnam
* Date Martin Luther King jr. was killed

Page 11 has a column by columnist Nat Hentoff titled: "Keeping the Cops From Riotijng"
Page 29 has a 9 1/2 x 6 inch advertisement for a Anti-Vietnam War be-in at Sheep Meadow in Central Park which was to take place 2 days after the date of this publication. Ironically…

THE VILLAGE VOICE (weekly), Greenwich Village, New York City, Sept. 5, 1968

* 1968 Democratic National Convention protests
* United States involvement in the Vietnam War
* Far left-wing Democrats riot in Chicago, Illinois
* Support for presidential candidate Hubert Humphrey

The front page has three related photos with brief text. (see images) Much more on pages 23 through 29 with loads of text. Too much to photo all.
I suspect this to be an extremely rare item because there was…

THE SPRINGFIELD UNION, Mass. Sept. 30, 1968

* Battle of Thuong Duc - South Vietnam
* 5th Special Forces Group (Green Berets)
* Vietnam War siege by North Vietnamese 

The front page has a three column heading: "Green Beret camp Siege Countered" (see images) 
Complete with 24 pages, tiny binding holes along the spine, nice condition.

history notes: On September 30, 1968, the Green Beret camp at Thường Đức, manned by Detachment A-109 of the 5th Special Forces Group and their Civilian…

THE VILLAGE VOICE (weekly), Greenwich Village, New York, Oct. 16, 1969 

* Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam
* March on Washington D.C. advertisements
* Massive demonstration - teach-in
* Led Zeppelin II album release & "The Who" concert

Page 19 has a full page advertisement for the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam.
Page 36 has a nice ad for the release of "Led Zeppelin II." This album was officially released 6 days after the date of this publication.
The Village Voice was an…

THE VILLAGE VOICE, Greenwich Village, New York, Nov. 13, 1969 

* Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam
* March on Washington D.C. advertisements
* Massive demonstration - teach-in

Page 29 has a full page advertisement for the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam. Page 31 has a similar advertisement for this massive demonstration.
The Village Voice was an American counterculture newspaper known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. It introduced free-form,…

THE VILLAGE VOICE (weekly), Greenwich Village, New York, Nov. 20, 1969 

* Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam
* March on Washington D.C.
* Massive demonstration - teach-in

The front page has a heading: "A Half Million March For an Audience of One" with 3 related photos. (see images) This is a editorial by Ron Rosenbaum on the March on Washington D.C. to End the War in Vietnam. which continues inside.
Background: On November 15, 1969, Washington, D.C. became the epicenter of the…

JACKSONVILLE JOURNAL, Jacksonville, Florida, January 14, 1970 The front page of the issue contains bold headlines "Pupil Integration Ordered By Feb. 1" and "Teachers Get Integration Notices". The desecration would take place in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Also on the front page is a report "GI List Growing In My Lai Probe" deals with the Army investigation on the My Lai massacre in Vietnam.
Other news, sports and advertisements are within.
This is complete in 20…

THE SPRINGFIELD UNION, Mass. Feb. 19, 1970

* "Chicago Seven" trial verdict w/ convictions
* Conspiracy to incite Anti-Vietnam War riots

The front page has a four column headline: "'Chicago Seven' Lawyer Raps 'Compromise Verdict'" with subhead. (see images) First report coverage continues on page 2 with pictorial of the convicted persons involved.
Complete with 68 pages, a little spine wear, nice condition.

wikipedia notes: The Chicago Seven, originally the Chicago Eight and also…

LEOMINSTER ENTERPRISE, Mass. May 2, 1970

* Black Panthers Party rally
* New Haven, Connecticut 
* Abbie Hoffman & Bobby Seale

The front page has a two column heading: "Panther's Rally Without Incident" with lead-in: "Abby Hoffman Speaks" (see images)
Complete with 12 pages, light toning and a little wear at the margins, small binding holes along the spine, generally in good condition.

background: On May 1, 1970, a significant rally took place in New Haven, Connecticut, where…

THE SPRINGFIELD UNION, Massachusetts, May 16, 1970 

* Jackson State University 
* Vietnam War student protests 

The front page has a one column heading: "2 Negroes Killed on Miss. Campus". 1st report coverage on the Jackson State University killings, which involved student protesters against the Vietnam War being shot at by police. This was shortly after the Kent State Univ. shootings.

Other news, sports and advertisements of the day throughout. Complete in 40 pages, tiny binding…

THE NEWS AND OBSERVER, Raleigh, N.C. March 29, 1971

* “The Attack on Fire Support Base Mary Ann”
* People's Army of Vietnam sappers ambush 
* U.S. Army’s 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry, 196th Infantry Brigade massacre

The top the front page has a three column headline: "33 GIs Killed In Enemy Raid" (see images) 
Complete with all 26 pages, a few binding holes along the spine, nice condition.

background: In the early morning hours, sappers from the People’s Army of Vietnam infiltrated…

THE NEW AND OBSERVER, Raleigh, N.C. March 31 , 1971

* Mai Lai Massacre - South Vietnamese civilians
* Officer William Calley & the United States Army

The front page has a few related reports with headings that include: "Tearful Lt. Calley Pleads For Future GIs' Honor" and more with two related photos. (see images) More inside.
Complete with 22 pages, a few binding holes along the spine, nice condition.

Background: On March 31, 1971, Lieutenant William Calley was convicted of murder…

SPRINGFIELD SUNDAY REPUBLICAN, Mass., April 25, 1971

* Vietnam anti-war protest 
* March on Washington D.C. 
* Largest in U.S. history (500,000)

The front page has a five column headline: "500,000 Marchers Demand Viet Peace" with subheads and related photo. (see images) More on page 2 with a few more related photos. First report coverage on largest single anti-war protest in U.S. history.
Complete with all 70+ pages, a little spine wear, otherwise nice.

Background:On April 24,…

THE VILLAGE VOICE (weekly), Greenwich Village, New York, April 29, 1971

* Vietnam Veterans Against the War
* "Operation Dewey Canyon III"
* March on Washington D.C. w/ photos
* Alice Cooper rock singer and songwriter
* "Love It to Death" album tour - I'm Eighteen
* Manhattan concert advertisement

The front page has a seven photo pictorial with small heading: "The Veterans Go To Washington" (see images) with reporting beginning on page 9 with heading: "The vets & Mayday" with…

DAILY WORLD, New York City, June 17, 1971

* Pentagon Papers 1st made public
* Vietnam War - Lyndon Johnson
* Angela Davis in jail for gun violations

An uncommon title, being a tabloid-size newspaper with an editorial policy which reflects the views of the Communist party. This newspaper was previously known as the "Daily Worker".
The front page has a nice banner headline that reads: "BAN ON WAR EXPOSE ASSAILED IN SENATE" (see)
Inside are few articles related to Angela Davis'…

THE VILLAGE VOICE (weekly), Greenwich Village, New York, April 27, 1972

* Woman's right to choose movement
* Women's abortion rights Demonstration
* During the Roe v. Wade landmark argument
* Anti-Vietnam War campaign rally

Page 39 has a full page notice for: "EMERGENCY DEMONSTRATION to DEFEND the RIGHT to ABORTION in N.Y." at Union Square in Manhattan. (see images) This was during the Roe v Wade arguments prior to the U.S. Supreme Court landmark decision.
Page 41 has a full page…

NEW YORK TIMES, January 24, 1973  

* Abortion made legal
* Roe v. Wade decision
* U.S. Supreme Court

This issue contains coverage on the landmark Supreme Court decision concerning abortion. Although first reported in the previous day's issue, page 14 has a four column head: "Questions Left Unanswered by Ruling on Abortion" This is on the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision which remains a controversial topic to this day.
Also of significance is the front page banner headline announcing…

WICHITA FALLS RECORD NEWS, Texas, January 24, 1973

* Vietnam War cease-fire accord
* United States involvement ends
* FRONT LEAF ONLY

The front page has a banner headline: "Agreement Reached To End War" with subheads and related photo. (see images)
Front leaf only (pages 1 & 2), nice for display as such.

Note: Vietnam reports continue on page 2, so all related content is present.

THE RUSSELL DAILY NEWS, Russell, Kansas, January 27, 1973

* Paris Peace Accords signed
* Vietnam War ends for U.S.
* Early same day report

This 6 page newspaper has a four column headline on the front page: "Cease-Fire Agreement Is Signed"

This tells of the Paris Peace Accrods being signed which ending direct U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War.

Other news, sports and advertisements of the day. A few small binding holes along the spine, otherwise in good condition.

…

THE RALEIGH TIMES, N.C. Feb. 12, 1973

* Vietnam War POWs freed in North Vietnam
* "Operation Homecoming" begins - 1st group 
* Viet Cong prison camps release - "Hanoi Taxi"

The front page has a six column heading: "143 American POWs free" with lead-in: "Through tears, 'God bless America'" with two related photos. (see images) 
Complete with all 40+ pages, a few small biding holes along the spine, generally nice.

Background: Operation Homecoming, launched on February 12, 1973, was…

THE TIMES-UNION, March 29, 1973

* Last American soldier to leave Vietnam
* Master Sergeant Max Bielke photo

The front page has a nice banner headline: "After 12 Years, We Leave Vietnam" with subheads and related photo showing Master Sergeant Max Bielke leaving in a transport helicopter. Bielke is considered the last U.S. soldier to leave Saigon after the war.
Complete 1sat section only with all 24 pages, very nice condition.