September 4, 1970
During the Labor Day weekend of September 4–7, 1970, Operation RAW (“Rapid American Withdrawal”) took place. It was a three-day protest march from Morristown, New Jersey, to Valley Forge State Park in Pennsylvania by over 200 veterans. Vietnam Veterans Against the War were joined by members of “Nurses for Peace” and other peace groups. The march was designed to dramatize a Vietnam-type search and destroy mission as they passed through numerous towns. Upon entering each town along the march, the group made sweeps, took and interrogated prisoners, seized property and cleared homes with the aid of previously planted “guerrilla theater” actors portraying civilians. The 86-mile-long march culminated in a four-hour rally at Valley Forge attended by more than 1,500 people. (Susan notes: this was during my freshman orientation week at Drew University, just 5 miles south of Morristown.)
