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'Going Upriver' examines Kerry's
political and military careers
By Carly Hawkins
“Going Upriver: the Long War of John Kerry,” a film by George
Butler based on the book “Tour of Duty” by Douglas Brinkley, is
a documentary that examines the infantile stages of John Kerry’s
political life – his time at Yale and then in Vietnam with the
Navy, followed by his involvement with the Vietnam Veterans
Against the War (VVAW).
It is impossible
to divorce this film from the context in which it was produced –
an election year where its subject, 35 years after the time
frame of the movie, is the Democratic nominee for President.
Vietnam played a central role in this campaign for a few months,
as Kerry’s service was first acclaimed and then criticized.
“Going Upriver”
is clearly a more positive view of Kerry’s service, both during
and after the war in Vietnam. “It is one form of patriotism to
go into Vietnam,” says an unidentified voice at the beginning of
the film, “but then if you see that what is happening is wrong,
you also have the patriotic duty to speak out about it.” This
dichotomy is the central thesis of the rest of the documentary.
John Kerry
volunteered for the Navy and was stationed on a Swift Boat in
the Mekong Delta. These boats patrolled the Delta with the
mission of disrupting enemy activities. Due to the heavy foliage
that lined the waterway, leaving ample cover for combatants, as
well as the fact that the boats could be heard coming from miles
away, leaving ample time for an ambush, the mortality rate for
those assigned to Swift boats was extremely high – around 75%.
It was here that Kerry was wounded three times and here that he
earned his Silver and Bronze Stars.
After being
discharged, Kerry came home to a country torn apart by the war
and not very welcoming to its veterans. With his first-hand
experience in Vietnam, he could understand the anger and
frustration. He soon got involved with Vietnam Veterans Against
the War, and helped to organize a historic rally in Washington,
DC, over a weekend in April of 1971. The gathered crowed marched
and rallied and lobbied in the halls of Congress. They told
their stories and brought their perspective on Vietnam to the
heart of government, and to the American people through media
coverage. Footage, pictures, and testimonials from this rally
compose most of the film.
It was during
this weekend that young John Kerry was invited to testify before
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he made an
impassioned and now famous plea for withdrawal from Vietnam.
“How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?”
Kerry asked.
This is a film
that needed to be made and that someday should be seen, no
matter what happens on November 2nd, absent of the
sharp partisan battle lines that have been drawn over the past
year. It shows the story of a young man with courage and
conviction and a sense of duty, both to his country and to his
morality. Much has been made of John Kerry’s patriotic acts, in
the military or in the Senate – “leader of a successful anti-war
group” should someday be counted among them.
E-BILLS ARE
COMING!!!!!
E-Bill Program
The University of Illinois is
implementing an electronic billing (E-Bill) program for
students. Currently enrolled students will receive their last
paper bill in November 2004, and E-Bills will replace paper
bills starting
with the December 2004
billing. Each month, all UI students will receive an e-mail
notification to their official University e-mail account,
stating that their E-Bill is available.
What are E-Bills?
E-Bills are online student
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traditional paper billing statements, for example: charges for
tuition, fees, and housing; credits; and payments. E-Bills are
a new feature within UI-Pay, the online student billing and
payment system, and have been available to students since July
2004.
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receive my E-Bill?
At the beginning of each month,
all UI students will receive an e-mail notification to their
official University e-mail account, stating that their current
E-Bill is available. Students have the option of selecting two
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To access your E-Bill, please
logon to the UI-Integrate Self-Service site at:
https://apps.uillinois.edu/selfservice/index.html,
and complete the steps below:
1.
Select "Account
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2.
Select "Student Account Summary by Term."
3.
Select the "Pay Online/Direct Deposit" link, which will
connect you to UI-Pay.
4.
Select “View Current Bill.”
You may then click the PDF icon
to view your bill in full and, if necessary, to print a paper
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Questions?
How can I obtain a paper copy of my bill?
How can others view my E-Bill?
What are the E-Bill features?
What are the benefits of E-Bill?
How do I make an online payment?
What are the benefits of online payments?
How do I mail in a payment?
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To learn
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E-Bills, please go to
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