OH+Summary

Oral History Summary

Topic: Vietnam Protests Interview Subject: Brian Smith (Lucy's father)  I never thought that Wisconsin would have played such an important anti-war role. It is shocking to me that the University of Wisconsin was home to violent protests and bombings. The research facts were devastating and horrifying; I was surprised that someone-four someones- would think to do such a thing. After completing the research, I definitely wanted to know more about the Sterling Hall bombing on August 24, 1970. My dad provided the play by play. I learned that there was not much evidence of this early morning event, but it deeply affected the Madison community and the anti-war movement in Wisconsin.

The bombing's impact was not the one's that the bombers had been going for, in fact it was the opposite. It lessened the anti-war movement, not only in Wisconsin, but around the country. My dad was astounded at the treatment of the bombers; one has a shop on State Street and another is still at large. His initial reaction was one of horror, and that horror increased once he learned that a physics researcher had been killed. The Madison community did not approve of the bombing at all, but even the most extreme anti-war protestors did not condone. The Sterling Hall bombing did not do anything to end the Vietnam War, but it did have an effect on ending the anti-war movement.