The Japan Peace for Vietnam Committee (Beheiren), American deserters, and the US response, 1967-1970

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K03588
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: International relations
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: HIRATA Masaki 名古屋市立大学, 大学院人間文化研究科, 准教授 (20287577)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: べ平連 / ジャテック / 脱走米兵

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This historical research examines the international influence of Japan’s Beheiren/JATEC activities supporting the American military desertion from 1967 to 1970 based upon obtained US declassified military documents . The most crucial findings during the 3 year funding period are related to the 1967 Intrepid Four incident as the first case that got the Beheiren members involved. Three out of the four former deserters were interviewed; Craig Anderson in Mexico in 2017, Michael Lindner in Sweden and John Barilla in Canada in 2019. Based upon their statements on the background behind their decision to jump ship and their lives after leaving Japan, a fresh picture of the incident was painted from the deserter’s perspectives which prior research lacked.

Free Research Field

アメリカ政治外交史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

米ソ冷戦終結後の日米軍事同盟の深化に伴いベトナム戦争時代以上に日本社会の軍事化傾向が強まっている。2011年の福島第一原発事故を契機として脱原発運動、安保法制反対運動、沖縄米軍基地反対運動など新たな時代の市民による平和運動の潮流が日本社会でみられ、ベ平連運動の遺産が再検討される機運にある。本研究は従来の先行研究にない本格的な国際関係史視座のべ平連研究の成果創出を目指すと同時に、国家に対する市民的不服従の是非、兵士の人権問題、力による平和主義の有効性、といった時代を超えた本質的な課題について現代を生きる日本人に問いかける社会的意義を有するものと考えている。