Terry Whitmore Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Terry Whitmore
Terry Whitmore receiving Purple Heart from President Johnson December 23, 1967.
Born	Terry Marvell Whitmore (1947-03-06)March 6, 1947 Memphis, TN
Died	2007-07-11
Occupation	U.S. Marine, deserter, war resister, writer, actor, bus driver

Terry Marvell Whitmore (March 6, 1947 – July 11, 2007) was an American soldier, writer, and actor. He was a Black Marine who left the United States military during the Vietnam War.

Terry wrote a book about his experiences called Memphis-Nam-Sweden: The Autobiography of a Black American Exile. This book is one of the few stories about the Vietnam War written by a Black author. He also appeared in two movies about soldiers who didn't agree with the war. His book was first published in 1971 and again in 1997. It is seen as a very important book about the Vietnam War and about the lives of African Americans. While living in another country, he also acted in four Swedish movies.

Early Life in Memphis
His Time in the Military
- A Big Decision
Life After the War
His Writings and Films
Awards He Received
See also

Early Life in Memphis

Terry Whitmore was born on March 6, 1947, and grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. In his book, he shared that his early childhood was tough. He didn't think much about being Black because everyone around him was Black.

But as he got older and went outside his neighborhood, things changed. He started to feel the racism, saying, "They do hate us. Just plain hate us." After finishing high school, he joined the Marines in 1966. He hoped to find a better life. He felt he would have been called to serve anyway, so he joined on his own. This let him stay home for one more Christmas.

His Time in the Military

After joining the Marines, Terry Whitmore was sent to fight in Vietnam. He had been told he would have a safe job on a ship. But he later said the Marines didn't keep their promise. By late 1967, he was a lance corporal. He was working with his unit near the DMZ, which was a special zone in Vietnam.

His book describes seeing U.S. soldiers doing bad things. He wrote about them harming women and children and burning homes in Quảng Trị Province. Even though he was part of some of these actions, he believed that some North Vietnamese fighters purposely spared his life. They shot the White soldiers he was with instead. In a later fight, he was badly hurt by gunfire and metal pieces near Con Thien. He was taken to a U.S. military hospital. He described being wrapped in bandages "like an Egyptian mummy." He needed more advanced care, so he was sent to Japan.

A Big Decision

While in the hospital, Terry had a lot of time to think about the war. In a movie called Sir! No Sir!, he talked about seeing news of Martin Luther King Jr.'s death. He also saw reports of protests in many U.S. cities. He saw tanks and dogs in the streets of Memphis. He saw armed men in uniforms like his own, in his hometown where his baby daughter lived. He realized that U.S. soldiers were harming people in Vietnam and also harming Black people at home.

As he got better, he started dating a Japanese woman named Taki. She had a picture of Martin Luther King in her home. She also had a cartoon of U.S. President Johnson with a strong message. The more time he spent with Taki and the more questions she asked, the harder it was for him to explain his actions. In his book, Terry said Taki helped him see things differently. He also wrote, "Nobody can ever tell me that the war in Vietnam is not immoral. It was disgusting."

He was told he wouldn't have to go back to Vietnam after he recovered. But once he was well, he was ordered to return. By this time, he felt he couldn't go back to harming the Vietnamese people. With help from Taki and a Japanese anti-war group called Beheiren, he traveled across the Soviet Union to Sweden. There, he asked for protection. He became one of over 100 Black U.S. soldiers who went to Sweden during the war. Nearly 1,000 American soldiers who didn't want to fight went to Sweden in those years.

Life After the War

Terry Whitmore was married before he joined the military. His first child, a daughter, was born while he was overseas. In Sweden, he married a Swedish woman, and they had two sons. While there, he also joined a basketball team. It was started by American soldiers who had left the Vietnam War. The team was called the Stockholm Stars.

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed an order that allowed people who had avoided the war to return home. Terry Whitmore came back to the U.S. to meet his daughter for the first time. She was being raised by his mother. In Sweden, he worked for a while writing movie scripts. Then he got a steady job as a bus driver and a buyer for a big company. Terry Whitmore moved back to Memphis for good in 2001 and passed away in 2007.

His Writings and Films

Terry Whitmore was one of the few Black Vietnam War veterans to write a book about his experiences. His book, Memphis-Nam-Sweden: The Autobiography of a Black American Exile, was published in 1971 and again in 1997.

He was also the main subject of a Swedish movie in 1970 called Terry Whitmore, for Example. He appeared in the 2005 movie Sir! No Sir!, which was about soldiers who spoke out against the Vietnam War. Terry also acted in four Swedish fiction films: Deserter USA (1969), The Gladiators (1969), Georgia, Georgia (1972), and The Trap (1975).

Awards He Received

In 1967, Terry Whitmore was given the Purple Heart medal by President Lyndon B. Johnson. He also received the Bronze Star Medal.

Terry Whitmore facts for kids

Contents