RIP Donald Sutherland
by Peter Zschiesche
On June 20th Donald Sutherland, a Canadian born actor, died at the fine old age of 88 – a successful long life for someone who was more serious about his acting than his celebrity, most recently as a villain in the “Hunger Game” movies. For me, and maybe others from the anti-Vietnam war movement, Donald Sutherland was special as a leading actor in MASH, considered an “irreverent anti-war classic” movie from 1970. As a Vietnam vet MASH was special.
Furthermore, some San Diegans may remember Sutherland’s visit here in the early 1970’s with Jane Fonda and other anti-war activists. The pictures here show them at the Starlight Bowl in Balboa Park speaking at an anti-war rally. Sutherland, Fonda and others had formed the Free Theater Associates (FTA) as an anti-war alternative to Bob Hope’s USO tours with US Armed Forces around the world. Many old-school army veterans, especially draftees during the Vietnam War will recognize “FTA” as a popular epithet (F*** the Army) at the time.
Sutherland personally captured the spirit of our anti-war movement – it was not an act. The FTA attempted to do what much of the anti-war did not. It criticized the Vietnam war but offered support and understanding for the soldiers, mostly draftees, who were sent to fight it.
At the time of his visit in 1972 the local anti-war movement was well-established on local college campuses and in community organizations like the Peace Resource Center on Market Street and the Center for Servicemen’s Rights in what is now the Gaslamp District. San Diego was a Navy town then but anti-war voices were strong and present, including Sutherland’s.
RIP, Donald. You were one of us.
Peter Zschiesche is a long-time San Diego activist, a board member of United Taxi Workers San Diego, and was the founder of San Diego’s Employee Rights Center. He also served on the San Diego Community College Board of Trustees from 2002-2016 and was a member and president of the Machinists Union.