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A Look Back at a Photo from the 1967 March on the Pentagon Against the War in Vietnam

Take a look back at a photo from the 1967 March on the Pentagon Against the War in Vietnam. It shows protesters and National Guard members in the District of Columbia. Learn more about this photo and its significance.
First of fair sex to obtain motorcycle license in Capital. Washington, D.C., Sept. 15. Although she weights only 88 pounds--one-third of the machine she rides, Mrs. Sally Halterman is the first woman to be granted a license to operate a motorcycle in the District of Columbia. She is 27 years old and 4 feet, 11 inches tall. Immediately after receiving her permit, Mrs. Halterman was initiated into the D.C. Motorcycle Club - the only girl ever to be accorded this honor
map around the National Mall
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This is a terrific photo that deserved its own post. It really adds a human element to the protest. These are basically just kids in their 20s either protesting the foreign policy of their government, or being forced to serve in the military and fight in Vietnam. The photo was taken during the 1967 protest and march on the Pentagon.

March on Washington against the war in Vietnam (21-22 October, 1967)
March on Washington against the war in Vietnam (21-22 October, 1967)

Source: Penn State Special Collections

UPDATE: We received an email from GoDCer Donald with some great research and answers into who these guys were. Below is the note.

Hi. I tried to post a comment but for some reason I can’t. Based on the shoulder sleeve insignia (shoulder patches) worn by the soldiers in today’s picture, they are members of the District of Columbia National Guard. Since virtually no Guard units were sent to Vietnam, it’s a safe bet that they weren’t being forced to fight in Vietnam.

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The truck is from C Company, 171st Military Police Battalion, 260th Military Police Group of the DC National Guard, at least according to the bumper numbers on the back of the truck (the “9” is to designate it within the company, like C-1, C-2, etc). So it’s most likely that the soldiers in the back of the truck are also from C/171st MPs.

The ribbon on the soldier on the right is also a DC National Guard award, the DC Active Duty Ribbon. Since National Guard ribbons aren’t allowed to be worn while on active duty, it’s another indicator that they are DC Guard.

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