Oral History Interview: Timothy Kendall
Timothy Kendall Tim Meyers/Illinois Public Media
Timothy Kendall with Rosemary Anderson, whom he refers to as "the love of his life." She became Rosemary A. Kendall about 14 months later. The baby is not theirs; he was their unofficial god-son. Timothy and Rosemary were 24 years old at the time, in spring, 1973.
Timothy Kendall was raised in Richmond, Virginia and is the oldest of 13 children. He grew up with very little money, but he managed to attend the University of Notre Dame in Indiana through scholarships and loans.
He registered for the draft before college, when he turned 18. While at Notre Dame, he took courses on the philosophy of nonviolence and learned more about the Vietnam War and the draft. By the time he was a junior, Kendall decided the draft and war were unethical. He didn't take out a student deferment for his senior year of college and then refused induction when the order came.
Committed to pacifism, he turned himself in to authorities and spent two years in prison. Although difficult, he continued to practice pacifism in the violent atmosphere of prison. Kendall discusses his journey to pacifism and how it continues to affect his life today. For him, pacifism is the most practical solution.
Central Illinois Vietnam Stories - Timothy Kendall
Links
- Media Gallery: The Lengths to Which Some Will Go: The Self-Immolation of Thích Quảng Đức in 1963
- Lesson Plan: The Lengths to Which Some Will Go: The Self-Immolation of Thích Quảng Đức in 1963
- Media Gallery: A Different Kind of Lottery: Understanding the Draft During the Vietnam War
- Lesson Plan: A Different Kind of Lottery: Understanding the Draft During the Vietnam War
- Media Gallery: We Won’t Go: Refusing to Fight During the Vietnam War
- Lesson Plan: We Won’t Go: Refusing to Fight During the Vietnam War