Cal Robertson Papers

Collection

Identifier: 2015-0052

Staff Only

Activist Movements Related to Cal Roberston Papers

Researchers with an interest in the materials related to anti-war protesting will find the majority of documents and correspondences related to nuclear disarmament. Predominately, those nuclear disarmament correspondences are connected to the “Plowshares” and “Plowshares/Kairos” groups. The collection contains personal correspondences with the following individuals involved directly in the nuclear disarmament protests related to or by the “Plowshares” group: Daniel Berrigan, Philip Berrigan, George Boertje Kathy Boylan, Susan Crane, Carol Gilbert, Carl Kabat, Paul Kabat, Todd Kaplan, Anne Montgomery, Michele Naar-Obed, George Ostensen, Frank Panopaulos, Ardeth Platte, George Veasey, Helen Woodson.

The following list of the “Plowshares” and the “Plowshares/Kairos” protests are of particular interest to the collection, but are by no means an exhaustive list:

The Plowshares Eight -1980: Daniel Berrigan, Philip Berrigan, Carl Kabat, Anne Montgomery

Trident ‘Nein’ -1982: Anne Montgomery, George Veasey

Plowshares Number Seven -1983: Carl Kabat

Pershing Plowshares -1984: Todd Kaplan, Anne Montgomery

Trident II Plowshares -1984: Frank Panopaulos

Silo Pruning Hooks -1984: Carl Kabat, Paul Kabat, Helen Woodson

Harmonic Disarmament for Life -1987: George Ostensen, Helen Woodson

Nuclear Navy Plowshares -1988: Philip Berrigan, George Boertje

Resistance in Captivity -1988: Helen Woodson

Thames River Plowshares -1989: Anne Montgomery

AEGIS Plowshares -1991: Philip Berrigan, Kathy Boylan

Good Friday Missile Silo Witness -1992: Carl Kabat

Pax-Christi –Spirit of Life Plowshares -1993: Philip Berrigan

Good Friday –April Fools Plowshares -1994: Carl Kabat

Jubilee Plowshares East -1995: Michele Naar-Obed

Jubilee Plowshares West -1996: Susan Crane

The collection contains extensive correspondences between Cal Robertson and the Dominican Sisters Carol Gilbert and Ardeth Platte. Gilbert, Platte, and a third Dominican sister Jackie Hudson are known specifically for their ‘pouring of blood’ protests in Peterson Airforce Base (2000) and breaking into a Minute Man III missile silo in Colorado (2002). They were affiliated with the “Plowshares” group, but the notoriety of their arrests in 2000 and 2002 warrants specific mention in relation to this collection.

In addition to the “Plowshares” and “Plowshares/Kairos” movements for nuclear disarmament the collection also includes flyers, newsletters and correspondences related to the following groups/topics:

Filed in Newsletters and Pamphlets, Organized By Folder Date Range:

Veterans Fast for Life -1978-1992

School of America Action -1978-1992

Vietnam Friendship Village Project -1978-1992

Anti-Trident Network -1978-1992

CASA: Central American Solidarity Association -1993 (1)

United Farm Workers for American AIL-CIO -1993 (1)

Southeastern Connecticut Coalition for Peace and Justice -1993 (2)

School of Americas -1993 (2)

Catholic Worker -1993 (2)

Southern California War Tax Resistance -1993 (2)

Plowshares Disarmament -1993 (2)

School of Americas -1994-1997

Kairos/Plowshares -1994-1997

Connecticut Quaker Witness -1994-1997

Nukewatch -1994-1997

The Justice and Peace Commission -1994-1997

Southeastern Connecticut Coalition for Peace and Justice -1994-1997

Vietnam Veterans against the War -1994-1997

Hartford Catholic Worker -1998-2004

Education for Peace in Iraq Center -1998-2004

Quaker House -1998-2004

The Nuclear Resister -1998-2004

Veterans Vietnam Restoration Project -1998-2004

Sacred Earth and Space -1998-2004

Dates

undated, 1965-2014

Creator

Cal Robertson (Calvin Joseph Robertson) (Creator, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open and available for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish from these Papers must be obtained in writing from the owner(s) of the copyright.

Biographical / Historical

Cal Robertson was born in Norwich, Connecticut in December 6, 1945. He grew up with his mother in Poquetannuck and Mystic, Connecticut until moving to Groton Long Point with his mother whom he eventually lived with for the majority of his life. Cal attended the University of Connecticut briefly in 1963 before enlisting in the Navy for medical service duty as a corpsman in January of 1964. Cal remained on active duty for two years and did two tours of Vietnam, being stationed in Denang. Cal returned from service and was enlisted until 1970. The affects of the war were difficult for Cal and he began traveling as a migrant laborer and was heavily medicating. After his recovery, Cal dedicated his energy to actively demonstrating or "bearing witness" against war and the weapons manufacturing industries throughout the country. He has been arrested countless times for civil disobediance and activism at the Groton sub base and other facilities throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Cal's peace inspiration came from another Vietnam war vet, George Mizo who suffered from agent orange exposure. Cal remained a close ally to others imprisoned for political beliefs as is demonstrated in the prison correspondance in his collection. Cal has remained an active member of the interfaith peace community in Connecticut and regularly held vigils on what is known as Cal's Corner on West Main Street in Mystic. He was struck by a car in New London in 1990, leading many members of this community to hold the vigil for him until he recovered. Cal continues to advocate and organize for peace in his community in New London.

Extent

3 Linear Feet (Collection contains personal correspondance, scrap books, t-shirts, political fliers and newsletters relating to anti-war and peace activism. )

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Collection of materials created and collected by Vietnam War veteran and peace activist, Cal Robertson.

Existence and Location of Copies

Portions of the collection have been digitized and are available in the Archives & Special Collections digital repository.

Subjects

Central America (general region) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
Peace Subject Source: Fast
Peace movements Subject Source: Fast
Persian Gulf War (1991) Subject Source: Fast
Political activists Subject Source: Fast
Political prisoners Subject Source: Fast
Veterans Subject Source: Fast
Vietnam War (1961-1975) Subject Source: Fast