Yard Bird’s was an early version of a “big box” store with a wide range of merchandise in downtown Olympia. It straddled both sides of north Capitol Way near the port. In the 1970s it was a popular shopping center, so a good place to engage the public.

Our action at Yard Bird’s was inspired by a project of the American Friends Service Committee. The aim was to educate people about the nature of the Vietnam War. We publicly solicited donations to help rebuild a sweater factory destroyed by US bombings in northern Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam). 

Members of our group would show up regularly with informational handouts and a large sign. We stood outside the main entrance to Yard Bird’s and talked with folks who were going in and coming out. We distributed an information sheet and encouraged people to donate money to pay for rebuilding the factory. The primary purpose, however, was to engage people in conversation about the nature of the Vietnam War and its impact on civilian populations, combatants, and the land itself, which was being poisoned by the widespread US use of herbicides such as Agent Orange.  

People were often incredulous when they realized that we were raising funds to rebuild a US-destroyed sweater factory in a country with which we were at war. In other words, we were seen by many as “helping the enemy,” which contributed to the difficulty of talking with people. But it also made those conversations very important and thought-provoking. During one challenging interaction, our sign was broken into pieces, but we persisted.