EPISODE · Jun 2, 2026 · 10 MIN
Gregory Payton talks his book, Peace Warrior | Midday Break Room w/ Tiffany Bacon - 6.2.26
from WURD Radio · host WURD Radio
Gregory Payton is an African-American Vietnam veteran who overcame systemic racism in the military, severe PTSD, homelessness, and addiction to become a dedicated peace activist. He is the author of the book, Peace Warrior. In this book, Greg recounts his experiences as a young Black man drafted to serve in the Vietnam War, discussing the ways in which his experiences quickly took bad turns. Like many young African-Americans from urban projects in the 1960s, Greg Payton was drafted into the Vietnam War, and was soon court-martialled for assault and other episodes of anger and resistance and jailed in the U.S. military stockade in Vietnam. The majority of prisoners in the overcrowded jail were of African, Latino, Native American and Asian descent, incarcerated for questioning authority, assault, going AWOL, even smoking pot. This last charge was especially not tolerated in the stockade, as the strict-on-drugs African-American deputy warden had a secret: his brother was one of America’s biggest heroin dealers, working with the Italian-American Mafia. Greg joins the show to talk about his book, Peace Warrior, and to talk about his experiences in the military.
What this episode covers
Gregory Payton is an African-American Vietnam veteran who overcame systemic racism in the military, severe PTSD, homelessness, and addiction to become a dedicated peace activist. He is the author of the book, Peace Warrior. In this book, Greg recounts his experiences as a young Black man drafted to serve in the Vietnam War, discussing the ways in which his experiences quickly took bad turns. Like many young African-Americans from urban projects in the 1960s, Greg Payton was drafted into the Vietnam War, and was soon court-martialled for assault and other episodes of anger and resistance and jailed in the U.S. military stockade in Vietnam. The majority of prisoners in the overcrowded jail were of African, Latino, Native American and Asian descent, incarcerated for questioning authority, assault, going AWOL, even smoking pot. This last charge was especially not tolerated in the stockade, as the strict-on-drugs African-American deputy warden had a secret: his brother was one of America’s biggest heroin dealers, working with the Italian-American Mafia. Greg joins the show to talk about his book, Peace Warrior, and to talk about his experiences in the military.
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Gregory Payton talks his book, Peace Warrior | Midday Break Room w/ Tiffany Bacon - 6.2.26
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