“Give me a shovel instead of a gun and I’ll say so long for now. And if I die I’ll die making something instead of tearing something down.”

The life & words of a farm kid from Ohio, Ted Studebaker, ring with such resonance more than 40 years after he was executed in North Vietnam. A pacifist, conscientious objector, and agricultural worker, Ted refused to join the military but served courageously in war torn regions, believing that working with the Vietnamese was the only way that peace & stability would be secured.

“Brave Man from Ohio” is one of only two songs that we have included in this project by other songwriters. Written by one of our mentors, Andy Murray, we grew up singing this song within communities steeped in legacies of peacemaking, service, and working for social justice as expressions of their Christianity. The song continues to challenge & invite us to not simply critique violence in the world but to be active participants in sowing the seeds of peace.

Check out the links to learn more about Ted Studebaker:
http://civilianpublicservice.org/storycontinues/…/studebaker
http://www.peaceherostories.org/studebaker

-Chris Good & Seth Hendricks