The FBI's Secret War

A hidden government operation that tried to silence a generation of veterans

The FBI’s Secret War investigates the covert government effort that focused on Vietnam Veterans Against the War during the tense months preceding the 1972 Republican National Convention. Through rare interviews, insider testimony, and newly accessible declassified documents, the documentary reconstructs how the FBI developed an alleged violent conspiracy against eight veterans known as the Gainesville 8. As the case progressed, the government’s narrative began to unravel when the very informants used to justify the charges admitted to inciting the actions that had been presented as evidence.
This documentary film brings forward the voices of veterans who were targeted and infiltrated and whose story was nearly erased from public memory. It situates their experience within the broader climate of surveillance and political manipulation surrounding Watergate and reveals a hidden motive that contributed to the scandal. The FBI’s Secret War presents a detailed account of how the collapse of the Gainesville 8 trial became an emblem of the risks faced by those who challenged official power. By revisiting this neglected chapter of United States history, the film underscores the continued relevance of dissent, accountability, and the fragile line between security and civil liberties.