How's The War Economy Working For You? War, you say? What War? The continuing War of Empire, say I...

Privatize the Empire

By: Michael Orange

Submitted 7/16/13 to VetSpeak

With the patriotic Fourth of July and Memorial Day commemorations of our wars now behind us, it is also a time to ponder the terrible costs of war. As an ex-Marine who served in Vietnam, I know of them first hand. I offer a solution that will halt injuries to our troops and please conservatives: Privatize the Empire.

Conservatives argue that the private sector is inherently more efficient than the public sector. Since the Reagan Administration, they have stepped up efforts to privatize aspects of the traditional “commons”—schools, airports, police and fire services, parks, the postal service, health care, public works projects, prisons, etc. War is no exception. Private contractors and mercenaries have consistently outnumbered US troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. I say outsource them all so our troops can come home to defend this country.

Obviously, the government sector is inefficient at waging war. Our war on Iraq resulted in a devastated corrupted country, hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths, millions of refugees, trillions of wasted dollars, and death and trauma to our own troops. One in five Iraqi children dies due to disease, malnutrition, and unsafe water.

A private sector cost-benefit analysis would have dismissed these wars against our enemy—al-Qaida (a private sector entity) as folly from the start. The vast majority of al-Qaida leaders have been “fired” not by the gross hammer of our military (which creates enemies faster than they can kill them) but by the surgical precision of our intelligence services. Years ago, Mafia kingpins dominated the FBI’s Most Wanted list, but we never invaded Sicily under the slogan of “We're fighting them there, so we don't have to fight them here.”

We spend more on the military than all other countries combined. If the Pentagon scaled back to what it needs for actual defense, imagine the savings! It could sell most of the 737 bases we maintain in foreign countries and have a fire sale worth trillions in surplus planes, ships, tanks, and explosives—everything the oil industry, for example, would need to take over the job of securing their private supply lines. Why waste time on diplomacy when the industry can afford to buy whatever political influence it needs—just as it does here. I’m sure the countries that have “our oil under their sand” would prefer to deal with CEOs directly and avoid the risk of regime change by a fickle public sector middleman like a US President.

Conservatives say they hate public subsidies because they create an uneven playing field. The oil industry is the richest in history yet the most subsidized. Why not eliminate their dependency on the public dole and unleash their gung ho competitive spirit in their own defense.

Conservative journalist, Eric Margolis, writes of bin Laden, al-Qaida’s CEO, “He repeatedly asserted that the only way to drive the U.S. from the Muslim world and defeat its satraps was by drawing Americans into a series of small but expensive wars that would ultimately bankrupt them. [We] ... rushed right into bin Laden’s trap.” So let’s get out! Privatize before they further radicalize. 

The hundreds of thousands of troops eligible for benefits already overwhelm our VA hospitals. The Army Times reported that, on average, 31 veterans a day try to kill themselves and 22 of them succeed—a suicide every 65 minutes. Over the past few years, more troops have died by their own hands than on our two main battlefields. Let’s privatize before more troops are traumatized.

We already privatized our elections and Congress. Why not the Empire? 

As a Marine in Vietnam, Michael Orange experienced combat in numerous search-and-destroy missions and patrols during his tour of duty (1969-70). In 2001, he published a memoir of his experiences, Fire in theHole: A Mortarman in Vietnam. He teaches a class on the history of the Vietnam War at venues including the University of Minnesota's Compleat Scholar Program.

www.VetSpeak.org

After Action Report: Veterans For Peace 2013 Vietnam Tour

VIET NAM REVISITED

Veterans For Piece Tour 2013
Click here for more Tour photos and in-country activities

By Gayle Hodges
RVN 1966-67

Everyone has their story; it is unique only to them. It is the combination of many experiences that make them who they are today and what they will be tomorrow. I traveled recently with a group of thirteen Americans to Viet Nam on a journey organized by Veterans for Peace, Chapter 160; some of the group was returning and some were visiting for the first time. There were teachers, writers, a lawyer, nurses, wives, a flight attendant, and veterans. We each made a $1,000 donation to be divided among different causes in Viet Nam to be decided by us at the flight attendant for Braniff International based out of Travis Air Force Base near Fairfield, CA. I was given the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Air Force and flew on planes carrying troops to Viet Nam by way of Hawaii, Guam, Philippines, Japan, and Okinawa. We would drop them in Saigon, Da Nang, or Cam Ranh Bay stay an hour to refuel and bring the returning troops home. On the flights over the GIs’ would be full of themselves and ready to kick butt. But the return was a quiet end of our journey. We each had our reasons for going and we each had life changing experiences that will remain with us. I was going for a very selfish reason. My husband had died on April 19, 2012, and I would be in Viet Nam on this one year anniversary of his death accomplishing something good in his name. This is my story.  

In 1966-67 I was a flight attendant for Braniff International based out of Travis AFB, near Fairfield, Ca. I was given the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Air Force and flew on planes carrying troops to Viet Nam by way of Hawaii, Guam, Philippines, Japan, and Okinawa. We would drop them in Saigon, Da Nang, or Cam Ranh Bay stay an hour to refuel and bring the returning troops home. On the flights over the GIs’ would be full of themselves and ready to kick butt. But the return was quiet.My guess; they just couldn’t believe they were really going home. Little did I realize this airplane was the start of a nightmare for these young men and women and that I was part of it?

The Viet Nam war was the loss of innocence. I thought as so many others did that I was doing a service for my country by volunteering to move to California and fly troops overseas. I was shielded by the horrors of war because I never stayed in Viet Nam, and I never brought the wounded home. I was only guaranteed 72 hours off between trips in the United States so scheduling would keep us out of the country flying. I never watched the news on TV in English, there was no CNN at the time, so I was unaware of the protests against the war. On the return flight the soldiers were so happy to see a round eye they treated us as goddesses. The flight crews were having a blast, seeing exotic places, eating strange foods, and partying like crazy. This moment in time is when I learned to drink alcohol, discovered birth control pills, but it was also the start of a new belief system that has stayed with me and has guided my life. No longer did I believe that you had to be baptized or be a Christian to go to heaven. I witnessed in these strange countries other religions just as holy as the religions in the United States so I became more tolerant of others and their belief systems and to treat others with respect and honor. Later in life I was lucky enough to find a partner that shared my beliefs and we spent the last fifteen years trying to make a difference in our community. When the trip to Viet Nam with Veterans for Peace presented me with an opportunity to make a difference for this country I could not wait to go and with the hope of a new direction in my life.

Upon arriving in Hanoi we had the pleasure of meeting our hosts, members of Veterans for Peace Chapter 160, Chuck Searcy, Don Blackburn, Manus Campbell, and later during the trip Chuck Palazzo and Mike Cull would join us. These men have chosen to return to Viet Nam and have dedicated their lives to working with victims of Agent Orange and unexploded ordnance (UXO). All of us though would consider our hero to be the incredible tour guide Truc who kept us on track, kept our luggage from being lost, and rescuing us from what could have been disasters. The code word in crossing a street was “Safety in Numbers.” When we stepped off the plane it became a whirl wind of action with every moment and meal planned and eaten. Our first stop was a quick shower at the hotel and then three meetings; one right after the other.

We presented our credentials to VAVN, Veterans Association of Viet Nam, second former Ambassador to the US, Nguyen Tam Chien and Bui Van Nghi representing Vietnam Union of Friendship Organization, our third meeting was at the American Embassy with Ambassador Shear. Chuck Searcy was our representative at these meetings and most of the other meetings on the trip. I cannot state how special I felt to be a part of this group of people. It was requested at these meetings that we be allowed to witness the cleanup of Agent Orange at Da Nang Airport which was eventually granted.

In Hanoi I was touched by the courage shown at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum where women are honored for their commitment to their country. I was humbled by the simple life of Ho Chi Minh and his dream for freedom for his country, enlightened and stressed by learning the horrors of Agent Orange. We spent an afternoon visiting Friendship Village, envisioned and founded by the late Viet Nam veteran George Mizo and now supported by former veterans and several countries. I met Mr. Long who is the size of an eight-year-old who teaches computer skills to students suffering from Agent Orange. We visited class-rooms where they were teaching children and adults’ subjects to survive and support themselves in their world with their many disabilities. You wanted to hold and comfort each one as your heart was breaking knowing that our government dropped this horrible poison causing such grief. From 1961 to 1971 80 million liters of toxic chemicals such as Agent Orange containing Dioxin was sprayed on the jungles of Vietnam causing unprecedented disaster to humans and nature. It is now in its fourth generation of causing birth defects.

I was honored to witness the veterans of both sides of this war meet each other for the first time with no malice or anger. I watched a North Vietnamese veteran take one of his medals’ off, prick his finger, place a drop of blood on Chuck Searcy’s shirt and then he pinned it on Chuck and shook his hand. They looked each other in the eye with only goodwill. This was the beginning when I felt a shift in the atmosphere and a sense the nightmares were just beginning to fade as each of us were confronting the past.

We flew out of Hanoi and took an airplane to Da Nang. Forty-five years does make a difference since I was there, a modern airport with a lobby and jet ways, but off in the distance you could still see the Quonset huts where we landed years ago.  Da Nang Airport, Bien Hoa, and Phu Cat have been identified as hot spots for Agent Orange. When an aircraft would take off with their load of Agent Orange, spray their target, and then it would return dumping any excess into the lakes and fields that were surrounding the airport. The locals would eat the fish and animals that lived in the areas changing their DNA, producing children which would be born with birth defects.  According to the LA Times May of 2013, the government has now said all military on the ground in Viet Nam may be affected by Agent Orange. USAID from the American People and Viet Nam are spending over $80,000,000 to clean up the land surrounding this airport. They are building a giant oven pyramid to cook the contaminated earth which will then be safe to use in construction projects, but will not have the nutrients to grow food.   

While in this area we visited the towns of Hue, Dong Ha, DMZ area, Quang Tri, A Luoi, Hoi An, tunnels of Vinh Moc, and the cemetery Truong Son National Cemetery. We met with many incredible organizations Hearts for Hue, Project Renew, VAVA, and DAVA. All are doing work that is so important such as micro financing of cat fish, cattle, pigs, mushrooms farms and furniture factory helping victims of Agent Orange and unexploded ordnances. After the war, Viet Nam has: 600,000 tons of bombs left behind, 6.6 million hectors of land area contaminated with bombs and explosives, 9,284 communes polluted by bombs and explosives. People killed and wounded by bombs or explosives from 1975 – 2002: 42,135 people killed and 62,143 people wounded. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I discovered I knew the couple from Palm Springs, CA who sponsored the Mine Action Visitor Center in the middle of the jungle at Quang Tri, Steve Nichols and Sally Benson. This center helps to educate the children and locals on what not to touch or play with while out in the fields. We were able to join a retired colonel from Project Renew as his team searched for ordnances with plans to return the land to the community, free of explosives in order to farm. 

As we traveled in some areas, our veterans who were with us faced their return to old battle grounds; you could feel the emotions that they were going through. We returned to a bridge that Chris Jamison had fought to guard, an airfield where Mike Kerber was based, and shared with them their amazement at the return of civilization. You felt their relief as we saw the greenery of the jungle and communities happy with their lives. Once again you had a sense of old nightmares beginning to fade.

During this period of time we had Drew Brown and his companion join us. We hit the jack pot; Drew just arrived from Afghanistan, being a war correspondent since we invaded Iraq and Afghanistan, he shared with us his experiences and his knowledge of today’s war and the question was -  is it still the same? Yes, we are leaving explosive ordnances in these countries also affecting the future of these countries and their citizens.

We land at Cam Ranh Bay on April 28^th and it is still as beautiful as I remembered. We take a short ride into Nha Trang where we are guests of Mike Hull and Don Blackburn as this is where they live and teach. Nha Trang is being groomed to be the paradise resort for Russia. Signs are printed in Vietnamese and the Russian for the future tourists. The march of the resorts buying up the beaches from the north to the south of Viet Nam barring the locals from their own natural resources is the same all over the world – follow the money and it is always King.

We have not forgotten our purpose and have once again presented our credentials to VAVA and the Vietnam Advanced Education Center. As their guests we visited a family with two sisters with dire disabilities of Agent Orange. They were born normal but by the age of 12 their bones began to crumble; being unable to support their own torso they crawl everywhere they need to go. The sad part is in their 30’s they have the same dreams of any normal young women, writing their hopes in dairies caught in bodies broken by Agent Orange. 

Our journey is coming to a close as we fly into Saigon the airport I flew into so many times with so many young soldiers. I loved Saigon it is still the Paris of the Orient – lovely. We attended the War Remnants Museum where nightmares are stored. This museum is not for the fainthearted as it houses displays of prisons, weapons and photographs from both the French and the American Wars. I am happy we started in Hanoi first and witnessed the healing of this country as we made our way south leaving the memories to the past for I am filled with shame for what we did to this country in the name of power. I am amazed that they welcome us to their country with forgiveness.

I have never met Mother Teresa but I met my Mother Teresa; Dr. Nguyen Thi Phuong Tan and her assistant Dr. Ta Thi Chung of Tu Du Hospital. The hospital will deliver 60,000 babies this year and 500 will be affected by Agent Orange which may or may not leave the hospital because of many reasons – resources, family, or money. I could feel her holiness of her gifts to her people and the children just by being in her presence. She gave up her life in California as a doctor to return to Saigon to take care of women and children affected by Agent Orange. We visited these young children and adults locked in the world of pain and problems we cannot imagine. I was speechless but I was also crying. I went to Dr. Tan and held her in my arms and thanked her for giving her life to caring for these babies. She is my saint and I will never forget her.

Heroes come in all sizes and all colors but the veterans in Viet Nam who are dedicating their lives making amends for the crimes of this country are giants and the other twelve on this trip are all my heroes. It was a rough ride but we made it home with hopes to make a difference in the lives of the people we encountered.  I salute each and every one of you, thank you for being part of my journey and part of my story. Special thanks go to Nadya Williams for organizing this trip; for without her skills I don’t think it would have happened, and thanks goes to the giving heart of Chuck Hodges for giving me the means to following our dreams.

For more on VFP activites  and projects in Vietnam:
Veterans For Peace in Vietnam
Hoa Binh Vietnam, VFP Chapter 160

www.VetSpeak.org

After Action Report: March For Bradley Manning, and opening day of Bradley's Courts Martial at Front Gate of Ft Meade, Md., June 1-3, 2013

Perspectives on Pfc. Bradley Manning from an Anti-War Veteran

By

Jim Baldridge, 

VVAW/OSS & Baltimore VFP 

  L to R:  Dave Schott - USAF (VFP), Vietnam; Dr. Larry Egbert, US Army (VFP), WWII & Korea;  Jim Baldridge,- USN, Vietnam Era (VFP & VVAW/OSS)  Photo: Bill Perry 

Many came by bus. Photo: Bill Perry

As reported at www.bradleymanning.org , nearly 2,000 activists gathered outside the Main Gate at Ft. Meade Army Post on 1 June to show support for Pfc. Bradley Manning, whose court-martial  trial began on Monday, 3 June.  Veterans from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq--and all times in between our many wars--were in attendance.  Veterans came from all points of the compass:  California, Michigan, New England, Florida, Louisiana, Washington DC, Maryland, states in between, and Canada.  Members of VVAW/OSS (Old School Sappers), VFP,  IVAW, VVAW, and even some who are members of VFW and the American Legion were there as well, as were  citizens of various political persuasions:  Socialists, Communists, Independents, Democrats, Greens, Anarchists and even a few Republicans.   The crowd included students and workers, union members and activists, labor supporters and retirees.  Many had been supporters of Daniel Ellsberg back in the day because of his release of the “Pentagon Papers,” my generation’s Bradley Manning and Wikileaks.  We still support Elsberg, and as the popular chant now goes, “WE ARE ALL BRADLEY MANNING.”

Photo: Bill Perry

My perspective on the Bradley Manning trial, as a Vietnam-era veteran, is that capitalism has once again turned TRUTH into a victim of imperialist war no matter how it lies to justify it.

 

Photo: Bill Perry

VVAW/OSS on the March For Bradley Manning
Photo: Bill Perry

The Manning court martial trial presents challenges to vets.  The massive government PR puts out allegations, disinformation and outright myths about what he is alleged to have done, and what he and his defense team are saying in response.   Too often veterans are expected to support the official government and Pentagon positions, no matter what, but it ain’t necessarily so!  Anti-war vets typically don’t fit this traditional mold, are outspoken, go against the grain and are demonstrative, as we’ve seen at Ft. Meade, Kent State, Chicago and across the country.

The main stream media (MSM) is putting out all the misinformation that the Administration and Pentagon can come up with, all to minimize support for Manning, but it isn’t working!  Aside from the myths and lies being told by the MSM about Bradley Manning and what he did or is alleged to have done, as a Vietnam-era vet I’ve seen the attacks before.  I got out in ’69, and the Pentagon Papers hit the streets 14 months later.  When I heard about the release of the Pentagon Papers I rushed to get to the newsstand because the Papers validated what I had known to be true for the second half of my four years in the service.

Dan'l Ellsberg of Pentagon papers Fame at Ft Meade for Bradley
Photo: Bill Perry

Many “myths” surround the whole Wikileaks/ Bradley Manning situation.  I’ll just discuss a few of them.  First, some say that Wikileaks and Manning are “anti-American.”  Wikileaks clearly disapproved of our invasion of Iraq, which is true of two thirds or more of Americans well before we officially “pulled out.” Does that make the U.S. majority “anti-American?

A second myth is that the information Pfc. Manning “leaked” to Wikileaks was Top Secret.  You wouldn’t know it from media coverage, but none of the information Manning has been accused of declassifying was Top Secret.  None.  Most of it wasn’t classified at all, just somewhat embarrassing when it was publicly revealed.  Even the helicopter gunship video, since called “Collateral Murder",  which has been highlighted at home and around the world. wasn’t classified.

Another “myth” that gets closer to allegations being made against Manning in the military courtroom is that his leaks have gotten people killed and have damaged U.S. “national interests.”  In the three years since the release of the Wikileaks documents, there has been no evidence that anyone other than America’s reputation has been harmed by the leaks.  But I doubt that’s what our government is talking about when it alleges damage to U.S. “national interests.”  Rather, the military would have us believe that in-the-know Americans are what put us at risk, and therefore our lack of knowledge provides us security.  It’s worth noting that while our government doesn’t want us to know what it’s doing, in many of these instances people in other countries already know because they are on the receiving end of it, like death by helicopter gunship, drone and IED’s.

Bradley Manning’s trial is expected to continue for twelve weeks, through the summer.  You can be sure that U. S. veterans will continue to protest at the Main Gate and be vigilant in the military courtroom to hear what the government and Pentagon are trying to do to Pfc. Bradley Manning.  As vets we object to what is so often done “in our name,” whether it is torture, invading countries that pose no threat to us, looking the other way when sexual assault and suicide decimate the ranks of veterans and active duty, or cover-ups, lies and distortions of truth.

49er Nicole Guiniling, fresh in from Toronto
Photo: Bill Perry

A group of 14 American expatriates from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, known as the Toronto 49er's, was represented at Ft Meade by Nicole Guiniling, wife of 49er Jules Guiniling. They sent a letter to the VVAW/OSS participants.  It says, in part:

To the delegation of VVAW/OSS:

On behalf of my fellow war resisters in Canada, I would like to extend this formal greeting to all of you who are meeting here today. We are deeply thankful to VVAW/OSS and others involved for the thought they are putting toward the struggle of U.S Iraq and Afghanistan War Resisters in Canada. We are also honored to have one among you, a Vietnam veteran against the war and old school sapper, representing us at this gathering as he did at the medal returning ceremony (in Chicago) last Spring. It was an odd twist of fate that brought him to us but one that we are very grateful for. We have benefited from his friendship, experience, and knowledge of the G.I resistance movement.

Many of you might remember what it was like to be in our shoes, or at least under similar circumstances during the Vietnam War. Unfortunately, we are living proof that not much has changed since then. The imperialist war machine is still turning out young killers with factory-like efficiency. Nowadays at the crew-served weapons ranges at Ft. Benning, they teach you to hold the butterfly trigger for three words, four syllables “die-Hajji-die”. Since the start of these wars, thousands of U.S troops have deployed overseas to kill for and die for these scumbags who run the show: the profiteers and the zealots. But, just as in all wars that are unjust and based on false pretenses, there springs forth an organic resistance to the bullshit.

Young people like Camilo Mejia, Mike Prysner, Kelly Doherty, Jeremy Hinzman, and Bradley Manning. You can’t really fit us into one category. We are not all socialists; we are not all pacifists; not all of us began our resistance from a place of ideology. Some of us had to see and do the things we did to figure out that we didn’t want to do them anymore, and some of us figured it out right away. We here in Canada left our contracts early, while those resisters who chose to stay behind became outspoken while respecting their contracts. Resistance has been unique to each individual—as it should be. 

The Toronto 49er's Resisters Group


www.VetSpeak.org

VVAW/OSS Stands with Bradley Manning and all GI Resisters...

Ed Note:  VVAW/OSS is currently encamped in Millersville, Md. for the occasion of the opening date of the of the Bradley Manning Courts Martial at Ft Meade, Md. We are here in support of Bradley Manning and all Resisters. Yesterday, Saturday June 1st, we participated in a Free Bradley Manning Rally & March staged at the front gate of Ft. Meade, Md. We were there to let Bradley Manning and the US Government know  that we haven't forgotten Bradley and to clearly state to the world, that Blowing the Whistle on War Crimes is not a War Crime. We will be at the gates again tomorrow, Monday, June 3d.

                                 

VVAW/OSS stands with Bradley Manning and all Resisters. Posted below is a letter that came from a group of Resisters in Canada known as the 49ers, it was addressed to the membership of VVAW/OSS while OSS was at their recent National Conference at Kent State on May 3d. We are working closely with these folks, developing an initiative known as Amnesty 2.0. This initiative is for the purpose of educating folks to the plight and circumstances of Resisters everywhere, and  for the purpose of creating support groups for Resisters and their families who currently have been, or are are facing deportation from Canada back into the US (as in the cases of Robin Long and Kim Rivera), and directly into the hands of the US military.

Bradley Manning is guilty of nothing more than Speaking Truth to Power about war crimes, the 49ers are guilty of nothing except acting on their conscience and refusing to continue to be a part of a war being prosecuted on false premises and perpetuation of the lie...something Vietnam Veterans understand, very well.  Here is their letter:

To the Delegation of VVAW/OSS:

On behalf of my fellow war resisters in Canada I would like to extend this formal greeting to all of you who are meeting here today. We are deeply thankful to VVAW/OSS and others involved for the thought they are putting toward the struggle of U.S Iraq and Afghanistan War Resisters in Canada. We are also honored to have one among you, Nick Velvet, a Vietnam Veteran Against the War and Old School Sapper, representing us at this gathering as he did at the medal returning ceremony last spring. It was an odd twist of fate that brought him to us, but one we are grateful for. We have benefited from his friendship, experience, and knowledge of the G.I resistance movement.

Many of you might remember what it was like to be in our shoes, or at least in similar circumstances during the Vietnam War. Unfortunately we are living proof that not much has changed since then. The imperialist war machine is still turning out young killers with factory like efficiency. Nowadays at the crew served weapons ranges at Ft. Benning, they teach you to hold the butterfly trigger for three words, four syllables “die-hajji-die”. Since the start of these wars, thousands of U.S troops have deployed overseas to kill for and die for these scumbags that run the show. The profiteers and the zealots. But, just as in all wars that are unjust and based on false pretense, there springs forth an organic resistance to the bullshit.

Young people like Camillo Mejia, Mike Prysner, Kelly Doherty, Jeremy Hinzman, and Bradley Manning. You can’t really fit us into one category. We are not all socialists, we are not all pacifists, not all of us began our resistance from a place of ideology even. Some of had to see and do the things we did to figure out that we didn’t want to do them anymore, and some of us figured out right away. We, here in Canada left our contracts early, while those resisters who chose to stay behind became outspoken while respecting their contract. Resistance has been unique to each individual. As it should be.

During the Vietnam war you had draft dodgers, anti-war veterans, AWOL veterans, and troops refusing to leave the wire. Each resisted in his or her own way and caused the system to collapse. One resister in the U.S who was planning to turn himself in, once asked me “Why don’t you guys just turn yourselves in? Wouldn’t that make more sense if you really want to resist the war and make a statement?”  I couldn’t think of a simple answer but the one I gave him was this. Each of us resisters in Canada left our posts during extreme personal distress. The time to have made a statement like that came and went the moment we set foot on Canadian soil and claimed political asylum. When we did, we took upon ourselves another yoke. The burden to convince the Canadian people that we deserve to be here and to convince the Canadian government to once again make Canada a haven from militarism as it once was during the Vietnam era. If that ever became a reality it would do tremendous harm to the mechanisms of the war effort.

The reality though, is that we up here face heavy legal and political pushback from the conservative Canadian Government. Unlike their Liberal predecessors from the Trudeau era, they are extremely against us. Going so far as to release Operational bulletin 202 which recommends every immigration officer on duty to turn back U.S soldiers trying to seek asylum here. They have continued to tamper in the immigration and refugee process to the point where the former U.N secretary general Kofi Annan has taken interest, urging prime minister Harper to stop dicking around with our cases. After a number of us including Robin Long, Chris Teske, Cliff Cornell, Rodney Watson(who is hiding in a church in Vancouver), and most recently Kim Rivera and her family have been targeted for deportation, it is without a shadow of a doubt that the Conservative party of Canada is aggressively working to get us out of here. They realize the significance of any sort of victory as much as we do.

Early this year my own case went to the Federal Court of Canada, one of the highest courts in the land , where we sought to appeal the negative(bogus) decision the refugee board granted me. In an unprecedented move, the Federal Court Justice presiding my case granted me a re-trial and effectively supported my evidence. He agreed that there have been breaches of the Geneva Conventions in Iraq and Afghanistan witnessed by me and well documented by third party sources. As well, he was in agreement that the United States military justice system concerning the Court Martial of deserters is unfair and out-dated compared to the Canadian, British, and other international standards. The Commander of the soldier being court martialed, chooses the jury and sentencing of said soldier. The Judge presiding over a court martial shares the same chain of command as the Soldier’s commander which threatens any kind of independent decision making on the part of the judge. This was a clear victory for us. A mile stone. For Kim Rivera it was a month too late.

Those of us who remain up here face many challenges. Besides fighting a legal and political battle against an opponent that has more resources than us and is quite determined, we also have our personal demons to deal with. Some of these demons are common to all veterans-even those who didn’t see the front lines of combat-Canada continues to be like a deployment for them. Here, we exist in a sort of legal limbo, where we don’t have rights as all Canadians do. And, neither can we collect the rights we had as active duty service members and veterans. For PTSD mental health care, we must pay out of pocket or fundraise. For unemployment and housing we have to take care of each other. If one guy has a job we try and hook the other guy up. That’s all we have essentially. When we came here we were physically cut off from our family and friends, a social and financial support that most returning veterans can utilize during hard times. We’ve had to figure it out on the go. Suffice to say it’s been interesting.

This is why this relationship between our two generation is important to foster. We don’t have to look ahead of us and stare into a black hole. Time is constantly repeating itself with the events of this war. We are intrinsically linked through our shared experiences. There have been things that you all have went through in the years following the Vietnam war that we have yet to run into. Some of those pitfalls we have reached already. Substance abuse problems, relationship issues, survivors guilt etc. When Barrack Obama got elected, some of the folks up here got excited and thought he would be our Jimmy Carter. He turned out to be more of a Nixon. Nevertheless, It’s important what you all are doing with this amnesty Campaign. Regardless if it’s successful, even if it is a decade from now, recognition of our struggle is good press. Recognition of our mistreatment at the hands of our commanders and peers. Recognition of the unfair trials and sentencing. Recognition of the right to say no and resist on any terms.

Sincerely,

Jules Tindungan

Chris Vassey

Dale Landry

Cory Glass

Chuck Wiley

Christian Kjar

Rodney Watson

Ryan Johnson

Dean Walcott

Phil Mcdowell

Jeremy Hengst

Brandon Hughey

www.VetSpeak.org

Call To Action: June 1st Day of Action in Support of Bradley Manning, Ft Meade, Md.

Join IVAW for the June 1st Day of Action in support of Bradley Manning

June 1 marks the beginning of Bradley Manning’s fourth year in military prison awaiting trial with many violations of due process.  Bradley’s conditions in prison have been described by Amnesty International and the United Nations as torturous.

Join IVAW and others in a show of support before Bradley's court martial.

Whistleblowing should not be a crime.

The U.S. government is attempting to make an example out of Manning, to intimidate anyone who might blow the whistle on government wrong-doing in the future.

But like many of our members who have had the courage to speak out against what our military has done in Iraq and Afghanistan, Bradley Manning was moved to take action due to a crisis of conscience.

The information he made public via WikiLeaks has been an important affirmation of IVAW's work by exposing the atrocities and misconduct of the Iraq war, and supports the eye-witness experiences of many of our members:

●     Bradley released the Collateral Murder video that depicts a U.S. Army helicopter intentionally and illegally targeting Iraqi civilians. IVAW member Ethan McCord was there that day, witnessed the killing, and helped save the lives of Iraqi children who were severely injured.

●     The Iraq War logs Bradley released provided civilian death counts that the U.S. government was withholding.

●     Bradley's leak exposed the corporate interests behind a variety of U.S. armed conflicts worldwide. 

We strongly believe that Bradley Manning’s whistleblowing contributed to the declining public support for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like Daniel Ellsberg, famed Pentagon Papers whistleblower, Manning should be honored as a person of conscience.

Join us at Fort Meade, Maryland to stand up for Bradley and all whistleblowers.

On June 1, rally and march with the Bradley Manning Support Network, IVAW, Veterans For Peace, and others in defense of Manning and all past, present, and future whistleblowers.

Join Daniel Ellsberg, LGBT activist U.S. Army Lt. Dan Choi, former U.S. diplomat Army Col. Ann Wright (ret.), and former soldier Ethan McCord at Fort Meade.

Buses will be leaving from New York City; Washington, DC; Philadelphia; New Brunswick, NJ; and Baltimore on June 1.  You can find more information about those buses and buy tickets here.  Additional information about travel and lodging can be found here. You can also organize a bus from your own local area.

At Fort Meade, the June 1 day of action will begin with a 1:00 PM gathering on Reese Road and US 175, followed by a march and rally.

The trial, U.S.  v. BRADLEY MANNING, begins on June 3 at 9:00 AM and is expected to last 6-12 weeks.  Supporters are encouraged to attend as many days of this trial as possible.

Can’t make it to Fort Meade on Saturday, June 1st?  Help sponsor travel for others. Each $20 will cover a bus ticket for someone who otherwise wouldn’t be able to come. Please note "Bus Sponsor" in the comments field when making your tax-deductible donation.

Thank you for your continued support                                                                                                                                                          

In Solidarity,

Maggie, Matt, Amadee, and Elly                                                                                                             

Iraq Veterans Against The War Staff

www.VetSpeak.org

Action Alert: One of our true champions of peace, freedom, and social justice is in need of our help...

Dear Friends…

Many of you already know her, for those who may not:  Our friend Sue Thompson is a freelance photo-journalist who has been to the Mideast on more than one occasion, documenting the true cost of the “war on terror” on the children and families of the region. She is currently involved in a project that is making a documentary on the survivors of USS Liberty incident.  She is also a close personal friend and has shared several actions with the membership of VVAW/OSS here in the US, ever since we were first all together in D.C. for the initial Occupy Freedom Plaza in Oct., 2011. We consider her one of us.

Sue is also a mother, and right now it is her and her own child’s plight that needs our focus, our caring, and our help.  Her daughter, Tia, was recently hospitalized for diabetic complications that were exacerbated by less than professional care by hospital staff on more than one admission over the last year.  She was recently released to Home Hospice Care, in order to be home and care for her own child. Sue is there with her to look after Tia, at present. 

Problem is, while Tia’s was in the hospital, her ex-husband, who shared custody with Tia for their child, came and took all of the furniture, kept the child, and is in arrears on his child  support for the sum of $20,000, leaving Tia with no rent money, and facing a certain eviction notice on the first of June. To say the least, our friend Sue is a little overwhelmed, distraught, and really short on options.  While there are long term ramifications and means of redress to this overall set of unfortunate set of circumstances, our concern is with the immediate relief from this fall-out.

Sue and Tia need our immediate moral and financial support, to include $300.00 up-front for an attorney to help recover back payments from Tia’s Ex, and also to protect Tia’s current interests, as well. However, they most immediately need “moving” money by the first of June, in order to secure another place for Tia to live. 

Not much time left. If you can see your way clear to contribute to ease Tia’s Hospice journey and help our friend Sue, who is in turn a true friend of children everywhere, see she and Tia through this nightmare; we would deeply appreciate it. We  are providing two e-mail addresses, both related to Sue and Tia’s Pay-Pal accounts, and a snail mail address that you may use to send any donations via check or money order, and with which you can send personal greetings to Tia:

   

E-mail via Pay-Pal - Go to PayPal.com  and enter either tiasmilinatya@hotmail.com or suethompson_artist@yahoo.com in appropriate dialog box. There are instructions for mobile or e-mail Money Transfer, including a How-To video link, on the PayPal page.

Snail Mail - Tia Thompson, 7326 Carillon Avenue, Cocoa, Fl  32927

Thank you,

Willie Hager                                                                                                                                 www.VetSpeak.org                                                                                                                           

VVAW/OSS                                                           

Veterans For Peace Applauds Bradley Manning!

Ed Note: This piece was originally posted on the VFP website on March 1st, 2013. I am reposting it here in order to help get the word out far and wide regarding the importance of as many supporters as possible rallying at the gates of Ft Meade, Md, this June. My organization, VVAW/OSS, has already put the trial on their action agenda, and will have folks there for the opening of the trial in July, along with VFP, and many others...hopefully, you too. We were at Quantico, and we will be at Ft Meade as well. We ARE Bradley Manning. WH

"I felt I accomplished something that would allow me to have a clear conscience.”

Submitted by Gerry Condon

VFP Board Member

www.VeteransForPeace.org

Bradley Manning has shown us once again that he is a hero. On Thursday, February 28, he made a profound and historic My statement to a military court and to the world. Reading from prepared notes for over an hour, Bradley detailed how he released classified military and government documents to Wikileaks, and he explained why he did so.

I believed if the public, particularly the American public, could see this it could spark a debate on the military and our foreign policy in general as it applied to Iraq and Afghanistan. It might cause society to reconsider the need to engage in counter terrorism while ignoring the human situation of the people we engaged with every day.... I felt I accomplished something that would allow me to have a clear conscience.”

What Manning released through Wikileaks was evidence of the regular killing of civilians by US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the regular cover-up of these war crimes. The Iraq War Logs and the Afghan War Diaries also revealed that military and civilian leaders were lying to the U.S. people when they presented rosy assessments of the progress of those wars.

Would that we all had listened to these truths when Bradley revealed them almost three years ago. Perhaps we would not still have US Special Forces engaged in murder, mayhem and torture in Afghanistan today

Contrary to the misinformation being transmitted in many mainstream news reports, Bradley Manning did not make a plea agreement, and he certainly did not agree to go to prison for twenty years. Rather, he unilaterally pled guilty to 10 of the lesser charges against him, while maintaining his innocence to 12 more serious charges, especially Aiding the Enemy, which can be punished by life in prison and even the death penalty (Army prosecutors say they will not seek the death penalty – very gracious of them).

Rather than “rolling over” or “caving in,” Bradley has courageously chosen a path which allows him to tell the world the truth and to explain the meaning of what he has done.

Bradley Manning is a champion for peace and justice, for truth and transparency. He had the courage to follow his conscience and to do the right thing, regardless of the consequences. He showed us that courage again in the courtroom this week. The US government and military have already punished Bradley severely and apparently they will try to keep him behind bars for the rest of his life. Veterans For Peace will not allow this to happen.

We demand that the US Army drop all charges against Bradley Manning and release him from prison immediately. We intend to stand with Bradley every step of the way. We will escalate our support actions leading up to his court martial, which is expected to begin on June 3 and to proceed throughout the summer. We will show up en masse at Fort Meade, Maryland for the support rally being planned for Saturday, June 1. We will protest in our hometowns too, including at military recruiting stations. Bradley Manning represents everything that Veterans For Peace stands for and we will not stop until he is free.

www.VetSpeak.org