Recognizing that GI resistance is crucial to their struggle to end the war,, Iraq Veterans Against the War embarked on Saturday on a bus tour designed to recruit active duty members for IVAW membership and educate the general public about what these war veterans experienced themselves in Iraq. The tour is scheduled through the southern Atlantic states with stops in several cities that have military installations.
Speaking during a cook out in a park in Maryland to kick off the tour, IVAW Chairman, Garett Reppenhagen said, "We need our politicians to know that the way they are voting today is going to effect their elections tomorrow and that we're keeping a scoreboard, we're keeping a tally and we're keeping a watch. They better start representing Americans, because a majority of Americans want the troops home now, a majority of Iraqis want the occupation gone from their country and a majority of soldiers don't want to fight this war. So we fail to have a representative government that truly reflects the will of the people. That's a problem and that's one of the reasons I'm speaking out."
Fellow veteran and IVAW co-founder, Kelly Dougherty said, "[In] my personal experience I was opposed to the war before it started. I was actually serving as a medic in a medical unit and in January of 2003, a couple of months before the war started I was informed that I had been involuntarily transfered to a military police unit, my job had been changed from medic to military police, I was to report the following day and they were being deployed. For me of course that was a shock and that was unexpected, but when I got to the unit and saw people that I had known before, from being in the National Guard at that point for 7 years, I really felt like there weren't a lot of options but to go. And that's how I found myself in Iraq."
Standing not too far away was a veteran of the Iraq war from Binghampton, N.Y. who had been honorably discharged as a conscientious objector after serving a tour of duty 40 miles west of Baghdad. When asked if there was anything he'd like to add about his service, he said, "I had a friend who was an IVAW member who was vehemently opposed to the war. We served together on our first tour of Iraq. He had to go back for a second tour. He was killed in Taji, Iraq, last February. So I just want people to know that there is a member of Iraq Veterans Against War, an organization that's solidly opposed to the war, who was killed in Iraq. So when people say they're supporting the war because soldiers support it, they don't represent the viewpoint of all soldiers and they don't know those viewpoints."
In the course of an afternoon at a picnic in the woods with friends, family and most importantly to all of them, other veterans, 4 new members joined IVAW. One of them mentioned that he had heard of the organization while he was on active duty and had gone along with the dissing it received from his fellow soldiers at the time. He spoke with the sure, straight no nonsense one comes to expect of people who have witnessed things most of their countrymen will be spared experiencing. There was a long, uneasy pause when he relayed that the people he talked to said, 'Don't even bother with them.' There it was. The point where judgement is made. "And from what I experienced today?" he looked around at all the faces listening, then broke into a grin. "I'm glad I didn't listen to them."
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Iraq Veterans Tour Embark on New Mission (Part 2)by taintmando1,479 views
Your lack of thinking makes you an ideal servant or better slave for this small oligarchy which rules the US. "By way of deception thou shalt (let other) do war (for you)".
But respect that others started using their brain and would no longer die for this oligarchy.
"Remember the Maine", "Lusitania", "Pearl Harbor", "Tonking Accident", "Liberty Affair", "9-11" - the biggest deceptions of the past.
What was the reason for the iraq war? "Weapons of mass destructions"? They didn't exist....
Knorpel77 2 years ago
How can u not be fuckin ashmed of your fellow troops still serving to be putting this garbage out, im a vet and proud of what Ive done and proud of the war, you need to soldier the fuck up learn what you were taught and man up, stop being a girl you have no idea about the goverment or anything, I bet when you were getting that paycheck over in iraq you werent complaining, its war you signed up you went man up and drive on u stupid IWAW fucks
regulatur 2 years ago
The bus driver looks familiar.
theropingeffect 3 years ago
Fishboy, of course I expected to go to war. But I didnt think they would lie to me and send me to war based on a nonexistent threat. Up with the Vets! Down with propaganda threats!
0Guage 4 years ago
Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.
-Thomas Jefferson
Callmebetty123 4 years ago
Bring the troops home to protect us and not kill everyone over there!
blackmetalurgist 4 years ago
who could forget the nuclear (atomic) holicrost? what the hell is a holicrost?.....
damnit! yall know the secret behind "yellow cake"
time to regroup.
you can't have war with a draft army....... I better get on the phone.
"rem: must where cool sunglasses".
OMG!!!!!!!! as a soldier your expected to go to war!
That is wrong on so many levels. Contractors.. what the hell, who the hell would work for them....... could it be soldiers???
STFU!!!!!
fishboyf51 4 years ago
WE need our military to save us from our own government. They are selling us all out in Washington.
cadigreen 4 years ago 2