Iraq Veterans Embark on New Mission (Part 4)

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."

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Iraq
• Veterans
• Against
• the
• War
• IVAW
• peace
• movement
• Vet's
• Rights
• Impeachment
• civil
• disobedience

[Royak]

Females and Pouges= IVAW 

[cyberdelight]

what, did these kids memorize what they read on some blog?

How does Katrina link to Iraq. You joined the Army to fight for your country not bitch about morals.

[Imskyhigh87]

i think the 2nd guy is dam smart like rainman not retarted like schanksta i would have said frustrated but he seems pretty smart

[nebula88]

the 2nd guy was kinda weird.

[ArizonaMtKingsnake]

Schanksta Shalom is a retarded

-------

No he is NOT he is a very smart guy he is true warrior putting aside his tour in Iraq .He left the military with an honorable discharge,etc and now he has put himself out there to say the truth he will lose his benefits,etc. I would take a bullet for a guy like that .We both served though I dont know him personally but unlike him I dont have the balls to put my benefits at risk. The VA will not help him the GVMT probably wants him dead

[ArizonaMtKingsnake]

The military the GVMT will PUNISH you will destroy you if you dare speak out against the Rep party . A soldier who dares speak out not about Pres Bush but in general about the Rep party be it pro choice ,etc is taking a big risk

[adambang12]

do not let them use you for oil bro , keep it up

[FreeGlobalEnergy]

If there is a real war with a real enemy then fight and fight hard but when you are a mere pawn in a chess game only fighting to make people rich is just outright idiotic. Did you know a teenage hacker nearly triggered a war between two Countries? One kid. You don't think the CIA hasn't done this on purpose since the 50's? Do you know how easy it is to get 2 of your enemies to fight each other or even break up marriages, it's very easy. Do like to be the pawn in someone else's game?

[Schanksta]

Shalom is a retarded

[Schanksta]

You Paumonsu, and FreeGlobal....need to watch Lions for Lambs...you are the ones Robert Redford ment by "maneuvering around the flame"