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Demonstrate on Armed Forces Day-May 17th!By VVAW WE WON'T FIGHT ANY IMPERIALIST WARS! On May 17, 1975, VVAW/WSO, in conjunction with anti-imperialist GI, student and workers groups, will demonstrate at major military installations on Armed Forces Day. The current economic crisis in the US is driving more and more poor and working people into the military as the only alternative to rising unemployment. The military and government are sorely mistaken, however, if they believe that GIs will fight another war of aggression like Vietnam, in order to pull the imperialists' profits out of the fire. They are making a fatal error if they expect the US working class to once again stand in line to be cannon fodder, particularly with the experiences of Vietnam and all of Indochina in everyone's minds. The lessons of the Vietnam war take on significant meaning when Ford and Kissinger talk about armed intervention in the Middle East. The "use once and throw away" treatment of Vietnam-era vets, the increasing racism and oppression in the military, coupled with poor living and working conditions, have heightened the growing GI resistance to military oppression. Exposing the dual nature of this oppression, the military first uses the troops in line and then turns around and attempts to use these same GIs to protect the interests of their bosses--the profitmakers; it tries to use them to fight imperialist wars; to crush national liberation struggles people are waging around the world; and the struggles of working people in the US in their fight for jobs or income for all. American imperialism is a cancel burning at both ends, sealing its own doom. Either revolution will stop imperialist war of imperialist war will bring about revolution. GIs have been fighting for their rights throughout the years since the inception of the first American militia units up to the present period. The past few years, marked by particularly sharp struggle, have brought major GI struggles and victories around the world. Increasingly, GIs are organizing a fighting movement to combat the day-to-day oppression they are faced with, at the same time, linking those struggles with those of the people the world over who are fighting imperialism. The concept of demonstrations on Armed Forces Day is not new in the history of the GI movement. Armed Forces Day, initiated under the Truman administration in the '50's to glorify the role of the US military as world aggressor, has met with stiff resistance on the part of GIs since 1970 when a growing GI movement against the war in Indochina helped grind the war machine in Vietnam to a halt. The need for mass actions around Armed Forces Day is not to see how many people can be mobilized for the sake of GI movement tradition, but to express our united anger against the military and its role in the world, to realize the unity and power that rests with the GI movement and to link that struggle with the struggles of the masses of poor and working people in this country today. Unity is a powerful club in the hands of the oppressed, for truly, the people united will never be defeated. The three major demands that VVAW/WSO is raising in these demonstrations are: WE WON'T FIGHT ANY IMPERIALITST WARS! VICTORY TO THE INDOCHINESE PEOPLE! SUPERPOWERS, HAND OFF THE MID-EAST! VVAW/WSO is inviting GIs, vets, and all who can unite with us to join this day of demonstrations. We encourage people to contact the VVAW/WSO chapters nearest them for further information on local activities. Local demonstrations will be raising additional demands. Chapters of VVAW/WSO unable to attend the major demonstrations are uniting with others in throwing recruiters off campus and out of unemployment offices, exposing the role of ROTC on college campuses and high schools, and initiating work at military installations and local National Guard and Reserve units. GIs in isolated areas and abroad ships are also being encouraged to unite and take what acts of resistance are possible. Large demonstrations are planned at the following locations. For additional information on other locations, contact the VVAW/WSO National Office. Highway 13-VVAW/WSO San Diego VVAW/WSO Tacoma VVAW/WSO Liberated Barracks- VVAW/WSO
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