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Milwaukee: Midwest Vets Meet To Plan Struggle Ahead

By VVAW

The first of three VVAW regional conferences took place in Milwaukee on the 25th of September. The day began with a dynamite march and picket line at the office of a military recruiter--who did no business while vets were there exposing his lies--and ended with a party to raise funds for publication of The Veteran, during which $140 was collected. In between there was a conference attended by vets from 9 midwestern states where we discussed the situation facing vets today, what we're going to do about it, and what kind of activities we can carry out around the elections and Veterans Day.

In the morning, 50 people, many of them dressed in fatigues and wearing medals won for serving the ruling class in Vietnam, marched through a business section of Milwaukee and held a picket line outside a military recruiting station. Recruiting stations bring up bad memories for many vets as we were often sucked into the service both with the promises about all the great benefits which would be given to us once we got out and with a lot of hot air about "defending democracy and freedom." Both advertisements, we learned through bitter experience, were a pack of lies. And this was the message the VVAW was taking out to the people during the picket line. There were speeches about why "We Won't Fight Another Rich Man's War," and about how vets are being mistreated. Both the march and the demonstration were done in cadence and marching in step--old military chants and songs were turned to the purposes of fighting against that same class which once sent us off to fight their wars for profit.

The Conference opened with statements of support from Youth in Action, a nation-wide group of youth fighting for a decent life around the many issues confronting youth today. And from the Unemployed Workers Organizing Committee (UWOC), a national organization of the unemployed who use the slogan "Jobs or Income NOW!" In an opening speech from VVAW, the situation in which we vets find ourselves was laid out--the growing danger of war, the economic crisis, the attacks on all working people and particularly on vets. The speech also talked about how vets are joining to fight these attacks. "It's with a clear sense of where the attacks on vets are coming from, that's how we're building the struggle of vets. We want--and we will fight for--checks to come on time, because that's one of the things vets need. We'll fight for--and win--our demand to Extend and Expand the GI Bill, because vets need that too," the speaker said, "We must build the vets struggle. . .which can also expose the war preparations of the rich. . . Because the attacks on the GI Bill come from the a class--the ruling class--and are part of their general attacks on all working people, VVAW is calling on vets--all vets--to take up the fight and join with us."

A later speech concentrated on the campaign to Extend and Expand the GI Bill; it laid out plans for Veterans Day activities and for building the campaign. "Our strength, the speaker said, "lies in our unity and the depth of our struggle. We know when Congress will rule in our favor--only when we force them to by sheer force of number and then it will continue to be a tooth and nail struggle to keep what we've won."

The day's final speaker came from UWOC to talk about their plans for the elections when, on the afternoon of the election day, November 2, they will be sponsoring demonstrations around the country. Knowing that neither Ford nor Carter, nor the system that both of them serve, works in the interests of working people, UWOC will be building a battle throughout the election campaign. "We Won't Be Stepped On By The Elephant; We Won't Be Kicked By The Donkey; Advance Through Our Own Struggle--these are the key points of the campaign. Meanwhile UWOC will continue to build around the demand of "Jobs Or Income Now." The overall slogan for the election period is Politicians Fight For $ Interests; We Must Fight For Our Own.

VVAW chapters at the meeting enthusiastically took up the UWOC campaign; decisions about how best to participate in it will be made locally. All agreed that we should use the elections to bring up the question of universal, unconditional amnesty, already raised by the candidates, and talk about the lessons we learned from the war.

The Conference was a real success; many new vets attended, new chapters were represented, and the VVAW national campaign is well underway in many places. The vets struggle will continue to be build in the meetings help in New York City and in Los Angeles.