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No Flags, No Bugles! Just Comrades and Friends

By Joe Miller

Veterans Day Events, Chicago, 1998

As we entered the Harold Washington Library in Chicago that Tuesday afternoon, Brooke, Jeff, and I were somewhat awestruck by the immensity of the place and its obvious commitment to keeping the memory of Harold Washington alive. What a great way to commemorate the life and struggles of a fine mayor, and what a perfect place to hold an event that celebrates the history and continued existence of Vietnam Veterans Against the War!

Harold Washington was a great friend to progressive activists. He spoke at VVAW events regularly, and while he was mayor he made sure that VVAW was represented in anything that had to do with veterans' issues in Chicago.

The three of us drove up from Urbana-Champaign on November 10 to attend a pre-Veterans Day event at the library. This was part of the library's "Society in Focus Series," and it was to include a viewing of Denis Mueller's 1997 film "Citizen Soldier," as well as a discussion with Richard Stacewicz of his book "Winter Soldiers: An Oral History of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War" (Twayne, 1997).

As the film began, there were perhaps eight to ten people in the room, but as the film came to a close, there were around twenty people there. There was some lively discussion with Richard, Denis, and Barry Romo of VVAW's National Office about the historical and continuing role of VVAW in struggles for social justice. Richard was able to talk about how his book changed from being "about" VVAW from the outside to being a book "by" VVAW through the words of its members. In this way, he said, the information is passed to current generations of activists in a more direct, less academic, fashion. Denis' film was also the perfect backdrop for a discussion of Richard's book, as it shows the transformation of Vietnam veterans into social justice activists, even including newer generations of veterans in work such as the homeless veterans' standdowns each year.

The next morning, November 11, continued to be quite windy and rather cold, and we knew the corner of Wabash and Wacker Drive was going to be like a wind tunnel for the participants in our ceremony. A minor saving grace was that the sun was shining, so it may not have seemed so cold as in previous years.

Barry and I arrived first so we could set up the podium, the mike, and the banner. Finally, people began to drift into the area just east of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fountain (covered over, of course, for the oncoming Winter season). Many of the faces are those we only see at Veterans Day or Memorial Day, but they are sure to be there. Jim Gates, an African American vet of the atomic tests in the western desert, was there, though he is slowly dying and always homeless or near-to. Old friends from Veterans for Peace were also there. Other social justice activists from the Chicago area also showed up. Eventually, we had a cozy little group of around fifty or so comrades and friends. A few media folk usually show up late, and this occasion was no different.
Ray Parrish of VVAW's Chicago Chapter was the emcee for the event. He started us off with a sort of "prayer," which called for everyone to "Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes!" This got everyone chuckling and probably helped increase blood circulation so we didn't feel quite so cold.

Bill Davis, former national coordinator of VVAW, was first on the speakers' list. He reminded everyone of the continued plight of homeless veterans, pointing out that upwards of 15,000 are on Chicago's streets each day and night. Many of these folks are Gulf War vets, who came home to parades, but still ended up on the streets. Bill pointed out that many went from the unemployment lines into the military, then back to the unemployment lines after their service. He also reminded us of how new generations of veterans are constantly produced through the hypocrisy and immorality of U.S. foreign policy.

Alynne Romo, of the Colombia Support Network, follwed up on this theme, speaking about the so-called "drug wars" in Central America (see text of her speech in this issue). She could not finish her speech with "In conclusion," since there doesn't seem to be any "conclusion" yet.
An exciting element of recent VVAW organizing has been its involvement with young social justice activists such as Brooke Anderson, who happens to be the youngest member of the Champaign-Urbana chapter of VVAW. Brooke, who is only nineteen years old, was an activist back in high school, and she has continued that activism against the racist mascot of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her speech at this Veterans' Day event, however, was about how VVAW continues to have relevance for today's youth (see text in this issue). When Brooke finished her speech, I think many of us "older" activists felt a deep sense of optimism about the future. This is one of the reasons VVAW is still around.

Jeanne Douglas, from the Oak Park Vets Center, is one of the main organizers of the homeless veterans' standdowns in the Chicago area each year. She spoke as a mother concerned about how her daughter and her friends see the world around them (see text in this issue). She talked of the scarring that war produces, both on individuals and on the larger society. She called on everyone to work so that wars don't happen so easily.

Finally, Ray wrapped it up by bringing to everyone's attention the connections between sexual trauma and PTSD, an issue he has recently been working on as a military counselor. Sexual abuse in the military, as in civilian life, produces social costs just as clearly as the more visible wounds suffered through military service.

The ceremony ended, as usual, with each of us laying a flower on the covered fountain in memory of those lost in military adventures and in the struggles for peace and social justice around the world.

Joe Miller is a national coordinator of VVAW and a member of the Champaign-Urbana Chapter.