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WWII Vet Denied Access to Parade

By VVAW

John Knights and Charles Andrews, World War II veterans, were asked to leave a Veterans' Day parade because their cars carried signs saying "GI Guinea Pigs," a reference to their having been part of atomic test and now suffering from cancer.

The Grand Marshall of the parade, James Miller, said: "Sure, we've had people die from things they've been tested with, but don't barge in on our parade. Today was a day for dead ad wounded veterans."

The excluded veterans came to the parade with signboards on their cars saying, "Atomic Veterans," "GI Guinea Pigs," and "Human Cancer Time Bombs."

VVAW, whose members and chapters have been consistently excluded from "official" Vets Day ceremonies, understands how veterans can somehow not be sufficiently "wounded" or sufficiently "dead" to participate in the parades run by the ex-cooks and bottle-washers of traditional veterans organizations. We hope that the two radiation vets did as VVAW has done—hold your own parade to say what needs to be said!