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Carrying the Torch

By Matt Howard

"My name is Iris Feliciano. I served in the Marine Corps and in January of 2002 I deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. I want to tell the folks behind us in these enclosed walls, where they build more policies based on lies and fear that we no longer stand for...their failed policies and these unjust wars. Bring our troops home and end the war now."

As the former Staff Sergeant spoke I watched her hold up her medals and announce to the sea of thousands of protestors "they can have these back!" Iris began a procession of almost fifty Post-9/11 veterans who symbolically launched their medals into the sky aimed at the summit where NATO's decision makers met. These veterans came from all walks of life and various experiences in the wars.

As Alejandro Villatoro an Army veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan announced to the crowd:

"Nowhere else will you hear from so many that have fought these wars-about their journey from fighting a war to demanding peace. Some of us killed innocents. Some of us helped in continuing these wars from home. Some of us watched our friends die. Some of us are not here because we took our own lives."

I had the honor of marching side-by-side with my fellow global war on terror vets that day leading an estimated ten thousand strong contingent of protestors. Even though our experiences were different we were all united in our commitment to end the war in Afghanistan. We knew the importance of putting faces on these wars and not just veterans faces but the faces of civilians forever impacted by occupation. We stood with Afghans for Peace (AFP), who was represented by three women who spoke powerfully about the impact of the war on their homeland. One member, Suraia Sahar announced to NATO, "for what you have done to my home country, I'm enraged. For what you have done to my people, I'm disgusted. For what you have done to these veterans, I am heartbroken."

Thousands of people from all over the world converged on Chicago to denounce NATO that weekend. In the wake of Occupy Wall Street and the resurgence in collective action it inspired, it was clear that Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel had bitten off more than he could chew in attempting to hold the G8 and NATO in one city. We all felt a slight victory (and a bit of disappointment) when the G8 meeting was moved to Camp David. But we also knew that this would be NATOs largest summit in its 63 year history. An organization that had lost its mandate decades ago with the fall of the Iron Curtain, was now providing legitimacy for American occupation in Afghanistan. Now they were in our backyard planning more destruction of human life.

Chicago members and allies of Iraq Veterans Against the War went into overdrive and planned an action worthy of the event. The Coalition Against NATO-G8 (CAN-G8) invited us to lead the march to the site of the NATO Summit at McCormick Place and to hold a ceremony of our choosing. The weekend leading up to the Sunday action was a blur: two press conferences, a debate between Chicago Chapter President Iris Feliciano and representatives of NATO, a Counter Summit, and lots of preparation. During the whole weekend one thing remained consistent: our brother and sisters in VVAW and VFP were there to provide us support. More than once I was stopped and told by my fellow vets of a different generation "thanks for what your doing, this is important." Each time I felt a chill go down my spine and a sense of the history that we were extending from Operation Dewey Canyon III. Three-tour OEF vet Jacob George summed it up best by saying "I had this feeling that we had a safe space around us literally [with VVAW and VFP providing security] and figuratively by our elders. They were creating the space for us to step forward and carry the torch. That doesn't happen too often in our country."

Casting our medals out onto the pavement in front of the summit was cathartic for many of us. However, those individual acts didn't compare to marching and speaking out alongside the three powerful Afghan women that represented AFPs global organization. The overwhelming consensus of the day amongst my fellow veterans and I was how profound it felt to be joining forces with AFP. Unifying the two most impacted communities of this war was a much needed step in the direction of peace and the creation of a community of resistance to war.

The following day the coverage of the action was mostly the familiar story of protestors and police clashing. Except for coverage by Democracy Now!, very little was mentioned about our ceremony. To those of us that stood up on that stage and for those that bore witness in the crowd, news coverage held little importance. For a moment veterans, Afghans and civilians of this country were bonded by a true sense of the costs of these wars:

The pain that is wrought on civilians in countries in far off lands. The trauma that we as veterans bring back home into our communities. And the deafening silence we hear from a nation that has been at war for almost 11 tired years.

The war didn't end after that ceremony. NATO didn't decide to pull out forces the next day. What did happen was thousands brought back to their families and friends a story of resistance. A story of Afghans and veterans uniting to end the war. It was a wake-up call. A reminder that civilians of occupation bear unbelievable hardships and that the servicemen and women that head overseas in deployment after grinding deployment have faces, stories and regrets.

Matt Howard served in the Marine Corps as a helicopter mechanic from 2001-2006 and deployed in service of Operation Iraqi Freedom twice. Originally from Portland, OR he now resides in New York City helping fellow members of Iraq Veterans Against the War tell their stories.