Download PDF of this full issue: v4n12.pdf (8.3 MB)

Vets Day: VVAW-WSO On The Move

By VVAW

Veterans Day, 1974, saw VVAW/WSO chapters around the country take to the streets to bring to the people of their communities the four demands of the VVAW/WSO National Program:

• Universal, Unconditional Amnesty for All War Resisters
• Implement the Agreements; End All Aid to Thieu and Lon Nol
• Single-type Discharges for All Vets
• Decent Benefits for All Vets

From Long Beach, California, to Boston, Massachusetts, the US government which pushed the traditional Veterans Day activates, was not allowed to forget that the victims of the most recent war of US exploitation were raising demands far different from those of traditional veteran's organizations. Members of VVAW/WSO, unlike the members of the VFW or the American Legion, were there to fight for real gains for vets, but more important, to fight for the rights and interests of all people.

In some places VVAW/WSO requested permission to march in the traditional Vets Day parades with all their patriotic trimmings and reactionary politics. In Long Beach, VVAW/WSO was told that they could not march because they were unpatriotic--they had people with less-than-honorable discharges marching with them, and besides, they supported amnesty for "draft dodgers and deserters." Chapters from around the area marched at the end of the parade, behind the street sweepers and garbage collectors--to the cheers of the watching crows, some of whom joined with the VVAW/WSO members in the parade.

In Milwaukee, VVAW/WSO was granted permission to march, but it was withdrawn two days before the parade, since ?only non-political groups could march." So, VVAW/WSO, with 85 people, marched on the sidewalk passing out leaflets/ They were the only Vietnam-era vets in the parade, and the only volunteer marchers present. In Columbus, Ohio, the request to join the parade was turned down because, according to parade organizers. "You don't follow the program."

Veterans Day happened twice this year; the Federal holiday was on Oct. 28 while, in 41 states, the state holiday was on the traditional Nov. 11th. In the VVAW/WSO National Program, there was a call for regional actions on whichever day the holiday happened in that state; some regions were active on both days, some did regional actions on one day and local actions on the other. What follows here is a cross-section of some of the actions that took place around the country.

*In Buffalo, New York, On Nov. 11, 12 members of the Buffalo, Syracuse and Rochester chapters disrupted the offices of the Federal attorney in downtown Buffalo, while 60-70 members picketed outside raising the four demands. The political focus of the day was "Expose the Sham of Ford's Clemency" (which is administered by the Federal attorney). The demand for a Single-Type Discharge, as part of the overall Universal, Unconditional Amnesty campaign pointed to the need for Decent Benefits for All Vets. After two hours inside, people joined the picket line; teams of people then spread out to neighborhoods and shopping centers, leafleting and explaining the four demands.

*In Boston, 30 VVAW/WSO members arrived at the staging area for the October 28th Veterans Day Parade. Though the chapter had requested permission to march, they had gotten no response and, when they picked their own place in the parade, they were pushed out by mounted police (once again demonstration the "interest" which traditional vets organizations have in the veterans of the Vietnam era). VVAW/WSO member fell in at the end of the parade and, by the time they passed the reviewing stand, there were 90-100 people demanding Amnesty for War Resisters.

*In Minneapolis/St Paul, the Twin Cities chapter of VVAW/WSO began the day of Nov. 11th with 25 people gathered at the Ft Snelling Veterans Cemetery for a memorial service to remember the victims of the Indochina War. From there, demonstrators drove to the Federal Building; 40 people sang, chanted, and held a picket line around the four demands. Employees from the building listened to a speech about the vets movement and its relationship to the anti-imperialist struggle; spectators bough newspapers and applauded the demonstrators.

*In Washington DC, 50 people marched through Northeast Washington to the Veterans Assistance Center. Following speeches from representatives of various groups involved, including the African Liberation Support Committee, 250 discharge papers were publicly burned to emphasize the demand for a single type discharge for all vets. The ashes were collected and shipped to the VA by certified mail. The militant and spirited actions brought out a number of new people interested in getting involved in the VVAW/WSO program.

*In Seattle, Washington, a picket line at the building housing the regional VA office was organized by the Tacoma chapter of VVAW/WSO. 25 people demanded Universal, Unconditional Amnesty and Decent Benefits for All Vets; midway through the demonstrations, an effigy of Ford was brought out. One of the vets in the group announced: "This is what we think of Ford and his phony amnesty plan:--the effigy was soaked in gasoline and burned. Five vets took out discharge papers and lighted them from the burring body.

*In Philadelphia on Oct. 28th, VVAW/WSO members and supporters picketed the VA Hospital, receiving good response from patients, their families, and the VA staff. A march trough the Penn Campus ended at an expressway overpass, where banners were displayed bringing a horn-honking, fist-raising response from motorists.

*The first VVAW/WSO action in Cleveland in years took place on Oct. 26th; the regional action begun with a rally, then a march to Public Square in downtown Cleveland. At its height, there were 120 people, and the demonstration moved to Cleveland Community College where VVAW/WSO members conducted workshops around the demands.

*The Northern New Jersey chapter of VVAW/WSO brought out 85 people to a demonstration at the Regional VA on Nov. 8th. Following speeches, including one by the President of the Vets Club from nearby Essex County Community College, the demonstrators marched to Rutgers University, then back to the VA where the "War On the VA" continued.

*In San Francisco, northern California chapters of VVAW/WSO participated in actions on both Nov. 10th and 11th. A large contingent marched in the traditional Vets Day parade on the 10th with a color guard carrying, among others, the flags of the Liberation forces in Indochina. The following day saw a demonstration at the Federal Building in support of Universal, Unconditional Amnesty, with people pouring into federal offices demanding a single-type discharge.

*The Chicago chapter of VVAW/WSO held a demonstration and picket line at the VA facility, both a hospital and regional offices. Among the 65 demonstrators were patients and workers from the VA, indicating the success of the day-to-day work around the VA installation.

*In New York City, a coalition of vets clubs, veterans organization, and VVAW/WSO united around demands to 1) Build a fighting veterans movement, 2) Fight the VA, and 3) Veterans unite with workers and oppressed people. Although they marched in the traditional Vets Day parade on Nov. 11th, they held a separate rally in order to bring out the real needs of the Vietnam-era vets, and present the four VVAW/WSO demands.

*A militant Celebration and Rally on Nov 11th took place in Riverside, CA where 60 people turned out. To the four demands in the National Program was added the demand to Free Gary Lawton (who was one of the speakers at the Rally).

Other actions--such as a militant march and picket in Oneonta, New York, and a picket line at the Federal Building in St. Louis--also raised the nation demands. Veterans Day, 1974, was a day of unity and struggle for VVAW/WSO and other anti-imperialist forces.