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Action Set for Vets' Day: Pray for the Dead, Fight for the LivingBy VVAWVeterans Day, 1982, will be securely wrapped in the reddest, the whitest and the bluest of bunting. For Vietnam vets, there's the great danger that we will find ourselves inside the pretty packaging and, once the day is past, thrown away again! For Vietnam Veterans Against the War, the call of the day will be clear: HONOR THE DEAD; FIGHT LIKE HELL FOR THE LIVING! Veterans Day has, for years been one traditional time for the politicians to beat the war drums hoping that, by invoking the dead of past wars they can stir enthusiasm for whatever military venture is next on their list. Since the Vietnam war, many of these ceremonies have been lower key; the Vietnam war and the U.S. government's loss in that war were not designed to inspire the youth of this country so sign up for another war. But 1982 has something different: the "National Salute to Vietnam Veterans." Originally started by members of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (the VVMF is the group which was formed to finance the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington), the National Salute has taken off like fireworks with what seems to be the full support of the Reagan Administration. With unit reunions, parades, hospitality suites in the better hotels of Washington, concerts (billed as the "entertainers' salute to Vietnam Vets") even including one by the Army Band, Vietnam vets will finally have the "coming home parade" that we never had! Well, vets, not quite! The vets who will be "honored during the "National Salute" are going to be those vets who have "made it." Unemployed vets, vets in prison, vets with less-than-honorable, vets suffering from post-traumatic stress—these will be conveniently omitted from the ceremonies as a part of the Reagan administration's attempt to make sure that Vietnam vets who don't meet the requirements are conveniently gotten rid of. In short, if you're a Vietnam vet who has not "made it." You can also forget it! Along with every traditional veterans group in the country, VVAW will be there in Washington; if you want more information about what VVAW is planning, call the Washington, DC Regional Coordinator. But we see that someone must be there to represent the hundreds of thousands of Vietnam veterans who haven't "made it—and that's one of the roles that VVAW will perform: to make sure that the Vietnam vet the government would prefer to ignore is still represented. Around the country VVAW Chapters will be putting on Veterans Day activities. In Milwaukee plans call for a massive sign-up of veterans for the Agent Orange Class Action Suit. In San Antonio, there are plans for a special VVAW float for the parade. In Lansing, Michigan, since Vietnam vets were refused admission into the Veterans Day activities, VVAW will be doing activities of their own. Anywhere that VVAW is at work. Veterans Day activities will not be able to sweep the Vietnam vet under a convenient rug. VVAW, across the states, will be repeating the same slogans: SAVE OUR VETS CENTERS
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