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Vet's Actions Across The Country: Fighting For The Living, Honoring The Dead

By VVAW

Southern Region Update

VVAW, Athens (Georgia) and the Southern Region in general have been consistently busy. Primary activity is counter recruitment and providing alternative information to high school students. The Superintendant of the Athens schools agrees with the VVAW effort and has alongside the slick advertising brochures laid out by the recruiters. Regional coordinator Elton Manzione has been satisfying many speaking engagements on the radio as well as in the local schools. Recently he led two workshops at the Race Relations Institute, Nashville, TN: addressing the general topic of "The Arms Race vs the Human Race," and "Peace Organizing in the South." VVAW Athens will join with CISPES at a demonstration outside Ft Benning, Georgia, on July 25th, focusing on the U.S training of El Salvadorian government troops who are being trained at Ft Benning.

Lobbying in New York

On the morning of April 27, 1983, veterans from VVAW, Black Veterans for Social Justice, Vietnam Veterans of America and several college vets clubs filled up a bus to travel to Albany, NY. Unlike many other bus trips this was not to demonstrate. Instead, it was to lobby the New York State Legislature. The trip was part of a statewide effort by many veteran's organizations.

Earlier in the year VVAW had decided to participate in the lobbying efforts. Chapter members attend meeting of the Brooklyn VVA and developed plans to work together. A joint fund-raising party, featuring Bev Grant and the Human Condition, was organized. The party was a success and enough money was raised to pay for the bus trip. By contacting other organizations, such as the BVSJ, the bus was filled.

On the bus Mike Gold and Job Mashariki distributed materials outlining the priority issues, discussed current legislative proposals and the schedule for the day. The group arrived in Albany at "Rocky's Folly"—the huge mall of government buildings built by Rockefeller with the finest imported marble and other materials that cost taxpayers a fortune. The first event of the day was a meeting of the veterans organizations and the members and staff of the newly created Senate and Assembly Standing Committees on Veterans Affairs. The older veterans groups were jubilant because it had taken them 11 years to have these committees created. Prior to this there had only been sub-committees which dealt with veterans issues amongst their other work. The advantage of standing committees is they have staff resources and can introduce legislation directly to the full Assembly and Senate.

Following the opening session, vets split up into small groups to visit with individual lawmakers and their staffs. The key issue VVAW, VVA and BVSJ were pushing for were passage of legislation granting a tuition waiver for Vietnam-era veterans at the State and City universities of New York, and continued funding for the State's Dioxin Study Commission. This Commission has been successful in getting information to veterans about Agent Orange.

The initial response of the people met was favorable. Some, however, pointed out that while there was support for the issues we were lobbying for, there might not be sufficient funds to pay for the programs. New York, like many states, has a major budget crisis. Rather than seeking to expand programs, there is talk of substantial cutbacks and layoffs of state employees. In order to achieve these goals and assure not only passage of legislation but funding in the budget, additional lobbying is needed. Veterans must contact their representatives and Governor to insure passage of these programs. Similar situations face veterans across the country where limited state budgets require that vets, and especially Vietnam vets, get out and fight for what we need.

—Terry Selzer
NY VVAW

'Our Sons Won't Go' NYC Armed Forces Day

Armed Forces Day is all about glorifying the military. To do the job this year, over 1000 service men and women as well as APC's and artillery pieces were brought to New York City. An Air Force jet was even towed up 5th Avenue with Ed Koch, the mayor of New York, inside waving his arms and jerking around like Bozo the clown. On the reviewing stand a large number of military brass stood around patting each other on the backs and saluting the various units.

But this year they got more to "review" than they were planning on. To protest the increasing foreign intervention and threat of war that the Reagan Administration is bringing to America, about 25 members of the new York/ New Jersey Vietnam Vets Against the War marched against the direction of the parade. We carried the chapter banner and displayed signs saying " No More Vietnams—U.S. Out of El Salvador," "Stop the Arms Race," " Test, Treat & Compensate Agent Orange Victims," and "ROTC Out of the High Schools." When we reached the reviewing stand, we began chanting " Hell No, Our Son's Won't Go!" Then we spread out along the side of the parade route where we distributed thousands of leaflets and yelled anti-war slogans to the passing GI's, many of whom responded favorably.

After the march ended, we went to a nearby tavern to moisten our parched throats ad discuss the action. One vet seemed to sum up everyone's feelings when he said, " It was good because it was a reminder to the government that we remember what Vietnam was all about and we won't sit idly by and watch Reagan drag us into another damn war all over again."

Later that night the local TV news covered our demonstration; we even got better coverage than "Ace" pilot Koch.

—Dave Cline
NJ VVAW

Chicago Mothers Day

Chicago VVAW joined with an estimated 10,000 other concerned people in the "Mother's Day Walk for Peace" sponsored by Women for Peace. The event was a two-fold opportunity for the chapter since Women for Peace requested that VVAW provide security for the stage in Grant Park assembly area and, in addition, VVAW had an information table filled with copies of THE VETERAN and information about VVAW activities.

Seventeen members of the Chicago chapter stationed themselves in front of the stage where speakers such as Dr Benjamin Spock spoke of the need for both superpowers to get off the nuclear bandwagon.

VVAW made another significant contribution to the event as our "No More Vietnams" banner was positioned to underscore the walkers reason for being on the street. Most TV coverage of the Walk for Peace included the banner, while a number of speakers at the Festival recalled Vietnam when expressing opposition to U.S. intervention in El Salvador. Clearly, the day provided VVAW in Chicago with stronger ties with the Chicago peace movement.

Memorial Day in Chicago

Memorial Day 1983 will not soon be forgotten by Chicago VVAW. Vets, families and friends gathered on Sunday for a picnic in the western suburbs. Comprised of VVAW, both from Milwaukee and Chicago, and the Afro- American Veterans Association, the picnic filled a large shelter with people, coolers, ect, which later went flying as the edge of a tornado blew through, bringing heavy rains, hail, and a quick drop in temperature. When the dust settled, about 15 "hardcore" picnickers were left huddled in one group, the children wrapped in blankets, the adults wearing garbage-bag ponchos and gathered close in to the grills.

Memorial Day in Milwaukee

Monday, May 30th, 1983 marked the 5th year in a row that Milwaukee VVAW has been invited for the Woods V.A.M.C.

Ceremony for Memorial Day. About 20 Milwaukee VVAW members showed up on a cold gray and rainy Monday. We had an excellent wreath donated by a 'Nam vet and his future wife. We walked silently behind the wreath, passing between the over 22,000 graves.

The Memorial Day Ceremony is like most traditional ceremonies around the U.S., but this year we also learned some history. Back in 1867, the women of Milwaukee raised $150,000 to build the first national veterans home in the U.S. Woods, Wisconsin housed 2, 200 vets and, in addition, offered a place for burial. We even saw some of the old graves, and some of the buildings still stand.

The ceremony has its usual political speech, but this year Congressman Jim Moody (D-Milwaukee) spoke about nuclear weapons and war and the need for a freeze and cutting defense spending. This was a change from the past. We ended with all the organizations presenting the wreath; VVAW was represented by our youngest member (Keith Stoney, 25) and our oldest vet (Harold Davis, 61).

At the reception we were able to get literature and buttons out to people. Our best support came from the POW people who encouraged us to keep fighting for decent benefits for all vets!