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Vets Report From NYC On 2/15/03

By David Cline

Several months ago, Vietnam vets, Igor Bobrowsky, Stewart Nusbaumer and Jan Barry, began a new website, Veterans Against Iraq War (www.vaiw.org) to foster a coalition that could give expression to widespread sentiments in the veterans community against Bush's rush to war.

A statement of purpose expressing opposition to a pre-emptive attack on Iraq was posted with a request for veterans and family members to sign. To date, this petition has received 1464 signers, many of whom are not affiliated with existing veterans peace organizations. The brief comments posted on the 'Sound Off' board give a real sense of the broad range of feelings motivating opposition to Bush's war.

The website also has a poll asking whether we should (a) have a separate vets demonstration or (b) march within a non-vet, regular demonstration. This vote has consistently been over 2 to 1 for a "stand alone" vets action.

I was asked to join the VAIW steering committee and participated in several meetings in New York City to discuss the next steps. We expanded the steering committee to include Diane Carlson Evans (Vietnam Women's Memorial Project), John Greeley (Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation), Woody Powell (Veterans For Peace), Barry Romo (Vietnam Veterans Against the War), Charles Sheehan-Miles (Vets for Common Sense) and Jaime Vazquez (Jersey City Office of Vets Affairs).

We also began discussing the prospects of holding a veterans demonstration and lobbying effort in Washington, which we have named Operation Dire Distress, taken from the US Flag Code which states "The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property" (Sec. 8 a), an eerily accurate description of the condition our nation faces today.

In order to forward this organizing effort, Igor and I recently went to Washington, D.C. for a meeting at the VV AF offices that included Bobby Muller, Wayne Smith, John Terzano, John Greeley, Erik Gustafson, Charles Sheehan-Miles, Bob Vandiver, Joe Volk and Jason Kafoury to discuss plans for Operation Dire Distress and other veterans efforts.

The meeting was positive and helped create what I hope will be a long term alliance between various progressive sections of the veterans movement committed to turning this country away from the perilous imperial course that the Bush administration has set.

We are now establishing liaisons with Congressional allies and beginning to put in place the logistics for this operation, which we are tentatively targeting for the weekend of March 22-24. The plan would be to hold a Saturday evening program, a demonstration on Sunday and then mass lobbying in Congress on Monday.

With the threat of a US military attack on Iraq eminent, the message would have to be tailored to the immediate situation, but the scenario we discussed for the march is to have a solemn procession from the Vietnam Memorial to the Korean Memorial to the World War II Memorial site and then over to the VA headquarters and the White House. At the White House we would present the VAIW petition and items of meaning to individuals in a flag draped coffin. We would also carry a large chickenhawk to express our view of those so intent on war today.

During the early 70's, VVAW actions like the Winter Soldier Investigation, Operations RAW, Peace On Earth, Dewey Canyon III, Armed Farces Days etc. played a significant part in generating broader public opposition to the Vietnam War. We can't replicate the past but we can use some of those same methods and lessons learned to arouse the American public again today.

We are also putting together a budget to get the funds to conduct this operation and beginning to put out the word to see if this date and plan is workable. I am asking each of you to sign the statement at www.vaiw.org and to let us know your thoughts.

Today we need a national coalition of veterans, family members, guard, reserve and active-duty military personal for peace so that the men and women who have first-hand knowledge of the military and war can effectively voice their opinions. I hope that we can join together for a successful effort because together we can make a difference.