Download PDF of this full issue: v34n2.pdf (12.1 MB)

Leave No Vet Behind

By Ray Parrish

This is addressed to the GIs who, just before falling asleep, ask themselves:

"Should I get up in the morning and strap on weapons once again? Go out to watch my comrades and nameless targets die? Or should I refuse and scream 'I've done enough! I've seen enough!' If I speak up, am I endangering my friends or helping? Do this war's objectives justify what is done every day? Do the ends justify the means? Even if I can live with the memories of what I saw, can I live with what I did? Am I the only one who feels this way? If I tell what happened, am I betraying my friends and condemning myself? Will anyone believe me? Am I a coward for not wanting to do this anymore? Isn't it someone else's turn? Maybe the only way out is to stand up during a firefight. Can I tell anyone what I'm thinking? Who will understand? What did I get myself into?"

I think that it's a bad idea to give advice in an article, because I won't be the one who has to live with the consequences of the decisions that are made based upon this blind advice. My conscience, however, forces me to break that rule. I'll start by saying that you've got to follow your own conscience, because you've got to be able to look at yourself in the mirror every morning for the rest of your life. You've also got to forgive yourself for whatever you had to do in order to survive. And you've got to go to sleep every night knowing that you'll get up in the morning and work to make the world a little better. So you have to balance the duty to protect your friends, yourself and your honor and your duty to come home in one piece and show your comrades how it can be done.

What can I say to GIs who want to serve honorably but who are afraid that they are fighting an immoral war? What would you say? Many GIs find themselves in a situation where they think that their only choices are Death or Dishonor. However, reality's not that simple. No matter what you choose, there are no guarantees that things will turn out the way that you expected. You can, however, improve the odds of being right, and have a backup plan in mind. Find out how other vets handled problems by talking to them and reading their stories on the 'Net or in The Veteran. There's a narrow path through the minefield of military regulations to that honorable discharge that you've already earned, so watch your step or they'll take it away from you. Remember that the path is different for everybody because rules change and not all commanders are alike. So even the best-prepared GI should be ready for surprises.

What if the job itself involves activities that you find not merely distasteful but morally objectionable, such as combat or combat support? Some GIs just refuse to fight. Others do the job until refusal no longer endangers their friends. Everyone will forgive you for doing what you had to do in order to survive. For some GIs, one idea is to make yourself indispensable in the eyes of your supervisors, so they will try to protect you if your efforts to help other GIs or your anti-war activities cause problems. Take any opportunity to volunteer for work that doesn't challenge your conscience. You can show that you know the difference between immoral and dirty or even dangerous work.

Let's review some military discharges.

To begin with, a "conscientious objector" honorable discharge or a "CO" noncombatant reassignment can be had if you prove to the military that you have sincere religious, moral or ethical objections to participating in any war. If it's only this war that you object to, the CO law doesn't help. So if your attitude towards war has been changed by your military experiences, try to put your thoughts in writing, read the regulations and call for help. Most recent CO applicants are denied and they are forced into going UA/AWOL, disobeying orders or other misconduct and end up with a less than honorable discharge. If you're not a CO and you refuse to be pushed into a bad discharge, you are the one who most needs this information, so read on.

There's a fine line separating poor performance from malingering, but a big difference in the "character" and benefits of the two military discharges. You can get an honorable discharge for poor performance if your command thinks that you've repeatedly failed to do your military job, despite your best efforts, maybe due to a medical problem. If they think that your failures are on purpose, they can file UCMJ charges against you and give you a less than honorable discharge, which takes away your benefits. So practice looking innocent rather than rebellious.

Honorable discharges are given to GIs who are no longer able to perform military duties due to physical or mental health problems. If the problem is severe and disabling, you should be given a medical retirement, unless the condition may improve, then you can be put on the Temporary Disability Retired List (TDRL). You can also get an Honorable for Other Designated Physical or Mental Conditions (ODPMC) discharge, which are different in each service and include: personality and adjustment disorders, sleepwalking, bedwetting, claustrophobia, dyslexia, overweight, too tall, stuttering, and severe airsickness, seasickness, allergies or nightmares.

An honorable discharge for hardship and dependency may be granted if you document the fact that separation is the only remedy to deal with an immediate family member's financial, emotional or physical need that is severe and not temporary, which has arisen or been aggravated since enlistment in military service, and you've tried everything else. Usually, command will work with GIs to resolve such problems before a separation is given. So a humanitarian reassignment or a transfer to the reserves might be tried. A complete separation is appropriate if those have already been tried, the problem is permanent and separation is the only way to alleviate or eliminate it.

The issues surrounding UCMJ charges, court-martial and homosexuality are too complex for this article. Call the GI Rights Hotline (800-FYI-95GI) or me for more specific information.

Military and civilian leaders regularly encourage all military personnel to take pride in everyone's accomplishments and to feel that they have contributed to any and all military victories. Instead of being comforted by this, the reluctant warrior faces a guilt-driven "crisis of conscience." Although he may only be loading bombs on an aircraft, he feels partly to blame for the deaths caused by those bombs. Maybe he's just a cook, but when comrades come back with blood on their hands, he feels responsible. For those who have to actually pull the triggers, this crisis can be an emergency that can only be handled by front-line chaplains and doctors.

Stress causes many GIs to suffer from extreme depression, anxiety or other medical problems that require treatment. Since GIs are expected to endure, we often don't seek help when we need it. Our families end up suffering for this. So we have to look out for each other and get "at-risk" buddies to the doctor or chaplain. We also have to do our objecting when we can do it safely. And we have to remember that complaining is always the GI's right, as long as we're careful to follow the UCMJ.