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Winter Soldier Investigation: Iraq & Afghanistan - Proudly Served

By Tom Baxter

For more than six years our team has been standing in Florida's Old Capitol, Sundays and Thursdays with our signs: JUSTICE, NOT VENGEANCE, HONK FOR PEACE, NO TORTURE, NO MORE WAR CRIMES. I'm a life member of Veterans For Peace, Vietnam Veterans Against the War and Vietnam Veterans of America. I was at the original Winter Soldier Investigation in 1971. When I heard the Iraq Veterans Against the War were going to have a Winter Soldier Investigation they had my best wishes and some of my cash.

Tom Baxter at Winter Soldier

When Vietnam Veterans Against the War called on members to serve as security detail I arranged to take time off, signed up that night and the next day drove 15 hours to Sliver Spring. Thursday, Friday and Saturday I pulled 12 hour shifts, Sunday, one six hour shift.

In orientation, it was reemphasized, we wouldn't get to see much of the event, our job was to keep it safe and secure for Iraq Veterans Against the War's Winter Soldier Investigation. I did not mind too much, I knew that if listened, I'd get all pissed off and/or weepy. Sure enough, I listened to some and got pissed off and weepy. I really like to find some place to hide when that happens. But I was on duty, so I wiped my face with my hand, put my mask on, and bottled it up for a while.

Standing at my post next to Barry Romo at the latrine, I tensed when a Media badge came up. Another of our duties was to assure no Media entered the South Hall to disturb "presenters." He did not want to pass, he wanted reflections from those who were at both Winter Soldiers.

Barry gave a good talk about our physical and social destruction of Iraq, mass killing, tens of thousands thrown into jail without trial, rampant torture, an epidemic of sectarian terror attacks, pauperization, infrastructure destruction and the complete breakdown of basic services and supplies. You know, a short history of "Operation Iraq Liberation."

Here is the personal reflection I gave.

"My name is Tom Baxter. In my hometown, I am a respected professional. I am a law librarian. I have respect among my librarian peers and from the attorneys and judges, I know and work for. ... I was at the first Winter Soldier Investigation. I didn't testify. Like most veterans of both wars, we neither witnessed nor committed individual war crimes. But all of us participated in the crime of a criminal war started and based on lies, fought with criminal means. I was proud and willing to give up my professional status and do whatever tasks assigned. I spent 15 hours driving here and I'll spend 15 hours home, time well spent. I am proud of the hours I spent on latrine guard. I am proud I spent hours keeping a door with a over active closer from slamming. I'd be proud do it all again.

The reason, I'm proud is that I see my and my comrades faces from 40 years ago in those kids faces. Perhaps, what I do here will save a few kid's lives. Perhaps not. But I have to do something. I will not be a 'good German.' I will not stand by silently as my government murders people because they got in the way. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, 'silence is betrayal.'

I look in their faces and wonder how many will die by their own hand and be buried by their children, parents, and spouses. I look and wonder how many of their fellow soldiers' memorial services they will speak at. I hope to hell they don't die as criminals as Dwight Livingston or David Funches did. I weep for them as I did for my friends.

I also weep for those down range of the most powerful military force in history of the world. Many of them children, who, due to the criminal acts of my government, lack access to water, food, medical care, parents and education. I weep for the kids that are selling their bodies for food because we killed or arrested their parents and destroyed their country."

A reporter asked, "What do you have to say when prowar veterans say that this hurts their feelings?" "Well, I feel real bad that the truth offends them. I feel even worse that they are so brainwashed that they believe we have done good, in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iraq, Laos, Somalia or Vietnam. I feel worse for those we killed for the crime of 'being in the way.'"