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VVAW Calls For Vets' Actions

By VVAW

To Hell With Their National Honor-We Won't Be Used Again

Veterans Day, November 11th, a day of parades, speeches by politicians, a day to honor vets? Not by a long shot! Certainly a day of struggle.

Veterans Day was celebrated originally as Armistice Day, a day when people all over the world breathed a sigh of relief that World War I had ended and with it the death and suffering that imperialist war brings. Years later it was redesignated Veterans Day in this country.

Aside from token ceremonies for those killed in American wars, Veterans Day has become a platform for the American ruling class to parade their troops, military hardware, and to run down their ragged line on "national honor." This year is no exception.

1976--the Bicentennial year. All year long we've been hit with a barrage of red, white and blue garbage about how all of us have to unite with the rich, the same people who sent us off to Vietnam or some other place to defend their wealth, the same people who break our backs in their factories and shops. They make the profits and we take the lumps. Yes, national unity to save the country--the country working people built and the rich people live off.

Today this theme of national unity is heard more and more as the danger of war between the US and Soviet Union grows. Veterans Day will be a prime example of this. The American Legion, VFW, and other veteran's organizations controlled by the ruling class will be parading up and down the streets of many cities to glorify wars, preach patriotism and national honor and to push for a bigger defense budget.

VVAW will be there too but we'll be saying "To Hell With Their National Honor--We Won't Be Used Again" and "We Won't Fight Another Rich Man's War."

As veterans of the US military from Korea to Vietnam we know only too well what they mean by "national honor." National honor means the US rich want us to fight to defend their interests around the world, with the US and Soviet Union at each others throats in Africa, the Middle East and Europe, they'll want us to be the "fresh meat" in their war as the rulers of both countries push for more control all over the globe.

Vets know very well what we can expect from going in the military and being used in these wars. A leaflet issued by Detroit VVAW on Veterans Day 1975 put it correctly by saying, "If the people who run this country think they can be use us up in their wars, treat us like trash as GIs and vets, and then recycle us in another war for their profits, in the Middle East or elsewhere, they are living in a dream world. Veterans Day to us is a day when we show the rats that rule this country that we refuse to accept the rotten conditions and treatment forced on veterans, and that we won't be murdered for their profits again."

The rotten conditions and treatment the leaflet spoke about last year haven't gotten any better either. VA services have grown worse, unemployment for vets is higher, and the GI Bill is being cut to ribbons by more attacks than ever before. As the economy sags more and more, the rich, up against a crisis they can't be solve, try to shift their losses off on us by attacking the very programs we need to live. We're not sitting by idly and letting them run this crap down on us though!

Vets are taking up the fight for "Jobs or Income," and against the conditions at the Vas across the country. A national campaign, let by VVAW is being built to "Extend and Expand the GI Bill," knowing that we must stand up and fight or be crushed by the rich.

Last year on Veterans Day, marchers, demonstrations, picket lines and other activities were held by VVAW in New York, Detroit, Milwaukee, Southern California and Chicago.

This year, the number of activities will increase in other cities, keeping pace with the growing vets movement, as vets across the country join together Veterans Day in saying, "To Hell With Their National Honor--We Won't Be Used Again."

EXTEND AND EXPAND THE GI BILL
WE WON'T FIGHT ANOTHER RICH MAN'S WAR
JOBS OR INCOME NOW!