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Actions Hit Armed Forces Day

By VVAW

For the past 10 years, the celebration of Armed Forces Day has been buried. The massive struggle against the Vietnam War put it to rest. But the threat of a new war is waking the dead since the rich know they must have public sentiment on their side. This year Armed Forces Day parades took place in a number of cities around the country, part of an all-out campaign in the name of "patriotism." And in several cities VVAW chapters were there to put out the truth about the rich and their wars.

The following article comes from VVAW in Chicago where Armed Forces Day returned after a 10-year absence.

A week before Armed Forces Day, the sponsoring VFW began to build for it with commando demonstrations in front of city hall, and many newspaper and radio announcements. When the rich set out to do something they try to cook up a pretty fine looking dish. The military trots out its finest--generals in tailor-made uniforms; fat VFW and American Legion post commanders in their funny little hats. Add a few congressmen and the mayor. Then fill the parade with people just like you and me: active-duty GIs from all over the Midwest; reserves and national guardsmen, young ROTC troops and high school marching bands. Looks pretty good on the outside, but cut into it and they'll never win any prizes.

That's what VVAW demonstrated on Saturday morning. Inside their pretty picture are the memories that vets have who fought their wars, the high unemployment figures and the worst GI Bill in history. Cut a little deeper and even those in the parade didn't want to be there--GIs said they'd rather be with us--that's where their hearts were--but they had no choice. Our banner "Fight the Rich, Not Their Wars" made it difficult for them to get over with their half-baked Armed Forces Day.

FIGHT THE RICH -
NOT THEIR WARS