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Veterans on the Move

By VVAW

VET'S DAY -- IRAN -- AGENT ORANGE -- DRAFT

VETERANS DAY IN MILWAUKEE--
On November 11th, Vets Day, Milwaukee VVAW was allowed to march, for the first time, in the city sponsored Veterans Day Parade. Since 1973 VVAW has been forced to remain out of the parade and march on the sidewalk, usually flanked by numbers of police. But the contributions to veterans' work, and VVAW's participation during Vietnam Veterans Week forced the parade committee grudgingly to accept VVAW as a recognized participant this year.

The parade consisted of the usual patriotic crap including tanks and Marine Corps Reserve troops; VVAW brought up the rear of the parade under the banner "Test and Treat Agent Orange."

Throughout the parade route the VVAW contingent drew warm applause from the crowd. Since the parade officially endorsed by the Department of Defense, the viewing stand was packed by military brass who were treated to the following marching cadence from VVAW:

"We don't support the draft at all,
Rich Man, Rich Man;
We don't support the draft at all,
We'd rather see big business fall
Rich Man, your days are through...."

The reviewing stand freaked out and even Major General Frisbee (yes, "Frisbee") saluted VVAW in the confusion. Then as the parade ended and the typical speeches were anticipated, VVAW poised to shout down any nonsense about going off to fight another rich man's war. General Frisbee walked to the microphone thanked everyone for coming and sat down. Milwaukee VVAW felt that their presence contributed to this sudden lack of things to say!

CHICAGO VETERANS DAY--
On November 9th and 10th Chicago VVAW sponsored a large display portraying the history of veterans, with particular emphasis on Vietnam vets. During the two days the display was set up in the Daly Civic Center, several thousand people walked through the display, took literature and spoke to VVAW members about the display and the poor treatment of veterans of all eras. Many vets stopped by to express their outrage that the media didn't seem to give a damn about the problems of vets from the last war, while camera crews fell all over each other to cover some right wing preacher screaming about nuking and invading Iran, and a group of Nazi scum sponsored a march for race hatred outside the building.

On November 11th, in conjunction with Vets for Peace, VVAW sponsored our own Veterans Day activities--we've been barred from official ceremonies put on by American Legion honchos for 10 years now.

Following directly after the "official" program, VVAW's program was late in getting underway due to screams and curses directed at us by the State Legion Commander and his Legion Auxiliary harpy as they climbed into their limousine nearby. Wishing them a horrible fate, VVAW proceeded with program speaking to the problems of V.A. healthcare, specifically the lack of treatment for Agent Orange defoliant poisoning; further, we talked about how we won't be suckers for another one of their wars, subjects which the "official" program didn't touch.

Though the turn out for the program was low and the media coverage was almost non-existent, Vietnam-era vets made it clear that if we couldn't have an equal voice in their program, we'll continue to hold our own.

To show their contempt for us and Vietnam vets in general, Plaza officials locked the fence surrounding the Eternal Flame Memorial to Veterans after the Legion ceremony to prevent vets from "desecrating" the memorial. Well, let them drool over the dead and dream of new wars--we'll fight for the living and against their wars to come.

VETS DAY IN NEW YORK CITY--
One hundred and fifty vets, their families and supporters marched under the banner of "Black Veterans for Social Justice" a New York organization of veterans.

Following a November 10th march on the V.A. hospital, a march which voiced demands ranging from adequate medical and educational services to upgrading of thousands of "bad paper" discharges given to GI's during the war.

On a day usually run by the local authorities, the vets hit at not only the general poor treatment of Vietnam-era vets, but minority vets in particular. Not only being used in disproportionate numbers in front-line combat units in Vietnam, Vietnam minority veterans face much higher unemployment and intensified social problems resulting from higher numbers of "bad" discharges given to minorities.

Speaking at the rally that followed the march, Joe Masereti, President of Black Veterans for Social Justice, gave one example of the treatment of vets. "Chrysler gets the government to guarantee their loans," said Masereti, "But you try to get a loan for a house if you're a vet. You're just a poor slob soldier and the charge you loan--sharking rates!"

IRANIAN DEMONSTRATION IN MINNEAPOLIS--
"We are mad as hell to have to be here again protesting still another threat of a foreign military adventure--taking time away from our work as veterans to make a decent life for vets," said a VVAW spokesman, former SSG Leonard Huebner, speaking from the steps of the Consolidated Recruiting Center of the old Minneapolis Federal Building on the 15th of December.

This speech began the rally which stated the commitment of VVAW to represent the hard education of Vietnam and combat the repetition of any such atrocity in the future.

Huebner's speech was followed by those of 16 other organizations making up the Iranian Defense Coalition, upholding the demand for no U.S. military intervention, an end to the harassment and deportation of Iranians in the U.S., and demanding that the Shah be brought to justice.

Speakers from the foreign students' association, energy activists from the Northern Sun Alliance, and a spokesman from THE WAY, representing the Black Community, among many others, explicated the long history of U.S. imperialism and exploitation in Iran and elsewhere, made possible by the Shah or Ky and Thieu who can turn to the U.S. for sanctuary when their own people make their homelands unsafe for them. Lady Liberty lifts up her lamp for wretched refuse indeed! Over 200 people attended the rally and, with the exception of one raving passerby, there was no disruption.