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"You weren't in Vietnam, were you?"

By Jeff Machota

Delivered at the 30th Anniversary in Chicago.

First off, I'd like to say how honored I am to be asked to speak today to VVAW members and supporters at this anniversary. I work and have worked with many grassroots political organizations and appreciate how difficult it is to keep an organization together for five years, let alone thirty years.

When I tell people I do work for VVAW, I often get the response "You weren't in Vietnam, were you?" At that point I let them know how old I am and then explain the political connections I have with VVAW. Even though I always looked old enough to get beer when I was a minor, I was only one year old when VVAW was formed. Now, thirty years later, I'm the co-editor of The Veteran and help maintain the VVAW web-site.

I first entered progressive/revolutionary politics in the anti-apartheid student movement in the mid-1980s. I became aware of VVAW through Joe Miller while doing political organizing around getting the CIA off campus. Through my work with other student organizations and other struggles I first became really conscious of VVAW as a living organization in 1990 at the Kent State 20th Anniversary. My memories of VVAW at this time were seeing VVAW in formation at the protests and then afterwards hanging out at a Kent State bar with disabled Nicaraguan vets.

It wasn't until later that year that I started meeting more VVAW members like Barry Romo and Bill Branson and Ray Parrish. VVAW members kicked our asses in Champaign-Urbana and caused us to get serious about organizing against the impending Gulf War. VVAW was very supportive of our work and provided not only resources, but leadership and friendship. VVAW spoke at protests and classes. VVAW helped us organize a vets' caucus opposed to the Gulf War of World War II vets, Korean vets, Vietnam vets, Beirut vets and active duty GIs. With VVAW's help we mobilized a few thousand people, got a few people out of the military, and helped keep others out.

It didn't stop there, though. VVAW has helped us and other activists in C-U countless other times. From doing security workshops for demonstrations to political advice to friendship, VVAW has provided these to a few generations of campus and community activists in Champaign-Urbana

It was probably in Kent State in 1990 where I picked up my first copy of The Veteran. Many years (and beers) later, after learning the history of the paper and understanding its importance, I found out that Barry had been doing the layout of the paper himself for quite a while and had become way too overcommitted to do the paper. (Plus the fact that using a computer was only slightly related to this whole process) I had just finished a few years of working on a couple of other publications, so I thought: what the hell, I can learn how to do this. Also, I figured I had gotten so much from VVAW; it was time to pay something back (or maybe it was just lingering Catholic guilt). So I volunteered to take on the task of laying out The Veteran with Barry's expert guidance, along with Joe Miller and his daughter Lisa and son Jack (who lives in Boston, by the way)

While we were tackling our first issue, our crew decided we needed an official website for VVAW, so we took that on as well.

I've learned a lot doing both these projects, both in skills and learning more and more the history of VVAW. The impact and feedback from the paper and website have been great, and it's great to be contributing to an organization so rich in history.

VVAW, to me, has always been about helping the movement. In this spirit, I plan to continue my work with VVAW and look forward to many more years (and most likely, many more beers).

Jeff Machota is co-editor of the Veteran