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In Memory of John Gravenstine

By VVAW

VVAW Milwaukee would like to remember John Gravenstine. We buried him on Memorial Day. He was 33, a long-time member of VVAW (1971). In Vietnam he was with an Army Infantry unit as an RTO from 1969-70. He came home with problems that the VA gave him a ton of drugs for. It didn't take long before he was strung out on VA drugs which only masked many of his medial problems. The coroner's report couldn't decide if he died of drugs or because of a blood clot in his brain, but VVAW had people taking him to doctors just before he died because of severe headaches—headaches that the VA said were "psychological."

We called him Gravey and he was one of us. He stood up against the war and the VA with VVAW despite all his pain. He had warmth and humor and we will miss him. He always believed in our philosophy—Honor the Dead! Fight like Hell for the Living! John did it. It is a fitting memorial that we continue in that tradition. Memorial Day will always be a little more personal to VVAW in Milwaukee.