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Memories of Barry Romo
By Carl Nyberg
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I first encountered Barry Romo in 1997, at the 30th anniversary of VVAW. I was recently discharged from the Navy (1996) and working for the US Campaign to Ban Landmines out of the Illinois Peace Action office. Kevin Martin, Illinois Peace Action's executive director, encouraged me to attend to network with veterans sympathetic to the goal of banning landmines. The 30th anniversary was at UE Hall and was full of energy. People discussed various memories connected to military service and activism. It was clear Barry Romo was a particularly respected figure whom I got to know more at parties and events.
Because I was speaking on landmines and Barry was speaking on the Vietnam War, we were sometimes booked to speak at the same place. Barry would make sure to add details about the horrors of landmines to his presentations. He once criticized me (privately) for being too much policy and not enough visceral stuff.
Barry's home was like a library or even a museum. Barry collected books and was quite well-read on many topics related to the Vietnam War, especially US history. It was important to him to highlight African Americans' role in various struggles for social progress.
When I worked in DC (2001-02), I sent Barry a letter encouraging him to run for US House. I thought Barry would be good at listening to the people who needed to be listened to and had many qualities of a good candidate: charisma, confidence, and an ability to nurture several one-on-one relationships. Barry never mentioned the letter, but I think he was glad to be asked to run.
At one point Barry invited me for breakfast at his place. He discussed the US Army's use of torture in Vietnam. He also talked about the Army teaching torture resistance when it was understood that waterboarding and other torture techniques would be used against the Vietnamese.
Barry was upset with Richard M. Daley for removing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial created when Jane Byrne was Mayor of Chicago. It was removed as part of redoing Wacker Drive. The City of Chicago claimed it would be replaced, but it wasn't. Barry was convinced Richard M. Daley was trying to erase Jane Byrne's legacy.
I saw Barry tell the story of bringing his nephew's body home from Vietnam at public ceremonies or as a fellow speaker (like when Joan Davis invited us to speak at York HS) multiple times. Barry was so committed to making people understand the Vietnam War was wrong that he would tell that story to young people as many times as he was asked. Eventually, I came to see the story not only as sad for the immediate tragedy of a man who shouldn't have been in Vietnam dying, but Barry was reliving it so many times for a world that was missing the message. Barry's storytelling moved the audience, but the larger society was indifferent. Pointless cruelty would continue because—that's what we're still wrestling with.
I last saw Barry at Aaron Hughes' home on Veterans Day 2023. He exuded warmth and gladness to connect with the people there.
Carl Nyberg is a Navy veteran who lives in Chicago. In 1997 he worked for the US Campaign to Ban Landmines.
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