Veterans

Two U.S. Soldiers Overheard JFK Assassination Plans

July 13, 2018 Jerry Kroth, Informationclearinghouse.info Educate! Assassination, History, JFK, Veterans

July 11, 2018 "Information Clearing House" -In November, 2017 President Trump released 35,000 documents the Kennedy assassination that were withheld for half a century. He wanted to release more, but the CIA requested more time. He gave them six months, and, on April 26 of this year another 18,000 documents came forth. The media hardly covered the April release, and, overall, the reporting was cursory at best and pathetic at worst. These documents consummately alter our understanding of the assassination, of Jack Ruby, of Marina Oswald, David Ferrie, Richard Helms, J. Edgar Hoover, and certainly Lyndon Johnson. But let us take a smaller bite from this apple. Introducing Eugene V. Dinkin. Two documents were released about this man in November which caught my attention, and one more appeared in the 2018 release.

The Soldier’s Tale

June 27, 2018 Chris Hedges, Truthdig.com Educate! Class Struggle, US military, Veterans

The soldier’s tale is as old as war. It is told and then forgotten. There are always young men and women ardent for glory, seduced by the power to inflict violence and naive enough to die for the merchants of death. The soldier’s tale is the same, war after war, generation after generation. It is Spenser Rapone’s turn now. The second lieutenant was given an “other than honorable” discharge June 18 after an Army investigation determined that he “went online to promote a socialist revolution and disparage high-ranking officers” and thereby had engaged in “conduct unbecoming an officer.” Rapone laid bare the lie, although the lie often seems unassailable. We must honor those like him who have the moral courage to speak the truth about war, even if the tidal waves of patriotic propaganda that flood the culture overwhelm the voices of the just.

Combat Vet, West Point Grad Forced To Resign For Supporting Economic & Racial Justice

June 23, 2018 Spenser Rapone, Truthdig.com Resist! Communism, Repression, US military, Veterans

I am a combat veteran with the First Ranger Battalion, a recent graduate of West Point and a former second lieutenant who was stationed at Fort Drum, N.Y. Since identifying myself as a socialist, there has been much controversy generated by a number of my public statements. It began with my post on social media, in which I expressed my full and enthusiastic support of former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in his fight against racial injustice, white supremacy and police brutality. After revealing a picture of myself in uniform with the hashtag #VeteransForKaepernick, I was met by solidarity from my fellow soldiers, as well as harsh blowback from my chain of command. To this day, I stand by my convictions, despite the efforts of ranking officers to pressure me into silence. I believe that standing up for the exploited and the oppressed is the most honorable thing we can do as people.

Veterans’ Group Says “No” To Emmy For PBS Vietnam War Series

June 2, 2018 By Mike Ferner, Commondreams.org Educate! Film, Veterans, Vietnam

“In this war-torn world, what is desperately needed – but what Burns and Novick fail to convey – is an honest rendering of that war to help the American people avoid yet more catastrophic wars.” A national veterans’ organization is weighing in on this year’s Emmy awards with a full-page ad in Variety, saying Ken Burns and Lynne Novick’s “Vietnam War” series does not deserve a “Best Documentary” award. Veterans For Peace (VFP), headquartered in St. Louis, with 175 chapters in the U.S. and six overseas, will run the Variety ad prior to the awards on September 17, to generate discussion about the series and the lasting impact it will have if “crowned with an Emmy.”

Questioning War Is A Civic Duty. Why Do So Few Do It?

May 24, 2018 By Kevin Basl, Otherwords.org Educate! Class Struggle, Inter-Imperialist Rivalry, Veterans, Wars and Militarism

“How do you motivate men and women to fight and die for a cause many of them don’t believe in, and whose purpose they can’t articulate?” That’s what Phil Klay, author and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, asks in an essay published this month in The Atlantic. Unfortunately, he points out in a recent New York Times op-ed, “Serious discussion of foreign policy and the military’s role within it is often prohibited” by what he calls “patriotic correctness.” In a well-functioning democracy, Klay argues, citizens must debate and question how their elected officials employ their military, an organization which ought to represent the values of the people. But it seems many Americans remain unconcerned about the wars the United States is currently fighting (at last count, we’re bombing at least 7 countries) though they foot the bill both in tax dollars and lives.

Veterans: U.S. Attack on Syria Could Lead to Nuclear War

April 12, 2018 Staff, Veterans for Peace Educate! Syria, Veterans, Wars and Militarism

Veterans For Peace is warning that a U.S. attack on Syria could lead to a nuclear war. Russian military forces in Syria will undoubtedly be among the targets of U.S. missiles. Russia has said it will shoot down U.S. missiles, and attack the “platforms from which they are fired,” i.e. U.S. ships. “Why the rush to war?” asked Gerry Condon, president of Veterans For Peace. “Why is the mass media cheerleading for war instead of asking hard questions? Why are Democratic and Republican politicians trying to out-do one another with calls for ever more massive attacks on Syria?

Veterans Challenge Islamophobia Campaign

January 26, 2018 Staff, Veteranschallengeislamophobia.org Organize! Islamaphobia, Veterans, Veterans for Peace

Veterans For Peace and the Veterans Challenge Islamophobia campaign are participating in the We Are All America week of action from January 27th through February 3rd to protest the one-year anniversary of the first iteration of the Muslim Ban and show solidarity with those still impacted by the current bans on people from nine Muslim-majority nations and refugees. Although all versions of the ban have been ruled to be discriminatory by multiple courts, Muslim Ban 3.0 is currently in effect and is causing heartbreak for American families and their relatives abroad. The Trump administration has also cracked down on refugee admissions by instituting more burdensome screening requirements, lowering the United States’ annual refugee cap to 45,000, and proposing more limits on family reunification.

Tribute To James Dolan, Co-Creator Of SecureDrop; Tragically Passed Away

January 12, 2018 By Trevor Timm, Freedom.press Educate! Death, Technology, Veterans, Whistleblowers

Beyond a couple references on our website, that New Yorker story is virtually all that is in the public domain about James’s involvement in the project—and that’s how he preferred it. James was an intensely private and modest person, and despite the fact the SecureDrop soon got a lot of attention when Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) took the project over, he constantly insisted that Aaron deserved all the credit. Yet SecureDrop would not currently exist without James, and he deserves all the commendation in the world for making it what it is today. In January 2013, Aaron Swartz himself committed suicide as the US government was attempting to prosecute him for violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act related to allegedly copying academic articles from JSTOR. SecureDrop was an unrelated side project he was working on at the time.

An Officer’s Path To Dissent

January 5, 2018 By Maj. Danny Sjursen, Truthdig.com Resist! PTSD, US military, Veterans

For a while there, I was a real star. High up in my class at West Point, tough combat deployments in two wars, a slew of glowing evaluations, even a teaching assignment back at the military academy. I inhabited a universe most only dream of: praised, patted and highly respected by everyone in my life system and viewed as a brave American soldier. It’s a safe, sensible spot. For most, that’s enough. Too bad it was all bunk. Absurdity incarnate. The truth is, I fought for next to nothing, for a country that, in recent conflicts, has made the world a deadlier, more chaotic place. Even back in 2011—or even 2006, for that matter—I was just smart and just sensitive enough to know that, to feel it viscerally. Still, the decision to publicly dissent is a tough one.

Veterans Arrested At Senate Confirmation Of ‘Torture Memo’ Author

June 29, 2017 Medea Benjamin, www.codepink.org Resist! Arrest, Senate, Veterans

By Medea Benjamin for Code Pink - At the Senate confirmation hearing for Steven Bradbury as general counsel for the Commerce, Science and Transportation Department, members of Veterans for Peace and CODEPINK protested Bradbury for his authorship of the “Torture Memos” under the Bush administration. Three members of Veterans for Peace were arrested for speaking out at the hearing: Tarak Kauff, Ken Ashe and Ellen Barfield. All three veterans, in response to why they protested today, affirmed that Bradbury should not hold any kind of position in the United States’ government and called on the senators to oppose his nomination. “Anybody whose moral compass is so broken that they would condone torture doesn’t deserve a position in the US government,” stated Ken Ashe as he was handcuffed by Capitol Police. “I disrupted the hearing for a man, Steven Bradbury, who should be on trial for war crimes,” said Tarak Kauff as he was pulled out of the hearing by police. “He sanctioned, condoned, and confirmed torture practices that were used by the Bush administration, practices that disgraced our country.” “I am a veteran. I am deeply concerned about our soldiers, who are at risk for torture if our nation tortures,” said Ellen Barfield.

Veterans & Peace Groups Push For Reduced Military Spending

June 1, 2017 John Zangas, www.dcmediagroup.us Resist! military spending, Veterans, Wars and Militarism

By John Zangas for DC Media Group - Veterans rallied this weekend at the Lincoln Memorial calling for a new global peace initiative. Veterans For Peace (VFP), CODEPINK Women For Peace, and Iraq Veterans For Peace, were among a dozen anti-war groups calling on the Trump Administration to invest funding in diplomacy and peace instead of increasing the military budget by $54 billion dollars. Veteran speakers urged the Trump Administration to begin closing U.S. bases on foreign soil, to redirect a portion of the military budget to education, healthcare and infrastructure, and to ban nuclear weapons. Veterans spoke at the Lincoln Memorial of the impact of wars while nearby organizers set up a Swords to Plowshares bell tower for the public to leave messages. The three day rally was joined by hundreds of combat Veterans and followed by a peace walk on Tuesday past the MLK Memorial to the White House. They paused to read a Martin Luther King Jr., speech from 1967 about ending the Vietnam war, before proceeding to the White House. The rally was organized amidst growing global tensions as drumbeats of conflict reverberate across the Middle East and in Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa.

Veterans Are Training To “Re-Deploy” To Own Communities To Defend Against Trump’s Attacks

May 30, 2017 Staff, www.other98.com Resist! Trump Administration, Veterans

By Staff of Other 98 “Never have we seen so many veterans wanting to translate the skills to serve frontline communities fighting back against Trump’s destructive platform,” said Matt Howard, a Marine Corps veteran who deployed twice to Iraq. Howard is the Co-Director of Iraq Veterans Against the War, a grassroots organization of post-9/11 active duty service members and veterans. IVAW was originally formed in 2004 as a space for vets to speak out against, and rectify their involvement in, the unpopular and unjust wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the 13 years since IVAW formed, the group has covered a lot of ground, organizing around reparations for Iraq, health care for returning service members, and against the redeployment of vets living with PTSD. Increasingly, IVAW is expanding on what it means to be “anti-war,” by focusing on the root cause of war—militarism—and turning their sights to related symptoms of militarism, including militarized police, Islamophobia, and even climate change. Most recently, IVAW was making headlines for another “deployment:” heading to Standing Rock to support Indigenous water protectors facing violent police repression as they tried to stop construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Thousands of vets showed up, “because we were called,” Howard notes.

Veterans Oppose Trump Policies, Wars; Rally At Lincoln Memorial

May 23, 2017 Staff, www.worldbeyondwar.org Resist! Donald Trump, Veterans

By Staff of World Beyond War - On Tuesday, May 30, at 11:00 am, veterans and supporters will mass at the Lincoln Memorial. Speakers include Veterans For Peace President Barry Ladendorf, Rev. Lennox Yearwood, David Swanson, Medea Benjamin, Chris Hedges, Brian Becker, Col. Ann Wright, Mara Verhayden Hilliard, Michael McPhearson, and Matt Hoh. Music will be provided by Lyla June Johnston, Pat Scanlon, Ariel Zevon, and the Fugs, who will lead an attempt to exorcise the White House as they did 50 years ago. “Donald Trump and company are hell-bent on destroying what’s left of our democracy, the environment, and whatever chance we have of world peace. Veterans will not be silent while he does it,” says Matt Hoh, former Marine Captain (two tours in Iraq) and State Department official, who resigned in protest from his post in Afghanistan over U.S. strategic policy and goals. Veterans For Peace President Barry Ladendorf has sent a letter to President Trump requesting a meeting to discuss military policy and to refocus spending on peace and issues at home.

Support US Army Private Ryan Johnson, Imprisoned War Resister

March 24, 2017 Staff, www.couragetoresist.org Resist! Anti-War, US military, Veterans

By Staff of Courage to Resist - We at Courage to Resist are reaching out to you to help imprisoned Army soldier Ryan Johnson and his wife Jenna. We’re helping them get on their feet upon Ryan’s expected May release from Miramar Brig in Southern California. Your support is critical to help them begin their next chapter. Ryan Johnson hasn’t gotten many easy breaks. He lost his father at the age of three. Growing up he would face years of abuse at the hands of a new stepfather. As a teen Ryan escaped into patterns of drug abuse, self-harm, and finally dropped out of high school. Now he endures insult of military imprisonment after literal injury serving the US armed forces. This pall of unfortunate circumstances doesn’t mean there isn’t light in Ryan’s life. He has persevered, with his compassion, kindness, and conscience intact.

Memorial Events In Honor Of Military Veteran And Water Protector Killed By Police Last Month

March 21, 2017 Staff, www.sabaltrailresistance.wordpress.com Resist! Activists, Pipelines, Protests, Veterans

By Staff of Sabal Trail Resistance - Please join Sabal Trail Resistance (STR), Vets For Peace and other activists in honoring James “Jim” L. Marker by continuing to stand against the oil and gas pipelines that he lost his life fighting on Feb 26, 2017. Community Remembering on Sunday, March 26, 1pm at the Pruitt Memorial site in Halpata Tastanaki Preserve, on mile north of the Withlacoochee River. Enter at Pruitt Trailhead, off of SR 484. Park in picnic area, hike 0.5 miles to memorial site.(Please bring a song, story or poem to share, along with food or beverage to share.) Demonstration at Dunnellon Compressor Station construction site on Monday, March 27, 10 a.m. Located along SR 200. Click here for map image. Parking will be on the shoulder of the road. (Please bring signs, banners, drums, etc. with the message “Kill Pipelines NOT People”)

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