Before leaving for the Republican protests in New York, I had heard about the formation of a group of veterans that would surely change the dialogue about the war in Iraq. This group was the Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Following in the footsteps of their Vietnam War "parents", Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Iraq Veterans Against the War offer a voice that few can argue with. These vets were actually in Iraq and saw first hand what US foreign policy is doing to the soldiers and the Iraqi people. These veterans of the Iraq War saw their friends get killed, some participated in actions that killed others, at least one is currently in prison for refusing to return, and the rest have refused to fight in what they see as an unjust war.

Their mission-To save the lives of their friends and stop the violence against the Iraqi people "by an immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces." (www.ivaw.net)

Marching in the United for Peace and Justice demonstration on August 29th, one of the largest anti-war marches in US history and the largest protest demonstration ever at a US political convention, the IVAW received much attention.

As Michael Hoffman, the 25 year old former Marine and co-founder of Iraq Veterans Against the War told the Boston Globe, "We have a currency no one else has. We've been there, we've seen stuff out there that no one else has, and nobody can argue with that."

Iraq Veterans Against the War was organized after the most recent Veterans For Peace national conference in July 2004.

After the UFPJ march, Veterans For Peace (www.veteransforpeace.org) sponsored an "after-march" event where several of the IVAW spoke about their experiences in the war and what led them to turn against it.

One member, Jimmy Massey, who spoke via telephone from his home in North Carolina, told a story about how he had been told that the Iraqis would steal ambulances, police cars, military vehicles, and civilian vehicles to fool the US military. Massey said that this created an atmosphere of fear among the soldiers that he was stationed with that led them to kill indiscriminately anything that came their way, no matter what it was.

Massey went on to tell of an instance where he and his soldiers had shot to death an entire family out of a fear that they were enemy troops as they were approaching a vehicle checkpoint.

"We searched that vehicle thoroughly hoping that we would find something; a machine gun, a grenade, a rocket launcher, anything that would justify what we did. But we didn't find anything." Then he asked the audience to imagine that happening every single day.

"That's the war in Iraq."

After the event, I ran into Michael Hoffman in the subway and we spoke for a few minutes. He told me that IVAW is continuing to grow rapidly. Hoffman said that while they were marching in the August 29th march, dozens of people approached him saying that they were Iraq war vets themselves and wanted information on joining IVAW.

During the week of protests against the RNC, the IVAW was a very active part of many of the anti-war demonstrations, marching with the War Resisters League march on August 31st and speaking at several engagements.

VIGIL FOR THE DEAD

Maybe one of the most moving events during the week of protests was st its very end. Veterans for Peace, Vietnam Vets Against the War, and the Iraq Vets Against the War, along with United for Peace and Justice, sponsored a day-long event in Union Square called "A Vigil for the Dead," where all the dead in Iraq would be remembered; civilian and military, Iraqi and American.

A giant "wall" (which was in actuality a banner made of black tarp) was erected in the park and emblazoned with the names of US soldiers who died in the war and the names of known Iraqi dead and the circumstances that led to their deaths. Near this display was a large granite slab that has traveled from the UN to Arlington National Cemetery as a memorial to the innocent dead of all wars. The slab of stone said "Unknown Civilians Killed in War" is sponsored by a New England pacifist group and Vets for Peace.

Near by, a banner read “How do you ask a soldier to be the last person to die for a lie?” A slight modernization of the famous quote by then anti-war activist John Kerry, who ironically as a politician and presidential candidate, supports the war in Iraq. The irony, however, was not lost on these vets. Without a doubt, the people assembled were strongly anti-Bush. Still, they vowed to hold Kerry responsible for his role in its continuation of the war, in the event that he is elected.

Chris Harrison, a recently discharged Army officer was one of the first to speak at the rally. He told the large crowd gathered at Union Square what they and the rest of the anti-war movement needed to do. "First, (we must) vote and evict Bush and his criminal administration from the White House," he said to the cheering crowd. "But it can't stop there. (After he is elected), we have to hold John Kerry accountable."

Members of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), the organization that John Kerry used to be a part of, spoke out at the vigil against the Bush agenda and the current war in Iraq.

Igor Bobrowsky, a combat wounded Marine and member of Vietnam Veterans Against the War said. "Even as the dead and wounded and their sorrows and their sacrifices remain, to confront us with their silent questions, to ask us for our honest answers and to demand the we provide them with a due accounting." Bobrowsky started crying during his speech and, overcome with emotion, had to stop reading. As he was leaving, Bobrowsky said "I'm sorry, but I'm not the Marine I used to be." Veterans for Peace president David Cline finished the speech for his friend.

Another speaker was Ivan Medina. Medina, who took part in Operation Iraqi Freedom and lost his twin brother in that war, took to the microphone to express, not only his anger at Bush for the war and the loss of his brother, but also his hope for the Iraqi people's future. "The Iraqi people need a government that is for the Iraqi people and by the Iraqi people and NOT for the oil companies!" Medina has since been discharged from the military and is now an active member of Iraq Veterans Against the War.

"I am sorry for the curfews, for the raids, for the killings"

One of the last speakers was the aunt of Camilo Mejia, the first person to be imprisoned for refusing to go back to Iraq (www.freecamilo.org). Mejia was recently given an Courageous Resister Award by the New York based organization Refuse and Resist. Norma Castillo, Camilo's aunt, read to the crowd from her nephew's statement upon receiving the award, which written from prison.

"I am only a regular person that got tired of being afraid to follow his own conscience- For far too long I allowed others to direct my actions even when I knew that they were wrong.
I am but a humble member of a world community of 'true' freedom fighters."

Mejia's statement went on to say:

"Many have called me a coward, many have called me a hero. I believe I can be found somewhere in the middle. To those who have called me a hero, I say that I don't believe in heroes, but I believe that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. To those who have called me a coward I say that they are wrong, and that without knowing it, they are also right. They are wrong when they think that I left the war for fear of being killed. I admit that fear was there, but there was also the fear of killing innocent people, the fear of putting myself in a position where to survive means to kill, there was the fear of losing my soul in the process of saving my body, the fear of losing myself to my daughter, to the people who love me, to the man I used to be, the man I wanted to be. I was afraid of waking up one morning to realize my humanity had abandoned me.

"I say without any pride that I did my job as a soldier -I commanded an infantry squad in combat and we never failed to accomplish our mission. But they who called me a coward, without knowing it, are also right. I was a coward not for leaving the war, but for having been a part of it in the first place. Refusing and resisting this war was my moral duty, a moral duty that called me to take a principled action, a moral duty that was clear and the accomplishment of which was urgent. I failed to fulfill my moral duty as a human being and instead I chose to fulfill my duty as a soldier. All because I was afraid. I was terrified, I did not want to stand up to the government and the army, I was afraid of punishment and humiliation. I went to war because at the moment I was a coward, and for that I apologize to all of you. I apologize to my soldiers for not being the type of leader I should have been, I apologize to the Iraqi people. To them I say I am sorry for the curfews, for the raids, for the killings- May they find it in their hearts to forgive me."

Camilo Mejia's statement ended with a call to all those "who are still quiet" about the war.

"What good is freedom if we are afraid to follow our conscience? What good is freedom if we are not able to live with our own actions? I am confined to a prison but I feel, today more than ever, connected to all humanity."

As the speakers stepped aside, the gravity of the memorial ceremony set in. A member of Veterans For Peace said a short prayer for the dead which was followed by a VFP bagpipe player performing "Mother's Lament" as the large gathering stood by in reverent silence, many lightly crying. All the while, NYPD helicopters and spy blimps hovered overhead and sirens could be heard zooming by Union Square. Police in riot gear stood by to make sure the veterans and supporters who gathered at the "Vigil For the Dead" stayed in line during this, the last day of the protests.

But still, they speak. And as the war continues and the coffins keep coming home, the promise that more will speak out undoubtedly will come true. And towards the front of the protests will be these veterans, men and women, dressed in desert fatigues, speaking out against the war they fought in and making people listen.

See also:
www.nwfimc.org
www.ivaw.net