About the Tour
The Pittsburgh Vets Tour is a joint project of the Iraq Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, and the Thomas Merton Center Antiwar Committee. Our mission is to provide opportunities throughout the neighborhoods and communities of Pittsburgh for people to hear the voices of Iraq war veterans that are opposed to the brutual occupation of Iraq and are actively working to end it. We also feel that it is extremely important to hear the voices of military families that have felt the enormous cost of this war first hand through the absence and loss of their loved ones.
We will be organizing speaking events featuring Iraq war vets and military families starting this Summer and continuing through the Fall. We will be working hard to gather petition signatures to support a resolution before City Council that would endorse the demands of our vets: "Immediate withdrawal from Iraq", "Reparations to the Iraqi people", and "Take care of our troops when they come home." We hope that you get involved either by coming to an event, signing the petition in person or on our website, or by helping to organize an event in your community. Together we can end this terrible war and bring our men and women home.
Some of the Speakers of the Tour Include:
Paul Abernathy
A graduate of Wheeling Jesuit University with a B.A. in International Studies, Paul studied politics of the Middle East at the University of Aleppo in Aleppo, Syria the summer of 2000. Since graduation, he has served a one year tour of duty with the U.S. Army in Iraq (2003-2004), having served as a combat engineer in the invasion, Baghdad, Al Anbar Province, and Balad Iraq. Since that time, he has also graduated from the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. During the course of his graduate experience, he again returned to Damascus Syria to conduct research on the effect of the war in Iraq on internal Syrian Identity politics. Currently Paul is the Mid-Atlantic regional coordinator for Iraq Veterans Against the War www.ivaw.org
Michael Hoffman
Michael Hoffman is a Veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and one of the founders of Iraq Veterans against the war. Orginally from outside of Allentown, PA, Michael enlisted in the Marines in 1999. He was stop lossed and his artillery unit deployed to Kuwait in January in preparation for the March 2003 invasion. After returning home Michael joined Veterans for Peace and then in July of 2004 he was one of the founder of IVAW and the first National Director. Since returning home he has addressed varied crowds across the country about the war in Iraq, and the larger war on terror. Michael still lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and is currently studying Political Science and Communications at Muhlenberg College.
Adam Kokesh
I was a reservist attending Claremont McKenna College in January 2004 when I volunteered to transfer from November Battery 5/14 (artillery) which was not deploying, to the 3rd Civil Affairs Group which was leaving in less than a month. I served in the Fallujah area from February to September and recieved the Combat Action Ribbon and Navy Commendation medal for my service. While as soldiers who have taken an oath we all have a responsibility to support the system that ensures us the quality of life that we enjoy in America, we also have a responsibility as citizens to ensure that the system is held accountable to the American people and to the highest moral standard. I can be reached at adam@ivaw.org See also kokesh.blogspot.com
