PITTSBURGH VETS TOUR

Pittsburgh Veterans Tour Begins Here They came in single file, in no particular order, seven men wearing desert camo fatigues over black-and-white "Iraq Vets Against the War" tee shirts. These vets were on their way from Chicago to New York City, where a series of "Operation First Casualty" actions would be taking place over the Memorial Day weekend. Their first stop was Pittsburgh, to join up with Paul Abernathy, IVAW's Mid-Atlantic Region Coordinator, before continuing on to NYC. With less than a week's notice, an audience of around 50 people gathered on May 23, 2007, at the Shadyside UU Church to witness the IVAW tour's kick-off. That the stories we heard that night were compelling is a massive understatement. Some had little experience of public speaking--and not a lot of time to prepare for this engagement--and yet they spoke as fluently as only those with an intimate knowledge of their subject can. We hung on their words, spell-bound. A., a National Guardsman, drew vivid images of what he had seen, and spoke in particular of the children. They lined the roads out of Kuwait on the route north to Baghdad, where there were signs warning drivers like himself to watch for them and not to stop ("…as if they were deer or something…"). The children were always there, on the trip in country and back out again, something that clearly affected this soldier. The long pauses between his sentences were as intense as his words; in those pauses he seemed to still be speaking to the audience, silently. It was two years after he returned from Iraq before he could voice his opposition to the war. A. talked of his growing disillusionment when the mission failed to become the humanitarian aid effort that drew him to the Guard in the first place. It was especially galling (not to mention life-threatening at times) to be driving Vietnam-era trucks over many dangerous miles as they transported brand-new, armor-plated, air-conditioned SUVS bound for the very contractors whose lawless behavior towards Iraqis has increasingly endangered the lives of the US military. That the soldiers were being paid a fraction of what these mercenaries were earning was a further appalling injustice. M. spoke of being raised by a single mother and enlisting in the Army, drawn to the allure of military machismo in combination with the influence of a relative who had made a career of it. Shortly into his tour, he began a blog describing the many things about Iraq that didn't add up to the official story. Although assured he was within his rights as long as he remained anonymous, M. lost the security clearance that his job required, and found himself a virtual pariah in his unit, doing the scut work that no one else would. Late in 2006, he received a separation from the Army, and thought he was finished with the military. Enter the 2007 "surge", when having a record of non-compliance was suddenly not an issue; M. was notified of being reactivated and was expected to return to Iraq. He did not report, and is now devoted to telling the truth about the war. V., a tattooed Marine whose face had a depth to it that belied his years, clutched a rolled up sheaf of papers and politely asked the audience if he might read from the lectern. His entire presentation recounted a single incident: the shattering events surrounding the death of an Iraqi attempting to set an IED near his passing convoy. Shattering because of the part V. played in the incident, and also--while he was not physically wounded--because of the piece of him that will always be missing as a result. D., a Navy lieutenant on a nuclear submarine, recalled realizing that all wars, not just the one in Iraq, are fought based on lies and ignorance. He told of his Commanding Officer unambiguously informing the entire ship in January 2003 that the US was going to war. Meanwhile, to the rest of the world, Bush would perpetuate the lie that the Iraqis had a choice in the matter for an additional six weeks. Out in 2006 after five years of service, D. is currently seeking a seat in the US House of Representatives on the Green Party ticket. Pittsburgh's own Paul Abernathy provided IVAW historical background and commented on the exponential growth of the group in recent months. IVAW's "Operation First Casualty" debuted in Washington, DC, this spring, when members first began simulations designed to inspire spectators to take action against the war. In both DC and NYC , actual veterans of the conflict in Iraq played their part as American service members, dramatically interacting with non-veteran supporters playing civilians. In full uniform, IVAW members performed searches, detentions, squad patrol, and crowd control operations. (Details of the Memorial Day weekend events can be seen at www.ivaw.org.) Continuing to bring the reality of Iraq into clearer focus for Americans, the next IVAW "OFC" event will be in Chicago, June 17-18. "The first casualty of war is said to be Truth, and we're here to bring the truth of the war home, to wake people up and hopefully bring some urgency to end this war." ---A., National Guard Report by Elizabeth Donohoe