Comments on: Iraq Veterans To Testify at Their Own ‘Winter Soldier’

By: wintersoldier

wintersoldier — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:02:21 +0000

As one of the original 'Winter Soldiers' of VVAW lore, I want to salute the outstanding moral fiber of the young men and women of the Iraqi Veterans Against the War who will be demonstrating that America still has it's soul. And indeed, as Thomas Paine noted 'These are indeed, times which try our souls.
I trust people will find a way to support 'Winter Soldier II' by sending money and encouragement to these brave new Winter Soldiers. To do this go here > (www.ivaw.org)

Semper Fidelis!

Winter Soldier I veteran
VVAW/
MGen Smedley D. Butler USMC Brigade Chapter 9 Veterans for Peace

Hoa Binh! Salaam! Shalom!

By: gawilliams

gawilliams — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 01:11:54 +0000

After being drafted into the Army, in Vietnam with the 1st Inf Div., 1/16th Inf 1967-68. It wasn't until I had gotten wounded that the reality of war struck a cord (in my buttocks). I started to look around seeing the orphans, farmers who could care less who was seated in their Capitol. The way we were able to dehumanize the Vietnamese, has left me feeling empty inside. Drinking and drugs blinded me for a long time but even they could not mask the deep seeded emotional collapse that I experienced. One would think with all the knowledge we have compiled, it would lead to peaceful solutions not war. "Welcome Home", Afghan and Iraqi Veterans. Together we can make this country listen and learn. Peace

By: mikededrick

mikededrick — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:01:28 +0000

My experience in Vietnam as an Interrogator-Linguist (96C2L80) with the 525th MI Group left me with a lifetime abhorrence of war and what it does to people. Everyone ends up being a victim in one way or another. To my younger comrades of Iraq and Afghanistan I would say that killing people is not an honorable profession. There is no clean way to fight a war, there are no rules, except on paper. Anyone who goes to war gets dirty because that's the nature of war. So if you accept war as a way to conduct foreign policy you have to accept that there will be killing of civilians, brutality and massive destruction. That's what war is. I belong to Veterans for Peace because I believe we must find non violent alternatives to war. There is no other option.

By: daveionno

daveionno — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 13:58:14 +0000

I am a Viet Nam veteran,a member of VVAW and Veterans for Peace. I served with the 23rd Inf at Chu Lai 1970-71. I went to Viet Nam as an American fighting man and came home a human being, which is why I still don't feel at home. The war is with me every day. I have cut out over 600 obits from my local paper, the Hartford Courant of Viet Nam vets, average age now 56. When I started in 1993 the age was 42. Too many obits say died suddenly at home. Suicide is painless and that is what we look for, release from the pain. We need to talk out the war, and that is what Winter Soldier is all about. We just want you, the American people, to know what happened.

By: eagleeyepete

eagleeyepete — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:59:55 +0000

I wrote and eye witness documentary "The Idiot's Frightful Laughter" of the Vietnam War. I was there for seven years as a refugee advisor for US AID. I witnessed napalm and white phosphorus drops on resettlement camps and peasant villages, and interdictive and random artillery fire than seld ever hit an enemy soldier but hit many villages killing innocent peasants. I found some very brutal soldiers, special forces, seals, and Marines who were brutal hardened killers. They enjoyed what they did. Door gunners shooting whatever moved for sport. They may be a minority, but they are a very large minority.

By: wintersoldier

wintersoldier — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

As one of the original ‘Winter Soldiers’ of VVAW lore, I want to salute the outstanding moral fiber of the young men and women of the Iraqi Veterans Against the War who will be demonstrating that America still has it’s soul. And indeed, as Thomas Paine noted ‘These are indeed, times which try our souls.
I trust people will find a way to support ‘Winter Soldier II’ by sending money and encouragement to these brave new Winter Soldiers. To do this go here > (www.ivaw.org)

Semper Fidelis!

Winter Soldier I veteran
VVAW/
MGen Smedley D. Butler USMC Brigade Chapter 9 Veterans for Peace

Hoa Binh! Salaam! Shalom!

By: gawilliams

gawilliams — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

After being drafted into the Army, in Vietnam with the 1st Inf Div., 1/16th Inf 1967-68. It wasn’t until I had gotten wounded that the reality of war struck a cord (in my buttocks). I started to look around seeing the orphans, farmers who could care less who was seated in their Capitol. The way we were able to dehumanize the Vietnamese, has left me feeling empty inside. Drinking and drugs blinded me for a long time but even they could not mask the deep seeded emotional collapse that I experienced. One would think with all the knowledge we have compiled, it would lead to peaceful solutions not war. "Welcome Home", Afghan and Iraqi Veterans. Together we can make this country listen and learn. Peace

By: mikededrick

mikededrick — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

My experience in Vietnam as an Interrogator-Linguist (96C2L80) with the 525th MI Group left me with a lifetime abhorrence of war and what it does to people. Everyone ends up being a victim in one way or another. To my younger comrades of Iraq and Afghanistan I would say that killing people is not an honorable profession. There is no clean way to fight a war, there are no rules, except on paper. Anyone who goes to war gets dirty because that’s the nature of war. So if you accept war as a way to conduct foreign policy you have to accept that there will be killing of civilians, brutality and massive destruction. That’s what war is. I belong to Veterans for Peace because I believe we must find non violent alternatives to war. There is no other option.

By: daveionno

daveionno — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

I am a Viet Nam veteran,a member of VVAW and Veterans for Peace. I served with the 23rd Inf at Chu Lai 1970-71. I went to Viet Nam as an American fighting man and came home a human being, which is why I still don’t feel at home. The war is with me every day. I have cut out over 600 obits from my local paper, the Hartford Courant of Viet Nam vets, average age now 56. When I started in 1993 the age was 42. Too many obits say died suddenly at home. Suicide is painless and that is what we look for, release from the pain. We need to talk out the war, and that is what Winter Soldier is all about. We just want you, the American people, to know what happened.

By: eagleeyepete

eagleeyepete — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

I wrote and eye witness documentary "The Idiot’s Frightful Laughter" of the Vietnam War. I was there for seven years as a refugee advisor for US AID. I witnessed napalm and white phosphorus drops on resettlement camps and peasant villages, and interdictive and random artillery fire than seld ever hit an enemy soldier but hit many villages killing innocent peasants. I found some very brutal soldiers, special forces, seals, and Marines who were brutal hardened killers. They enjoyed what they did. Door gunners shooting whatever moved for sport. They may be a minority, but they are a very large minority.