GI Special:

thomasfbarton@earthlink.net

4.3.06

Print it out: color best.  Pass it on.

 

GI SPECIAL 4D3:

 

 

NO FLOWERS HERE:

TIME TO COME HOME

Celebrating Iraqis hold up a U.S. helmet after a roadside explosion targeting a US Patrol destroyed a Humvee April 2, 2006 in Ramadi, Iraq. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

 

 

Nothing Is More Important Today Than Forging New Links With The Troops Turning Against This War:

They Have The Power To Stop It.

 

[Thanks to Katherine G. Y., Military Project, who contributed a key part of the remarks below.  T]

 

Remarks at the “Exposing the Empire” panel, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester NY, 3.24.06, presented by RIT Antiwar:

 

****************************************

 

Thomas Barton compiles the GI Special newsletter, lives in New York City, and is a hospital worker and union shop steward.

 

During the American war on Vietnam, Barton helped distribute on Vietnam GI, a monthly newspaper for troops opposed to that war edited by Vietnam Veteran Jeff Sharlet.  Ten thousand copies monthly were sent to anti-war troops.

 

Today, Barton is a member of the Military Project, an organization of veterans and antiwar activists who focus on providing aid and comfort to service personnel who question, oppose or resist U.S. military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

 

*************************************************

 

Good evening brothers and sisters,

 

It’s an honor to be allowed to speak here today in Rochester.

 

Things are pretty messed up these days, but that’s not new.

 

The Biblical prophet Isaiah had this to say to the traitors who ran the government of his day:

 

“Ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor,

 

“Ye have eaten up the vineyard, the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

 

“Thy prices loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards, they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

 

“How is the faithful city become a harlot,

 

“It was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it,

 

“But now murderers.”

 

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

 

*****************************

 

The good news is how far we have come in a year.

 

Every day more and more Americans are turning against the war.

 

Most importantly, resistance is growing inside the armed services as well.  Where it really counts. 

 

But you don’t have to take my word that’s where it really counts.

 

Let’s look at some history.

 

During the Vietnam War, the anti-war movement at home was necessary to stop the war, but it was not sufficient.

 

The resistance in Vietnam was necessary to stop the war, but it was not sufficient.

 

But the rebellion against the war in the armed forces was both necessary and sufficient to stop the war. 

 

And the war stopped.

 

It was the greatest insurrection against an Imperial war since the rebellion of the Russian army in 1917.

 

But you don’t have to believe me about that, and you shouldn’t.

 

Check out:  Heinl, Jr.  Col. Robert D.

THE COLLAPSE OF THE ARMED FORCES

Armed Forces Journal, 1971

 

But you don’t have to believe Col. Heinl about this, and you shouldn’t.

 

There’s a new documentary film, Sir No Sir, opening next month in theaters across America that shows us the war in Vietnam didn’t end because the politicians or the rich or the commanders or even the anti-war movement wanted it to end. 

 

The war in Vietnam ended because the troops there rebelled against it wholesale.  There were “search and evade missions,” arranging private truces with people they didn’t see as “the enemy” anymore.

 

There were flat-out refusals of combat missions.  There were more lethal expressions of opposition as well to those in command as well.

 

And the rebellion spread to the Air Force: pilots refused to bomb.  And it spread to the Navy:  sailors disabled their ships so they couldn’t engage in combat.

 

In Sir, No Sir, you will meet the Vietnam troops up close and personal, and you will see them with your own eyes, wrecking the war machine until it breaks down completely.

 

Lots of soldiers can fight in wars. 

 

It takes something very special in soldiers to stop one.  Honor and respect to them all.

 

Respect also to the civilians who forged the links to the anti-war troops, gave them aid and comfort, and helped make that rebellion possible.

 

Now it is time for us to follow the instruction of the prophet:

Go thou and do likewise.

 

***************************************

 

Today, the anti war movement is necessary to stop the war in Iraq, but it is not sufficient.

 

Today, the Iraqi resistance to Imperial invasion and occupation is necessary to stop the war, but it is not sufficient.

 

But the coming rebellion in the armed forces will be both necessary and sufficient.   It may not come as soon as we might wish, but it will come.  And this war will stop.

 

But you don’t’ have to take my word for that, and you shouldn’t.

 

Here is what one soldier in the 1^st ID wrote to GI Special on behalf of a group of anti-war soldiers in Baquaba Iraq:

 

“Before any soldier risks going to prison he should realize that his ability to communicate with other troops will be limited.

 

“We choose our battles and continue to speak out in our underground action.

 

“There has to be a point when we reach a high enough number of troops in our peace effort that a unified boycott of all military action will have a desired effect.”

 

“A unified boycott of all military action will have a desired effect.”

 

Think about that.

 

But you don’t have to take his word for it, and you shouldn’t.

 

Thanks to a Zogby poll released this month, you don’t have to:

 

Today we know that 72% of the troops in Iraq say “get out this year,” and 29% are for immediate withdrawal. 

 

What’s more important is that because of the publicity about that poll, now those troops know it too. 

 

Think about that.

 

Now they know there is a new political majority among men and women in arms in Iraq, which may be summarized as follow:  this bullshit has gone on too long and it has to stop. 

 

It’s only a matter of time before this dawning consciousness finds _expression it ways that are unmistakable, and will shake the world. 

 

The Imperial politicians, Republican and Democrat, always knew what Iraq was really about.

 

They thought they would win an empire of oil. 

 

They have ended by losing their army. 

 

But those troops are not lost to us.

 

Let all of us opposed to this evil war open our arms to them and say Brothers and Sisters, welcome home.

 

Welcome home to sanity, decency and honor. 

 

******************************

 

It’s time now for Veterans, military family members and responsible civilians to act.

 

Not talk, act.

 

Specifically:

 

To give aid and comfort to members of the regular armed forces, reserves and Guard who are turning against the war.

 

In New York City, members of Veterans For Peace, Military Families Speak Out, and the Military Project are reaching out to make contact with National Guard soldiers. 

 

Many of them have served in Iraq, some expect to be sent soon.  They thank us for coming, for the publications against the war we offer, and so far, not a harsh word spoken.

 

This can be done anywhere there is a military presence: National Guard, Reserves or regular armed forces, like right here, and a small, or large, group of allies.

 

Think about that, and where that can lead.

 

Nothing is more important today than forging new links with the troops turning against this war.  They have the power to stop it.

 

Please, let us all now most solemnly pledge to our brothers and sisters in arms:

 

We will not turn our back on you. 

 

We will help you do what is necessary to stop this war. 

 

Together, we can end forever the power of the predators who rule America.  They have betrayed us all.

 

If we act together to take back our lives and our futures from those who would steal both, there is no force on earth that can stop us.

 

We need you by our side. 

 

When you enlisted, you took an oath to defend our liberties.

 

The time has come.

 

We must have your protection from the enemies domestic, the Imperial politicians, Republican and Democrat, who hate our liberties.

 

Without you we are truly lost.

 

With you, everything is possible.

 

Now let’s get to work.

 

Thank you for your attention.

 

 

 

IRAQ WAR REPORTS

 

 

TWO MND-B PILOTS PRESUMED DEAD

 

4/2/2006 HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND NEWS RELEASE Number: 06-04-02CJ

 

BAGHDAD, Iraq: Two pilots are presumed dead, but recovery efforts continue following the crash of a Multi-National Division Baghdad AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter west of Yousifiah at approximately 5:30 p.m. April 1.

 

As reported earlier, the aircraft was conducting a combat air patrol.  Military officials believe the crash was the result of hostile fire.

 

TWO MND-B SOLDIERS KILLED IN CENTRAL BAGHDAD

 

4/2/2006 HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND NEWS RELEASE Number: 06-04-02CJ

 

BAGHDAD, Iraq: Two Multi-National Division Baghdad Soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb at approximately 9 p.m. April 1 in central Baghdad.

 

The two Soldiers were conducting a dismounted patrol when the roadside bomb detonated. No other Soldiers were injured in the attack.

 

TASK FORCE BAND OF BROTHERS’ SOLDIER KILLED IN KIRKUK PROVINCE

 

4/2/2006 HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND NEWS RELEASE Number: 06-04-02CJ

 

TIKRIT, Iraq:  A Task Force Band of Brothers Soldier from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division died from non-battle related injuries sustained while taking part in an operation in the Kirkuk province March 30.

 

Lemay Woman Killed

 

3/17/2006 KSDK

 

A south St. Louis woman was killed in Iraq on Thursday, according to her family. Amanda Pinson was a graduate of Hancock High School.

 

Pinson graduated from high school in 2002, and joined the Army one year later. She was sent to Iraq in September of 2005.

 

Pinson's family says she was waiting for a shuttle during her lunch break, when she was fatally wounded by a mortar attack.

 

While the Pinson family is grieving, they say they will always remember that she was proud to serve her country.

 

Funeral For Kentucky Soldier

 

March 31, 2006 WKYT

 

Family and friends said good-bye today to a Kentucky National Guardsman killed in Iraq.

 

Staff Sergeant Brock A. Beery was laid to rest in the veterans section at Fairview Cemetery in a ceremony that included a 21-gun salute and the playing of "Taps."

 

The 30-year-old Beery was a member of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 123rd Armor based in Bowling Green.  He was killed on March 23rd when his vehicle ran over a roadside bomb about 80 miles west of Baghdad.

 

Chaplain Major James Messer called Beery a "common man with uncommon valor."   Beery will be posthumously presented the Purple Heart, the Kentucky Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the Combat Infantry Badge.

 

He is survived by his wife Sara and a 7-year-old daughter.

 

Ramadi Attack Destroys Humvee:

Casualties Not Announced

Iraqi men lift up the door of a humvee blown onto on a roof by the force of the explosion after an attack by IED on a U.S. Patrol April 2, 2006 in Ramadi.  (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

 

Wounded In Action Up 1,200 In 2005

 

02 April 2006 By David Zucchino, The Los Angeles Times [Excerpts]

 

In 2005, the number of wounded in Iraq increased by 1,200 from a year earlier.  Yet the number of dead remained virtually the same, 844 versus 848 in 2004, dropping the lethality rate from 9.6% to 8.4%. Just over half of those wounded have returned to duty.

 

The amputation rate in Iraq is double that of previous wars. Many soldiers face the rest of their lives without arms or legs, or with severe brain damage. Even for the wounded who will walk again, and perhaps return to battle, the physical damage, and the psychological scars, last forever.

 

REALLY BAD IDEA:

NO MISSION;

HOPELESS WAR;

BRING THEM ALL HOME NOW

A U.S. Marine walks past a burned out bus near the Abu Ghraib prison April, 2006.

(AP Photo/Jacob Silberberg)

 

 

TROOP NEWS

 

 

THIS IS HOW BUSH BRINGS THE TROOPS HOME:

BRING THEM ALL HOME NOW

Brian Cox embraces Rosemary Palmer after speaking at funeral services for her son Marine Lance Cpl. Edward 'Augie' Schroeder, 23, at the Church of the Savior United Methodist Church in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Aug. 15, 2005.  Schroeder was one of the 14 Marines from the Brook Park, Ohio-based 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines who were killed in two attacks in Iraq during the first week of August.  Cox was a college roommate of Schroeder at Ohio State and considered the Marine his best friend. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

 

Wounded Lewistown Soldier At Home For R&R

 

04/02/06 By BECKY SHAY, Billings Gazette:

 

A Lewistown soldier is home recovering from shrapnel wounds he received in Iraq.

 

Army Pfc. Ryan Jennings was wounded just before dark on March 14.

 

Two mortars hit as Jennings and his buddies from the 101st Airborne Division started getting out of trucks at a new patrol base in southern Baghdad.

 

"There's not much to tell," Jennings said from his family's Lewistown home Saturday evening. "It was pretty fast, pretty quick. It hit, and it was over. They got us inside the patrol base, got us bandaged up and got us on the helicopter."

 

Jennings, 19, was hit by shrapnel in both of his legs and his left arm. He underwent surgery in Baghdad "to keep the foot from swelling and to close off an artery that (was) severed" in his left ankle.

 

After one more stop in Iraq, Jennings was flown to hospitals in Germany, Washington, D.C., and his home base, Fort Campbell, Ky., before arriving back in Montana on Saturday.

 

The shrapnel in his left arm did some nerve damage, and Jennings has lost feeling in his pinkie and ring fingers.

 

He said doctors expect a full recovery on his legs, but he will have to wait three to six months to see whether nerves reconnect in his arm. If the nerves don't heal in that time, he said, it is likely the damage -- and loss of feeling to his hand -- will be permanent.

 

Jennings said he is "still hobbling" on crutches and maneuvering a black cast on his leg.

 

"I'm still trying to get used to walking on the boot," he said.

 

Jennings said it feels "really good" to be home with his parents, Chris and Denise, and brother, Chase, who is 14.

 

He had been in Iraq for six months.

 

Denise Jennings said not being able to see her wounded son has been difficult.

 

"We only got two calls, and they were from him in between surgeries," she said. "Not knowing was the worst part."

 

Jennings will be home for about three weeks. He will fly back to Fort Campbell to have the dozens of staples and stitches removed from his leg. Denise Jennings said he will have more leave after that procedure to continue healing.

 

Jennings joined the Army Reserve as a junior in high school. After boot camp that year, he came home and enlisted in the active Army.

 

"He knew what he was headed for," Denise Jennings said.

 

Jennings said his desire to serve stemmed from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

 

"I just wanted to help fight terrorism," he said.