arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

Statement to the Troops

We are veterans of the United States armed forces. We stand with the majority of humanity, including millions in our own country, in opposition to the United States' all out war on Iraq. We span many wars and eras, have many political views and we all agree that this war is wrong. Many of us believed serving in the military was our duty, and our job was to defend this country. Our experiences in the military caused us to question much of what we were taught. Now we see our REAL duty is to encourage you as members of the U.S. armed forces to find out what you are being sent to fight and die for and what the consequences of your actions will be for humanity. We call upon you, the active duty and reservists, to follow your conscience and do the right thing.
In the last Gulf War, as troops, we were ordered to murder from a safe distance. We destroyed much of Iraq from the air, killing hundreds of thousands, including civilians. We remember the road to Basra -- the Highway of Death -- where we were ordered to kill fleeing Iraqis. We bulldozed trenches, burying people alive. The use of depleted uranium weapons left the battlefields radioactive. Massive use of pesticides, experimental drugs, burning chemical weapons depots and oil fires combined to create a toxic cocktail affecting both the Iraqi people and Gulf War veterans today. One in four Gulf War veterans is disabled.

During the Vietnam War we were ordered to destroy Vietnam from the air and on the ground. At My Lai we massacred over 500 women, children and old men. This was not an aberration, it's how we fought the war. We used Agent Orange on the enemy and then experienced first hand its effects. We know what Post Traumatic Stress Disorder looks, feels and tastes like because the ghosts of over two million men, women and children still haunt our dreams. More of us took our own lives after returning home than died in battle.

If you choose to participate in the invasion of Iraq you will be part of an occupying army. Do you know what it is like to look into the eyes of a people that hate you to your core? You should think about what your "mission" really is. You are being sent to invade and occupy a people who, like you and me, are only trying to live their lives and raise their kids. They pose no threat to the United States even though they have a brutal dictator as their leader. Who is the U.S. to tell the Iraqi people how to run their country when many in the U.S. don't even believe their own President was legally elected?

Saddam is being vilified for gassing his own people and trying to develop weapons of mass destruction. However, when Saddam committed his worst crimes the U.S. was supporting him. This support included providing the means to produce chemical and biological weapons. Contrast this with the horrendous results of the U.S. led economic sanctions. More than a million Iraqis, mainly children and infants, have died because of these sanctions. After having destroyed the entire infrastructure of their country including hospitals, electricity generators, and water treatment plants, the U.S. then, with the sanctions, stopped the import of goods, medicines, parts, and chemicals necessary to restore even the most basic necessities of life.

There is no honor in murder. This war is murder by another name. When, in an unjust war, an errant bomb dropped kills a mother and her child it is not "collateral damage," it is murder. When, in an unjust war, a child dies of dysentery because a bomb damaged a sewage treatment plant, it is not "destroying enemy infrastructure," it is murder. When, in an unjust war, a father dies of a heart attack because a bomb disrupted the phone lines so he could not call an ambulance, it is not "neutralizing command and control facilities," it is murder. When, in an unjust war, a thousand poor farmer conscripts die in a trench defending a town they have lived in their whole lives, it is not victory, it is murder.

There will be veterans leading protests against this war on Iraq and your participation in it. During the Vietnam War thousands in Vietnam and in the U.S. refused to follow orders. Many resisted and rebelled. Many became conscientious objectors and others went to prison rather than bear arms against the so-called enemy. During the last Gulf War many GIs resisted in various ways and for many different reasons. Many of us came out of these wars and joined with the anti-war movement.

If the people of the world are ever to be free, there must come a time when being a citizen of the world takes precedence over being the soldier of a nation. Now is that time. When orders come to ship out, your response will profoundly impact the lives of millions of people in the Middle East and here at home. Your response will help set the course of our future. You will have choices all along the way. Your commanders want you to obey. We urge you to think. We urge you to make your choices based on your conscience. If you choose to resist, we will support you and stand with you because we have come to understand that our REAL duty is to the people of the world and to our common future.

Name, Branch, Years

Terry Scott Adams, Army, 1964-1966
Kelly A. Allison, Navy, 1975-1979
Ed Armas, Army, 1962-1965
Beatrice Arva, Army, 1985-1986, 1991-1993
Stephanie R. Atkinson, Army, 1984-1990
Paul L. Atwood, Marine Corps, 1965-1966
Niall Aslen, Royal Air Force, 1962-1986
Aram Attarian II, Air Force, 1965-1966
Henry Ayre, Coast Guard, 1942-1945
Collin Baber, Air Force, 1994-1998
Eric Bagai, Marine Corps, 1958-1961
Mack Bailey, Marine Corps, 1964-1966
David E Baker, Army, 1988-1991
Norman Balabanian, Army Air Corps, 1943-1946
Thomas E. Barden, Army, 1968-1971
Michelle L. Bastian, Army, 1976-1979
Russell Bates, Navy, 1967-1970
George Batton, Marine Corps
Philip L. Bereano, USPHS, 1966-1970
Patricia Berry, Army, 1979-1988
Anton Black, Navy, 1977-1984
Dave Blalock, Army 1968-1971
Michael Blankschen, Army, 1972-1973
David Bledsoe, Air Force, 1987-1997
Louis Block, Army, 1966-1972
Yoon Bok-dong, Marine Corps, 1972-1973
Blase Bonpane, Marine Corps Reserve, 1948-1950
Charlie Bonner, Marine Corps, 1963-1972
Ronald L. Bontsema, Navy, 1943-1946 & Navy Reserve; 1946-1951
Fr. Bob Bossie, SCJ, Air Force, 1955-1959
Allan Bostelmann, Army, 1953-1955
Roy Bourgeois, Navy, 1962-1966
Norman Angus Bowen, Air Force, 1962-1967
Todd Boyle, Navy, 1970-1972
Horace R. Boykin, Marine Corps, 1979-1982
William P. Brandt, Army
Don Broadwell, Marine Corps, 1960-1966
Jerry Brooks, Air Force, 1956-1959
Geoffrey Brown, Army, 1969-1971
Roger W Brown, Marine Corps, 1957-1960
Peter Brush, Marine Corps, 1966-1968
Bill Burkett, Army, 1971-1999
Greg Busby, Air Force, 1980-2000
Larry Bush, Army, 1968-1971
Michael Busich Sr, Marine Corps, 1965-1970
Dan Butts, Army, 1960-1963
Scott R. Cade, Army, 1968-1971
Kevin A. Cahalan, Marines, 1967-1970
Rick Campos, Air Force, 1969-1971
James Michael Case, Navy Reserve, 2.5 yrs
William J. Cavanaugh, Army, 1951-1953; Army Reserve, 1953-1982
Fredy Champagne, Army, 1965-1966
David Chelimer, Army, 1954-1956
Guy Chichester,USN 1952-1956
Gary A. Chipman, Army, 1970-1972
Elwood A. Chirrick, Navy, 1970-1972
Russ Christensen, Army, 1950-1954
Debra J. Clark, Army, 1976-1984
Rich Cohen, Army, 1963-1966
Rockney Compton, Army, 1967-1974
David Connolly, Army, 1967-1971
Graham Conrad, Texas Army National Guard, 1995-2001
David Coombs, Navy, 1995-1999
Frank Corcoran, Marines Corps, 1968-1969
Willis Cornes, Army, 1966-1969
Roger D Corvin, Coast Guard, 1971-1975
Scott Cossette, Marine Corps, 1999-2001
James Coty, Army, 1959-1962
Dave Coull, Scotland, British Royal Air Force,1959-1964
Davey Coull, Scotland SNP, 1939-1945
Carrol B. Cox, Air Force, 1951-1955
Mark Cox, Marine Corps, 1989-1992
Charles Craig, Navy, 1963-1965
James M. Craven, Army, 1963-1966
Charlotte Critcher, Army, 1964-1971
Gary Phillip Crosby, Air Force, 1966-1970
Milton Cunningham, Navy 1943-1945
Diane Curran, Army, 1969-1975
Gerald Curtis, Army 1953-1955 & Air Force 1955-1974
Robert Danko, Army Reserve, 1964-1970
Daniel N. Daugherty, Air Force, 1976-1980
Candice Davis, Navy, 1975-1979
Patrick Davis, Army, 1970-1971
Frank M. DePaul, Navy, 1958-1961
Ed Desmond, Navy, 1967-1971
Carl Dix, Army, 1968-1972
Burwell Dodd, Army, 1956-1958
Pete Doktor, Army, 1986-1989
Barry Donnan, British Army, 1987-1993
Colleen Donovan-Batson. Army. 1978-1981
Thomas W. Donovan. Army. 1981-1992
Pat Driscoll, Navy, 1972-1975
John DuBois, Army, 1962-1965
Kenneth Dugan, Navy, 1984-1988
John Dunker, Army, 1964-1968
Dan Duvelius. Army. 1968-1972
John P. Echavarria, Air Force, 1965-1969
Stephen R. Edwards, Army, 1963-1965
David Eldredge, Navy, 1953-1955
Jake Elkins, Marine Corps, 1965-1969
Marcus Eriksen, Marine Corps, 1985-1991
Orlando Espino, Marine Corps
Edward A Everts, Air Force, 1941-1946
Joseph C. Farah, Army, 1960-1963
Bob Fehribach, Navy, 3 yrs
Mike Ferner, Navy, 1969-1973
T. Patrick Foley, Navy, 1997-2000
David J. Fonda, Army, 1968-1971
Joe Forgy, Army, 1944-1945
Dr. Ray Foster, Army, 1972-1975
Lou Fox, Army, 1965
Robert Freis, Navy, 1951-1955
Dean Friend, Marine Corps, 1981-1985
Joseph P. Furayter, Army, 1938-1940 & 1942-1945
John M. Gallagher, Air Force, 1967-1969
India Mahdi Gamboa, Air Force, 1985-1987
Carl Gant, Air Force, 1965-1986
Alfonoso Garcia, Army, 1970-1972
John Gear, Navy, 1978-1989
Jim Gibson, Army, 1968-1970
Stanley A. Goff, Army, 1970-1996
Ernest Goitein, Army, 1943-1945
Jay R. Goodman, Army, 1969-1970
Amy C. Goodrich, Army, 1997-2002
Darrell L. Gray, Army, 1948-1952
Jerry Greenberg
Todd Greenwood, Marine Corps, 1993-2001
Edmonde Haddad, Air Force, 1951-1954
Steven Haines, Navy, 1963-1966
Linda J. Halford, Army Nurse Corps, 1968-1969
Kev Hall, Navy, 1973-1978
Robert Charles Hamilton III, Navy, 1986-1990
Jane D. Hamm, Marine Corps, 1943-1945
James Hamon, Air Force, 1954-1956
Robert Hanegan, Army, 1966-1969, & Air Force, 1981-1989
John Hanscom, Air Force, 1968-1990
Bob Hanson, Army Signal Corps, 1954-1956
James F. Harrington, Air Force, 1966-1967
David Harris, Air Force, 1965-1967
Mike Hastie, Army, 1969-1972
William T. Hathaway, Army, 1964-1967
Rev. Richard K. Heacock, Jr., Navy, 1944-1946
Glenn Helkenn, Army, 7 yrs
Dud Hendrick, Air Force, 1963-1967
Rodger Herbst, Army, 1969-1971
Andres Hernandez, Navy Reserve, 1979-1985
Steven A. Hessler, Air Force, 1973-1975
Oliver Hirsch, Air Force, 1966-1968
John Hockman, Army, 1963-1965
Arthur M. Howard, Army Air Force, 1944-1947
Walter Hrozenchik, Navy, 1951-1955
James Patrick Hynes, British Army ,1940s
Aaron Isom, Marine Corps, 1994-2000
Leo Jacobs, Army, 1942-I946
Charles Jannuzi, Army National Guard, 1980-1988 & Army Reserve, 1988-1989
Allen L. Jasson, Australian Army, 1972-1974
Harold B. Jamison, Air Force, 20 years
Michael L. Job, Army, 1968-1970
Ralph Johansen, Army, 3 years
Eric Edward Johansson, Army, 1989-1992
Jewel R. Johnson, Navy, 1944-1946
James C. Johnston, Army, 1966-1968
Mike Jordan, Navy, 1966-1970
Laurie Josue, Air Force, 1986-1990
Eric Joyal, Army, 1989-1996
Olaniyan Kanissa'ai, Navy, 1972-1974
Thomas V. Karlin, Navy, 1956-1960
James Michael Kearney, Army, 1963-1965
Ray Kell, Army, 1945-1946
Gerald Keller, Army, 1977-1981
Keith Keller, Air Force, 1966-1972
Harold E. Kelly, Jr., Air Force, 1977-1984
George M. Kesselring, Air Force, 1942-1963
Gerald Kessler, Air Force, 1940-1945
Talat Khan, Air Force, 1986-1992
Peretz Kidron, Israeli Defense Force, 1954-1957
Richard L. Kilgore, Marine Corps, 1965-1967
Charles Kilmer, Army, 1967-1970
Harold LM Kimball, Army, 1990-2001
Robert A. Kinsey, Marine Corps, 1955-1961
Ronald Knarr, Marines Corps, 1950-1952
Ron Kovic, Marine Corps, 1964-1968
Raymond Krauss, Marine Corps, 1969-1972
Robert Krezewinski, Navy, 1973-1977
Marty Kunz, Navy, 1970-1976
Krystal Kyer, Navy, 1993-1997
Mike Ladich, Marine Corps, 1943-1946
Edwin Lainhart, Navy, 1964-1968
Michael Lawton, Navy, 1962-1965
Kenneth M. Lee, Army, 1970-1973
Tim Lennon, Army, 1965-1968
John L. Levy, Naval Reserve, 1942-1946
Brian Lewis, Air Force, 1982-1988
Dan Lewis, Navy Reserve, 1976-1995
Neal Liden, Navy, 1965-1969
Janine Lockwood, Army, 1975-1978
Tom Lorenz, Air Force, 1967-1989
Charles Luce, Air Force, 1955-1959
Jerome M Lui, Army, 1944-1946
Keth Luke, Army, 1967-69
Fred W. MacArthur, Jr., Air Force, 1958-1983
Anthony Mallin, Navy 1943-1945 & Navy Reserve 1950-1951
Donald F. Maple, Navy, 1945-1946
George Mariscal, Army, 1968-1970
Rela Mazali, Israel Defense Force, 1966-1968
Mark McCleary, Navy, 1996-2002
Paul James McCoy, Navy, 1943-1945
Bruce McFarland, Navy, 1982-1986
C. Andrew McGuffin, Marine Corps, 1990-1994
Jim McWatt, Army, 1.5 yrs
Teresa Media, Navy, 1972-1977
Lloyd D. Mercer, Army, 1965-1968
Greg Miller, Army, 1966-1968
Ronnie D. Miller, Army, 3 yrs
Will Miller, Army Security Agency, 1957-1962
Jack Minassian, Army, 1943-1945
Joshua Minchen, Army, 1997-2000
Rob Moitoza, Navy, 1965-1971
George Molina, Marine Corps, 1968-1970
James W. Moore, Air Force, 1950-1954
Michael Moore, Army, 1975-1979
Paul S. Moorhead, Navy, 1943-1946
Austin Moran, Navy, 1978-1985
Dale L. Morgan, Air Force, 1956-1960
David Rees Morgan, British Royal Air Force, 1948-1950
Catherine Morris, Marine Corps, 1981-1985 & Army National Guard, 1989-1996
Rob Morris, Army, 1965-1969
Bryan Morrison, Air Force, 1994-1998
Paul Pat Morse, Air Force, 1965-1968
Steve Morse, Army, 1969-1971
Charles F. Munat, Army, Navy, 1979-1985
Joanne Murphy, Army Corps of Engineers, 2 years
John L. Murray, Army, 1971-1973
Germane Nachious, National Guard, 1994-2000
Greg Nees, Marine Corps, 1969-1971
John Niemi, Army, 1968-1970
Stan Nishimura, Army, 1964-1967
Jim Northrup, Marine Corps, 1961-1966
Tom Norwood, Army, 1952-1954
Robert Nuzum, Navy, 1950-1953
Jerome P. O'Mara, Army, 1966-1968
Greg A. O'Neill, Navy 1970-1974; Army 1979-1983
John L. Opperman, Navy, 1951-1970
T. E. Origer, Marine Corps, 1967-1969
Victor L. Ortiz, Army, 32 yrs
Ralph Osbon, 1969-1971
Clyde J. Oskins, Navy, 1944-1946
Doug Osmond, Army, 4 years
Wayne Evan Packwood, 1964-1968
John J. Pagoda, Air Force, 1965-1968 and 1985-1998
Todd A. Papasadero, Army, 1983-1989
John Pappademos, Naval Reserves, 1943-1946
Jeff Paterson, Marine Corps, 1986-1990
Norman L. Pearman, Army, 1950-1952
Richard Pedersen, Naval Reserve 1955-1959
Joe Peitte, Air Force, 1966-1969
Robert Perrotta, Army, 1966-1968
Wilson M. Powell, Air Force, 1950-1954
Joseph M. Powers, Army, 1970-1971
Douglas Reeves, Army, 1990-1995
Dana Richter, 1967-1971
Jerry D. Riley, Army 1953-1955
Ervine M. Rips, Army, 1942-1946
Douglas Robbins, Air Force, 1952-1956
Don Roberts, Navy, 1978-1988
Marcia Furayter Roberts, Army, 1983-1991
Robert J Rogers, Air Force 1951-1953
Irwin A Rose, Navy, WWII
Robert L. Rosenberg, Army, 1944-1946
Samuel M. Ross, Merchant Seaman, 1941-1946
Randy Rowland, Army, 1967-1970
Felix Rusnak, Army, 2 yrs
Rodney A Rylander, Air Force, 1962-1967
Steven E. Saelzler, Army, 1969-1971
Emile E. Sander IV, Marine Corps, 1980-2000
Kenna E. Sander, Army, 1982-1985
Lee Santa, Army, 1965-1968
William F. Santelmann, Jr., Marine Corps, Air Force Reserves, 1954-1957
Patrick Santy, Air Force, 1966-1970
Dan Scaarlett, Army, 1943-1945
Paul Schaefer, Air Force, 1960-1964
Richard Hermann Schmidt, Navy, 1957-1960
Louis Anthony Schmittroth, Jr., Army, 1943-1956
Ken Schneider, Air Force, 1960-1964
Nikko Schoch, Army, 1968-1970
Steven R. "Kim" Scipes, Marine Corps, 1969-1973
Betty R. Scott, Navy, 1943-1945
Walter M. Scott, Army, 1960-1962
George Seaman, Army, 1971-1975
Burt Shachter, Air Force, 1944-1946
Richard Shaffer, Marine Corps, 1956-1959
Peter B. Shaw, Marine Corps, 1951-1954
Paul A. Sheehan, Air Force, 1988-1992
James Shockley, Army, 1975-1978
Larry Shute, Army, 1952-1954
Vern Simula, Army, 1954-1956
William O. Slayman, Navy, 1943-1946
Bradley Smith, Navy, 1974-1980
Charles T. Smith, Army, 1969-1971
Douglas C. Smyth, Army Security Agency, 1961-1964
Tracey William Snyder, Navy, 1994-1998
Robert Sorrell, Navy, 1963-1967
John Steinbach, Coast Guard, 1965-1969
Robert Stephens, Marine Corps, 1966-1970
Joe Stern, Air Force, 1941-1946
John D. Stickle, Air Force, 1966-1970
Harold L. Stokes
Ted Stolze, Air Force, 1979-1980
William B. Strange Jr., Army, 1967-1970
Harold Strom, 25 years
Darnell S. Summers, Army, 1966-1970
Charles W. Sweet, Army, 1942-1946
Thomas Swift, Army, 1953-1955
Harold Taggart, Air Force, 1959-1964
Toby Tahja-Syrett, Army, 1992-1996
Bruce William Taylor, Navy, 10 years
d'andre Teeter, Navy, 1965-1966
Elliott Teters, Army, 1977-1980
Joe Thompson, Army, 1958-1961
Edward L. Tonningsen, Army, 1943-1946
Robert Travaline, Air Force, 1968-1972
Tom Trigg, Army, 1967-1975
Peggy Tuxen-Akers, Army Nurse Corps, 1969-1972
Joe Urgo, Air Force, 1967-1968
Tom Urgo, Army, 1968-1970
Michael Vaughan, Navy, 1976-1980
Gerald Waite, Army, 1967-1982
Paul J. Walker, Air Force, 1974-1978
Tom Ward, Air Force, 1959-1963
William H. Warrick III MD, Army Security Agency, 1968-1971
John Warriner, Air Force, 1964-1969
Eric Wasileski, Navy, 1993-1999
Brian G. Watko, Army, 1992-1996
Cora Tula Watters, Marine Corps, Korean Era
Carl Webb, Army, 1982-present
Kenneth Weeks, Marine Corps, 1960-1966
Chris Welch, Air Force, 1984-1988
Joel Wendland, Army, 1991-1993
Jerry West, Marine Corps, 1965-1970
Phillip Whitaker, Air Force, 1973-1981
Tim White, Air Force, 1966-1970
Roy W. White, Air Force, 1949-1953
Darrell Widner, Navy, 1977-1981
David Wiggins MD, Army, Gulf War
E. Duane Wilkerson, Air Force, 1969-1973
Sonny Williams, Army, 1966-1970
John P. Wirtz, Army, 1943-1946
Robert J. ``Woody'' Woodruff, Army, 1966-1970
James Wojtkowski, Navy, 1969-1972
Mike Wong, Army, 1969-1975
Paul Wright, Army, 1983-1987
William Yates, Navy, 1943-1946
Leonard Zablow, Army, 1945-1946
Luis Zamora, Army, 1948-1971
Jeff Zamrzla, Marine Corps, 1974-1976
Howard Zinn, Air Force, 1943-1945
Greg Zolad, Army, 1967-1969