IVAW - New York Chapter – Two generations of soldiers will get together on Thursday to speak out about two wars in which U.S. soldiers were ordered to do things that violated their consciences and the rules of war.
Participants will include veterans from Winter Soldier - a 1971 public investigation that revealed the criminal nature of the Vietnam War – and Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan – a similar event slated to take place next month. In addition, local musician Liah Alonso will perform a song she wrote entitled “Winter Soldier.”
Hosted by the New York chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Vietnam Veterans Against the War and New York Society for Ethical Culture, the gathering will be a fundraiser to cover travel costs for New York veterans attending next month's Winter Soldier – slated to take place from March 13-16 at the National Labor College just outside of Washington, D.C.
“Next month at Winter Soldier, local veterans will be joining others from across the country who will be standing up to share their experiences. Their stories will show that wrongdoings in Iraq and Afghanistan are not isolated incidents perpetrated by “bad apples” but widespread occurrences that are the direct result of bad policy,” said Jose Vasquez, president of Iraq Veterans Against the War's New York chapter. “We've heard from the politicians, we've heard from the generals, we've heard from the media – now it's our turn.”
Iraq Veterans Against the War was founded in 2004 to give those who have served in the military since September 11, 2001 a way to come together and speak out against an unjust, illegal and unwinnable war. Today, IVAW has over 700 members in 49 states, Washington, D.C. and Canada and on military bases overseas.
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