Monday, November 19, 2018

From The Living Archives Of Boston Veterans For Peace-They Ain't Your Grandfather's Veterans -The Annual Honk! Parade


From The Living Archives Of Boston Veterans For Peace-They Ain't Your Grandfather's Veterans

[Ralph Morris who has lived in Troy, New York most of his life, been raised there and raised his own family there, went to war, the bloody, horrendous Vietnam War which he has made plain many times he will never live down, never get over what he did, what he saw others do, and most importantly for the long haul, what his evil government did with no remorse to people in that benighted country with whom he had no quarrel never was much for organizations, joining organizations when he was young until he came up a group formed in the fire of the Vietnam War protests -Vietnam Veteran Against the War (VVAW) which he joined after watching a contingent of them pass by in silent march protesting the war in downtown Albany one fall afternoon. Somebody in that contingent with a microphone called out to any veterans observing the march who had had enough of war, had felt like that did to “fall in” (an old army term well if bitterly remembered). He did and has never looked back although for the past many years his affiliation has been with a subsequent anti-war veterans’ group Veterans for Peace.  

Sam Eaton, who has lived in Carver, Massachusetts, most of his life, been raised there and raised his own family there, and did not go to war. Did not go for the simple reason that due to a severe childhood accident which left him limping severely thereafter he was declared no fit for military duty, 4-F the term the local draft board used. He too had not been much for organizations, joining organizations when he was young. That is until his best friend from high school, Jeff Mullins, died in hell-hole Vietnam and before he had died asked Sam that if anything happened to him to let the world that he had done things, had seen others do things, and most importantly for the long haul, what his evil government did with no remorse to people in that benighted country with whom he had no quarrel. As part of honoring Jeff’s request after Sam found out about his death he was like a whirling dervish joining one anti-war action after another, joining one ad hoc group, each more radical than the previous one as the war ground away, ground all rational approach vapid, let nothing left but to go left, until the fateful day when he met Ralph down in Washington, D.C.

That was when both in their respective collectives, Ralph in VVAW and Sam in Cambridge Red Front, were collectively attempting one last desperate effort to end the war by closing down the government if it would not shut down the war. All they got for their efforts were tear gas, police batons, and arrest bracelets and a trip to the bastinado which was the floor of Robert F. Kennedy stadium which is where they would meet after Sam noticed Ralph’s VVAW pin and told him about Jeff and his request. That experience would form a lasting friendship including several years ago Sam joining Ralph’s Veterans for Peace as a supporter, an active supporter still trying to honor his long- gone friend’s request and memory.

No one least of all either of them would claim they were organizing geniuses, far from it but over the years they participated, maybe even helped organize many anti-war events. One day their friend, Josh Breslin, who writes a by-line at this publication, and who is also a veteran asked them to send some of events they had participated in here to form a sort of living archives of the few remaining activist groupings in this country, in America who are still waging the struggle for peace.

Periodically, since we are something of a clearing house and historic memory for leftist activities, we will put their archival experiences into our archives. One of the most interesting parades they have attended over the past several years is something over what used to be known in polite society in October as Columbus Day, then except maybe in the Italian neighborhoods Discoverer’s Day and lately in those Cambridge-Somerville precincts Ingenious People’s Day is the Honk! (that exclamation mark goes with it) which starts in the latter town and end in the former town in Harvard Square. This is what they laughingly call a “preaching to the choir” parade, meaning of course those who are without some combination of progressive/leftwing/identity politics while not excluded would be out of place in contingents of wild-eyed marching bands (definitely not your John Phillip Sousa productions), jugglers, clowns, lithe stilt-walkers and whatever including more cross-dressing than one would think possible in such a relatively small space.     

The beauty of this one for Smedleys, the Smedley Butler Brigade, the designation of the local chapter, made up of like Ralph many Vietnam era veterans is that the parade is mercifully short by parade standards and moves pretty quickly. Best of all is the great response they get from the crowds along the route. As Ralph mentioned to Josh one time the rush that he got from the crowds especially in Harvard Square got him through the year. Josh wondered if Sam felt the same. Site Manager Greg Green]   
 



First Call-Honk! Parade-Harvard Square Octoberfest Marchers and Volunteers for Sunday October 7th -use this thread to response to announcement=Ralph Morris     

Right now I am heading a committee of Tommy Boucher, John Ratliff, John Robinson and Pat Scanlon as marchers/volunteers

We need marchers to meet at about 11 AM in Davis Square to march a mile or so to Harvard Square with banners and flags. We can use someone to bring the materials to Davis Square

Each year we set up the canopy and tables with literature and clothing for sale. etc. so we need help I am not sure exactly when but probably about 10 AM to set up, to staff the table for two hour shifts and to help take down about 5 PM

Use this thread to volunteer
  
Also I would like us to use every opportunity to push our Armistice Day activities on the 100th anniversary come Nob 11th so we will need people to make banners or maybe Pat Scanlon can ask his banner-making to help us out yet again. Later Ralph Morris   


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