From The Living
Archives Of Boston Veterans For Peace-They Ain't Your Grandfather's Veterans-Civil
Disobedience And The Boston Common VFP Encampment On Memorial Day, 2018 As Part
Of The Poor People’s Campaign-War Economy Week
[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. As mentioned above
Sam and Ralph “met” each other down in Washington, D.C. during the May Day anti-war
demonstrations of 1971 when out of desperation clots of anti-war radicals,
veterans and civilians alike, tried unsuccessfully to shut down the government if
it would not shut down the Vietnam War. They “met,” their in forever quotation marks
not mine, on the floor of Robert F. Kennedy football stadium after they had
been arrested along with members of their respective collectives, Ralph’s VVAW
and Sam’s Red Front Brigade after getting nothing but tear gas, police batons
and a ride in the paddy wagon for their efforts. What they were doing, what for
each of the them, according to Josh Breslin who met them shortly after they got
“sprung,” also then a member of VVAW and also arrested but who had been held in a
D.C. city jail, were their first acts of civil disobedience. The first of a
long time of such actions which is the lead in to the archival material presented
in this piece.
Josh, who introduced the
pair to me several years ago when I first came on board to manage the day to
day operations of this publication after Allan Jackson, aging and ready to
retire, brought me on board for that purpose so he could work on where the
publication was heading. Josh mentioned the Washington action as their calling
card although then, in 1971, I was about a decade too young to have realized
what they were doing and how important it was for their future political trajectories,
their political commitments to “fight the monster,” their term, on the questions
of war and peace and other social issues. Not have realized, not having done
any such actions how important civil disobedience, or the threat of such
actions was, is to their political perspectives.
[By the way, as Josh
was at pains under pressure from Ralph and Sam, to report to me that May Day
action was not the first attempt by either man to “get arrested,” to “put their
bodies on the line” as Sam articulated it to me one night when we were putting
this piece together. May Day was just the first time when the cops, National Guard,
Regular Army was willing, with a vengeance, to take them up on the offer. Both
men had tried repeatedly to get arrested “sitting down” at their respective local
draft boards in Carver and Troy in order to warn off young men on signing up for
the draft. Maybe it was the nature of the times but the local police would not
arrest them.]
As the following action
announcement centered on Memorial Day, 2018 indicates they have never stopped “putting
their bodies on the line.” Josh told me that the only difference between 2018
and 1971 is that they, and he include himself in this point, that rather
than do an action to court arrest they had changed their attitude to one of doing
whatever action they were committed to doing and accepting the consequences.
That would be Sam and Ralph’s position on Memorial Day when the local VFP
leadership decided to encamp on Boston Common overnight as part of War Economy
Week” (week three) of an on-going Poor Peoples Campaign on-going project.
Mention of the Poor
People’s Campaign should both ring a bell and be explained since the 2018 tasks were, are directly linked those in 1968. None of the men had had any connection
to the original campaign in 1968 which had been organized and promoted by the
late Doctor Martin Luther King before he was assassinated in April of that year
and which was continued by other civil rights and social justice leaders after
that into the summer of 1968. Josh was out in California as part of his extended
Summer of Love experience before he got nailed by his draft board in Olde Saco,
Maine. Ralph was in Vietnam and Sam was still busy supporting his mother and four
sisters after his father had died suddenly. This point is important since none
of them were active back then they grabbed onto the upcoming events with every hand.
At every level it was
a “no brainer,” Josh’s term for VFP to get involved with the 50th
anniversary edition of the PPC since some many of the projected actions, including
week three’s War Economy Week which would highlight the Military Industrial Complex
(MIC) role in perpetuating war and draining resources from the continuing
vexing social problems, social needs, around housing, homelessness, education,
jobs and the whole smorgasbord of needs, especially as related to veterans who
have increasingly been among those who are in need of a whole range of social
services.
The idea of the forty-day
Spring 2018 campaign was to have each week centered on a particular social
issue, organize around that weekly issue and be committed to some very public
social actions-including publicity catching civil disobedience. That is where
the idea of the veterans’ encampment came to the fore which had some precedents
with the Veterans march on Washington in the 1930s (suppressed by General “Dug
Out” Doug MacArthur) and later in early 1971 on the National Mall. This is
where the new-found notion of our guys of doing and action and accepting the consequences
got a good work-out. They would keep the encampment overnight without permit (or
rather overstaying the permit), let the devil take the hinter-post and see
what happened. The big effort thus was to get enough veterans and supporters to
made a splash and to defend the encampment-hence the plethora of announcements (In
the event they said they could have gone either way-have the encampment stay
overnight or have the police arrest veterans on sacred Memorial Day, the former
happened). Site Manager Greg Green]
In the interest of
completeness, in the interest of archival norms we are including all of the announcements
concerning the Memorial Day, 2018 activities mentioned above:
People Get Ready The
Peace “Train” Is Coming- If You Want To
Join The Fight Against The Military-Industrial Complex Up Close And Personal-Looking
For Night Owls- We Need Peace Team Members To Protect Our Poor People’s
Campaign-VFP Encampment Monday Evening May 28th
Forward to anybody you
think could help us Monday night into Tuesday
morning.
As all should be aware
of by now we are planning an overnight encampment on Boston Common starting at
noon on Monday Memorial Day May 28th and extending to about 11 AM on Tuesday
May 29th - we need people who plan on staying overnight to be part of a peace
team during the latter part of Monday from 6 PM through Tuesday morning around
9 AM -we expect to need 12-15 people in two or three person teams in shifts of
two to three hours to protect the encampment and raise the alarm if necessary
if something untoward happens during the night.
Can you help by
circulating this message to your network of contacts of people who might show
after a personal appeal-thanks David
If You Want To Join
The Fight Against The Military-Industrial Complex Up Close And Personal -
Veterans For Peace and Supporters All Out- Memorial Day Monday May 28th and Tuesday May 29th War Economy Week On Boston Common Are Your Days To
Shine In Support Of The Poor People’s Campaign
Veterans for Peace and
The Poor People’s Campaign Wants You - All Out!
This is a special
appeal for all Veterans for Peace and their supporters in the Boston and New
England area to show up and support the activities on May 28th and May 29th on
historic Boston Common for at least part of either day. David Lucas for the
Smedley Executive Committee
********
The Smedley Butler
Brigade, Chapter 9, Veterans For Peace has been a proud co-sponsor of the Poor
People’s Campaign now in the midst of a forty day campaign to highlight the
plight of the poor and oppressed peoples and communities in the United States
(and internationally). We have already had two weeks
of Monday actions in Boston.
Week three, War
Economy Week, is obviously our week to shine since it will highlight the
connections between the bloated war economy, the endless wars and the attempts
to privatize the Veteran Administration services all of which directly affect
the lives of the poor and oppressed. This week, these associations, and the
huge possible impact are what we have been looking for now for many years. Here
is your chance to be to on the front line of the fight against the
Military-Industrial Complex.
On Monday May 28th Memorial Day starting at noon on Boston Common
members of Veterans for Peace, the Poor Peoples Campaign and their allies will
conduct a day-long program centered on these issues. We intend to camp
overnight in order to bring our concerns to various governmental
agencies on Tuesday when those offices are open for business.
We will be pitching
tents during this encampment, have literature tables, and have a speakers’
platform to let various organizations and individuals give their perspectives
on the war economy and what to do about it. Since the State House will be
closed that day for the holiday this week’s actions will be extended to a
morning speak-out on the Common and a rally in front of the State House on
Tuesday May 29th at 2 PM.
Our Annual Memorial Day for Peace program will
start at 3 PM at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial up the hill from the
encampment.
We need you since we
have many tasks that need to be taken care of now and on those two important
days. So, attention please - use this e-mail to volunteer for any
of the following: helping set up tents, canopies, flags, banners, tables,
chairs, and supplies; act as peacekeepers and marshals; help patrol the site during
the night; help set up sound system and stage; contact other veterans and
veterans organizations; make up banners, and help keep the site clean and clean
up after our actions are completed.
Please, if you are
planning on attending the activities either day or wish to help out with tasks
now or then e-mail Dave Lucas at davidlucas34@comcast.net
Check our Facebook
page and the Smedley Butler Brigade website for updates and other information
during this coming week.
We Are Getting Close- A
Special Appeal - Veterans For Peace and Supporters All Out- Memorial Day Monday
May 28th and Tuesday May 29th War Economy Week On Boston Common Are Your Days To
Shine In Support Of The Poor People’s Campaign
Veterans for Peace and
The Poor People’s Campaign Wants You - All Out!
This e-mail sent is a
special appeal for all Veterans For Peace and their supporters in the Boston
and New England area to show up and support the activities on May 28th and May 29th on
historic Boston Common for at least part of either day. David Lucas for the
Smedley Executive Committee
********
The Smedley Butler
Brigade, Chapter 9, Veterans For Peace has been a proud co-sponsor of the Poor
People’s Campaign now in the midst of a forty day campaign to highlight the
plight of the poor and oppressed peoples and communities in the United States
(and internationally). We have already had two weeks of Monday actions
in Boston.
Week three, War
Economy Week, is obviously our week to shine since it will highlight the
connections between the bloated war economy, the endless wars and the attempts
to privatize the Veteran Administration services all of which directly affect
the lives of the poor and oppressed. This week, these associations, and the
huge possible impact are what we have been looking for now for many years. Here
is your chance to be to on the front line of the fight against the
Military-Industrial Complex.
On Monday May 28th Memorial Day starting at noon on Boston Common
members of Veterans for Peace, the Poor Peoples Campaign and their allies will
conduct a day-long program centered on these issues.
We will have
literature tables, and have a speakers’ platform to let various organizations
and individuals give their perspectives on the war economy and what to do about
it. During the afternoon we will also have our annual Memorial Day for Peace
program. Since the State House will be closed that day for the holiday this
week’s actions will be extended to a morning speak-out on the Common and a
rally in front of the State House on Tuesday May 29th at 2 PM.
We need you since we
have many tasks that need to be taken care of now and on those two important
days. So, attention please - use this e-mail to volunteer for any
of the following: helping set up tents, canopies, flags, banners, tables,
chairs, and supplies; act as peacekeepers and marshals; help set up sound
system and stage; contact other veterans and veterans organizations; make up
banners, and help keep the site clean and clean up after our actions are
completed.
Please, if you are
planning on attending the activities either day or wish to help out with tasks
now or then e-mail davidlucas34@comcast.net
Check our Facebook
page and the Smedley Butler Brigade website for updates and other information
during this coming week.
Looking For Night Owls- We Need Peace Team
Members To Protect Our Poor People’s Campaign-VFP Encampment Monday May 28th
Forward to anybody you think could help us
Monday night into Tuesday
morning.
As all should be aware
of by now we are planning an overnight encampment on Boston Common starting at
noon on Monday Memorial Day May 28th and extending to about 11 AM on Tuesday May
29th - we need people who plan on staying overnight to be part of a peace team
during the latter part of Monday from 6 PM through Tuesday morning around 9 AM -we
expect to need 12-15 people in two or three person teams in shifts of two to
three hours to protect the encampment and raise the alarm if necessary if something
untoward happens during the night
Veterans For Peace and The Poor People’s Campaign Wants You - All
Out!
This private e-mail
sent to you personally is a special appeal for all Veterans For Peace and their
supporters in the Boston and New England area to show up and support the
activities on May 28th and May 29th on historic
Boston Common for at least part of either day. David Lucas for the Smedley
Executive Committee
********
The Smedley Butler Brigade,
Chapter 9, Veterans For Peace has been a proud co-sponsor of the Poor People’s
Campaign now in the midst of a forty day campaign to highlight the plight of
the poor and oppressed peoples and communities in the United States (and
internationally). We have already had two weeks of Monday actions in
Boston.
Week three, War
Economy Week, is obviously our week to shine since it will highlight the
connections between the bloated war economy, the endless wars and the attempts
to privatize the Veteran Administration services all of which directly affect
the lives of the poor and oppressed. This week, these associations, and the
huge possible impact are what we have been looking for now for many years. Here
is your chance to be to on the front line of the fight against the
Military-Industrial Complex.
On Monday May 28th Memorial
Day starting at noon on Boston Common members of Veterans For Peace, the Poor Peoples Campaign and their allies will conduct a
day-long program centered on these issues. We intend to camp overnight in order
to bring our concerns to various governmental agencies on
Tuesday when those offices are open for business.
We will be pitching
tents during this encampment, have literature tables, and have a speakers
platform to let various organizations and individuals give their perspectives
on the war economy and what to do about it. During the afternoon we will also
have our annual Memorial Day for Peace program. Since the State House will be
closed that day for the holiday this week’s actions will be extended to a
morning speak-out on the Common and a rally in front of the State House on
Tuesday May 29th at 2 PM.
We need you since we
have many tasks that need to be taken care of now and on those two important
days. So, attention please - use this e-mail to volunteer for any
of the following: helping set up tents, canopies, flags, banners, tables,
chairs, and supplies; act as peacekeepers and marshals; help patrol the site
during the night; help set up sound system and stage; contact other veterans and
veterans organizations; make up banners, and help keep the site clean and clean
up after our actions are completed.
Check our Facebook
page and the Smedley Butler Brigade website for updates and other information
during this coming week.
A Personal Special
Appeal -Veterans For Peace And Supporters All Out- Memorial Day Monday May 28th and Tuesday May 29th Od War Economy Week On Boston Common Are Your Days To
Shine In Support Of The Poor People’s Campaign
Veterans for Peace And
The Poor People’s Campaign Wants You-All Out
This private e-mail
sent to you personally is a special appeal to all Veterans for Peace and their
supporters in the Boston and New England area to show up and support the
activities on May 28th and
May 29th on historic Boston Common for at least
part of either day. David Lucas for the Smedley Executive Committee
********
The Smedley Butler
Brigade, Chapter 9, Veterans for Peace has been a proud co-sponsor of the Poor
People’s Campaign now in the midst of a forty day campaign to highlight the
plight of the poor and oppressed peoples and communities in the United States
(and internationally). We have already had two weeks of Monday actions in
Boston.
Week three, War
Economy Week, is obviously our week to shine since it will highlight the
connections between the bloated war economy, the endless wars and the attempts
to privatize the Veteran Administration services all of which directly affect
the lives of the poor and oppressed. This week, these associations, and
the huge possible impact are what we have been looking for now for many years.
Here is your chance to fight the Military-Industrial Complex in person.
On Monday May 28th Memorial Day starting at noon on Boston Common members of
Veterans for Peace, the Poor Peoples Campaign and their allies will conduct a
day-long program centered on these issues. We intend to camp overnight in order
to bring our concerns to various governmental agencies on Tuesday when those
offices are open for business.
We will be pitching
tents during this encampment, have literature tables, and have a speaker’s
platform to let various organizations and individuals give their perspectives
on the war economy and what to do about it. During the afternoon we will also
have our annual Memorial Day for Peace program. Since the State House will be
closed that day for the holiday this week’s actions will be extended to a
morning speak-out on the Common and a rally in front of the State House on
Tuesday May 29th at 2 PM.
We need you since we
have many tasks needed to be taken care of now and on those two important days
so use this e-mail to volunteer for any of the following: helping set up tents,
canopies, flags, banners, tables, chairs, and supplies; act as peacekeepers and
marshals; help patrol the site during the night; help set up sound system and
stage; contact other veterans and veterans organizations; make up banners, and
help keep the site clean and clean up after our actions are completed.
Check our Facebook
page and the Smedley Butler Brigade website for updates and other information
during this coming week.
A Personal Special
Appeal -Veterans For Peace And Supporters All Out- Memorial Day Monday May 28th
and Tuesday May 29th Od War Economy Week On Boston Common Are Your
Days To Shine In Support Of The Poor People’s Campaign
Veterans for Peace And
The Poor People’s Campaign Wants You-All Out
This private e-mail sent
to you personally is a special appeal to all Veterans for Peace and their
supporters in the Boston and New England area to show up and support the
activities on May 28th and May 29th on historic Boston
Common for at least part of either day. David Lucas for the Smedley Executive
Committee
********
The Smedley Butler
Brigade, Chapter 9, Veterans for Peace has been a proud co-sponsor of the Poor
People’s Campaign now in the midst of a forty day campaign to highlight the
plight of the poor and oppressed peoples and communities in the United States
(and internationally). We have already had two weeks of Monday actions in
Boston.
Week three, War
Economy Week, is obviously our week to shine since it will highlight the
connections between the bloated war economy, the endless wars and the attempts
to privatize the Veteran Administration services all of which directly affect
the lives of the poor and oppressed. This
week, these associations, and the huge possible impact are what we have been
looking for now for many years. Here is your chance to fight the
Military-Industrial Complex in person.
On Monday May 28th
Memorial Day starting at noon on Boston Common members of Veterans for Peace,
the Poor Peoples Campaign and their allies will conduct a day-long program
centered on these issues. We intend to camp overnight in order to bring our
concerns to various governmental agencies on Tuesday when those offices are
open for business.
We will be pitching tents
during this encampment, have literature tables, and have a speaker’s platform to
let various organizations and individuals give their perspectives on the war
economy and what to do about it. During the afternoon we will also have our
annual Memorial Day for Peace program. Since the State House will be closed
that day for the holiday this week’s actions will be extended to a morning
speak-out on the Common and a rally in front of the State House on Tuesday May
29th at 2 PM.
We need you since we
have many tasks needed to be taken care of now and on those two important days
so use this e-mail to volunteer for any of the following: helping set up tents,
canopies, flags, banners, tables, chairs, and supplies; act as peacekeepers and
marshals; help patrol the site during the night; help set up sound system and
stage; contact other veterans and veterans organizations; make up banners, and
help keep the site clean and clean up after our actions are completed.
Check our Facebook
page and the Smedley Butler Brigade website for updates and other information during
this coming week.
