From The Living Archives Of Boston Veterans For Peace-They Ain't Your Grandfather's Veterans-By Site Manager Greg Green-VFP Efforts In The March 2018 March For Our Lives

From The Living Archives Of Boston Veterans For Peace-They Ain't Your Grandfather's Veterans-By Site Manager Greg Green-VFP Efforts In The March 2018 March For Our Lives         

[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 upon 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, 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 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 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. He 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.]

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[One of Ralph Morris and Sam Eaton’s proudest moments in their recent anti-war activities associated with VFP was not directly related to war, although certainly part of war culture pervasive in the gun-drizzled society at large but with acting as peace-keepers in the local anti-gun rally organized by March for Our Lives at the end of March of 2018 after the horrendous Parkland High School massacre. There was no question a split opinion within VFP on the question of providing peacekeeping cadre when the March organizers asked for assistance after threats from the Alt-Right materialized and in the wake of Charlottesville down in Virginia in 2017 had to be taken seriously, very seriously. Since all actions by the organization are voluntary Sam and Ralph naturally volunteered to help keep the peace but also to help train what will be the next generation of activists in the continuing struggle for more peaceful world where guns and endless wars have lost their appeal.]    

Saturday’s March-Marchers from Madison Park

Doug, Jeff and all-make comment and then incorporate whatever you want to use in an e-mail to list 

Dan and I went to the peacekeeping training/organizing meetings last night and here is the updated information we have been provided with.

The Alt-Right and allies are having an unpermitted rally at the State House starting at eleven o’clock so we can expect at least some counter-protesters and infiltrators throughout the day so all need to be vigilant around the Common at least.

The police have indicated no poles allowed. What else is not allowed we don’t know but travelling light and warm is the best bet.

This is the kids’ march (under 25) and no others, kids and family march with the adults in back of the independent kids. They will lead everything from the beginning and will be at the front of the stage at the Common. They will have their own staging area on Tremont Street.

The Boston Globe today has a map of the march route which is essentially down Tremont Street from Madison Park to Columbus to Park Plaza (Stuart Street and Arlington) and then to the Copley entrance to the Common (the place where we start to march on Armistice Day right after the “officials” step off). The stage is set up at the Charles Street and Beacon Street entrance (the place where we stage on Armistice Day).  

There will be a place complete with banner at Dartmouth and Columbus for those who cannot or do not want to march the whole two miles from Madison Park. 

Those who are neither marchers nor peacekeepers should show up at the Common after 12 noon. The organizer emphasized that point so those peacekeepers on the Common can do their work before then.

The March step-off time is expected to no later than 11:30 AM with arrival at Dartmouth and Columbus by 12:45 and entry into the Common about 1:30 with a 2:00 start time and finish about 4:00 which means a long day so pacing and hydration is important.

At Madison Park the head marshal (think marshal and peacekeeper as essentially the same thing) will be set-up at 6:30-marshals will arrive at 7:00 and be assigned areas in the staging area and along the parade route. People are expected to be starting to arrive by 9:00. About 10:45 there will be a pep rally for people in the back of the march. About 11:15 for the front. Then off.    

There will be contingents of medics, National Lawyers Guild observers and others like social workers to aid along the route. After arriving at the Common there will “safe havens” for those who need a quiet space for any reason can’ at the First Church on Marlborough Street, the Old South Church on Boylston and Saint Peter’s on Tremont right across from the Common.

There are no portable toilets at Madison which will be locked down as far as we know nor along the route so be inventive. There will be facilities at the Common.