How GIs organized in Iraq against the war

U.S. Army veterans of both wars against Iraq and from the Vietnam War period and supporters of resistance inside the U.S. military filled the Judson Memorial Church here on the evening of Nov. 17 to hear an update on current military resistance.

From left, anti-war Iraq War veterans Garett Reppenhagen, Jeff Englehart and Joe Hatcher, Nov. 17. WW photo: John Catalinotto

Featured speakers were Garett Reppenhagen, Jeff Englehart and Joe Hatcher, who were stationed with the First Infantry Division in Diyala Province in Iraq during 2004-2005 and spoke out, while there, against the war and occupation. Now members of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), the three took turns describing the difficult atmosphere for dissent. “We had the sense of overwhelming power over our heads,” said Reppenhagen, “which made it hard to openly resist. We couldn’t go to the latrine without our sergeant knowing about it.”

“There was no ‘behind the lines’ and no sidelines,” said Englehart. “We were at very small bases and under the constant scrutiny of commanders. We felt our main role as dissenters was to bear witness to the American people. Our big campaign was pasting the sticker, “Bush lies, who dies?” all over the base. The commanders would take down the stickers that were up front. But when we put them in the corners and on the latrine doors, the soldiers would quietly let them stay.”

The veterans are now speaking out at anti-war rallies and strengthening the morale of the growing number of people who protest occupation. What they showed was that even two years ago military dissidence was possible in the U.S. Army, even in Iraq itself.

Also at the meeting, Tod Ensign of Citizen Soldier announced that A Different Drummer, a gathering place for GIs to discuss their attitude toward the continuing war, had recently been established in Watertown, N.Y., near Camp Drum, based on the model of the coffee-houses that anti-war forces set up near military bases during the war against Vietnam.

Tom Barton, editor of the Web-based daily newspaper GI Special, chaired part of the meeting and reported that increased mail to his site showed a growing opposition to the war within the military.

The general tone of the meeting was that the Republican defeat at the polls will not of itself end the war and that increased action in the streets and especially in the barracks will be needed.