Download PDF of this full issue: v31n1.pdf (13.8 MB)

From the National Office

By Barry Romo

With the terrorist attacks of September 11, the notion of what is "normal" for us in the United States has been severely changed. We in VVAW lost friends and co-workers, and we all mourn the deaths of thousands from nearly eighty different countries in these attacks. We demand that the perpetrators of such carnage be brought to justice.

This single issue of The Veteran for 2001 reflects the social justice work we continue to do, after nearly 35 years in existence. Unfortunately, there always seems to be a new war, which produces new veterans, with many of the same problems we faced on coming home - a major reason we are still around after all these years. There is always an issue in which VVAW's voice and action has meaning. We've got to keep on going.

The Bob Kerrey story allowed us to once again present the real war in Vietnam rather than the "noble cause gone wrong" line, and showed why VVAW is still needed. Our opinions were aired in media around the country, including talk shows, radio, newspapers, and TIME magazine

Even if we take Bob Kerrey's side of the story completely from his own words, he is responsible for stabbing to death four male Vietnamese captives who were not doing anything wrong, but who might have made some noise and given away Kerrey's group's position.

The media and chorus of Kerrey supporters seem to think that the Vietnamese didn't have a right to live in their own country. They seem to think that "hooches" weren't homes and that dirt floors were a sign of subhumanity. They seem to think that Kerrey was somehow the victim rather than the Vietnamese he killed. Imagine, he had problems sleeping. Think about the fathers and mothers and children and grandchildren who witnessed their loved ones being slaughtered in front of them. I imagine they have had problems sleeping for the last thirty years. The true victims are the Vietnamese.

VVAW has been around for thirty-four years because of the dedicated people who work without pay. Our staffers and coordinators are all volunteers and we would not exist without them and their dedication to holding together this organization. This paper comes out because of two of them.

Lisa Boucher takes the articles - some look like they were written in a bathroom on toilet paper without a dictionary - and makes them into something that you are hopefully able to read. It's mind-warping, and she must be thanked for her love for VVAW.

Jeff Machota does a lot more than layout. He collects the articles, calls the meetings to go over what's in each issue, and tries to stay on top of the schedule. He takes the paper in to be printed, brings it back and helps mail it. He also keeps the mailing list, does our books (such as they are), coordinates the website and e-mail network, and a whole lot more.

We're lucky in VVAW to have people like them. We don't have much money, but we do have a caliber of volunteers that makes the organization live and contribute to the fight for peace and justice.