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First
Signs of Resistance to Gulf War Two
by Tod Ensign
When Private Wilfredo Torres walked to the podium at a Veterans
Day anti-war rally in New York City on November 10, he was taking
important steps for the newest generation of GIs and reservists.
He told an audience of about 200 veterans from WW II, Korea,
Vietnam and Gulf War One that he had joined the Army to serve
his country and learn a trade. However, after suffering severe
harassment at the hands of one drill instructor and realizing
that his only "skills training" would be as an infantryman
he went AWOL from Ft. Benning, GA.
While "chilling" back in Rochester, N.Y. with his
family, Wilfredo did some reading and thinking. "I decided
that it would be wrong for our country to attack Iraq on its
own, without working as a part of the United Nations. I'm no
expert, but I think that such an attack would undermine the UN
and lower America's standing in the world," he told this
reporter. After working nights for some months distributing newspapers,
he decided to return to the military and resolve his case.
Citizen Soldier agreed to arrange his public surrender and
to defend him, if necessary, against court martial charges of
AWOL or desertion. During the first Gulf War; the GI/veterans
rights advocacy group defended a number of refusers, including
Captain Yolanda Huet-Vaughn, MD, who based her resistance on
her fear that Gulf duty would force her to violate her Hippocratic
oath. She was specifically opposed to administering two untested
drugs, the anthrax vaccine and PB pills, a nerve agent antidote.
Both drugs are now linked to the chronic health problems suffered
by at least a quarter (150,000) of all Gulf vets. Needless to
say, Dr. Huet-Vaughn's dishonorable discharge has not been changed
by the Army.
Private Torres was respectful of veterans' feelings about
his surrender on the day created to honor them. "I mean
no disrespect to military veterans by announcing my decision
on Veterans Day. On the contrary, I have the greatest respect
for them. But from what I've read lately, our government has
not done a good job of caring for Vietnam or Gulf vets who are
sick because they served."
"I'm returning to the Army today so that my case can
be resolved. If I must be court-martialled for my leaving, I
am ready. I realize that the UN Security Council has just voted
for a new weapons inspection plan. However, my suspicion is that
the US may still decide to invade alone. If we do, I won't be
going with them!" he concluded.
Following his statement, Torres received a standing ovation
from the audience and several Vietnam and Gulf vets praised his
courage, stating that they wished that they had made the same
decision years earlier. Local TV news programs later carried
accounts of the rally and Pvt. Torres' speech, but the print
media boycotted the event.
After Private Torres surrendered at Ft. Myers, VA, he was
sent to Ft. Knox, KY which has become a center for "processing"
returning AWOLs. Wilfredo reported that at least sixty other,AWOL
soldiers were in the unit when he arrived, many having already
spent several weeks awaiting the resolution of their cases. A
phone call from a Rolling Stone reporter asking to interview
Wilfredo got the command's attention. The next morning he was
quickly processed for discharge, seven days after he had arrived.
He was given an Other than Honorable discharge administratively
in lieu of court-martial and driven to the local bus depot.
If the first Gulf War is any example, military resisters will
face harsher punishment and court martials once an invasion of
Iraq is launched. Nonetheless, given that opinion polls show
only a minority of Americans in support of an unilateral attack,
it's likely that resistance within the ranks will grow rapidly
if US efforts to seize and occupy Iraq leads to bloody and protracted
fighting.
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