Cyirmed Farces Day Active Duty Gis in L.A. Peace Memorial Talk to Each
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cyirmed Farces Day It took a lot of phone calls—about bus from Horton Plaza. Tickets are only GIPIC 2:00-12:00 Jt-'BOO.OO worth-but the United States $1 to active duty GI's and will not go on 4918 Voltaire Servicemens' Fund Show is coming to sale to civilians until the last few days Ocean Beach San Diego. A edition of local G.I. groups before the show. There will be two Tel: 224-4095 called San Diego GI's for peace and shows: Saturday, May 15th at 7:30 PM, Liberation went through all the permit and Sunday, May 16th at 2:00 PM. Come C.O.M. 4:00-9:00 and application hasseles. The show has meet the USSF Troupe in Balboa Park at 2143 Market Street rock music, comedy by Dick Gregory aGl picnic Sunday from 11:00 to 3:00 at San Diego, Calif (Sat. only), the CIA (comedy in action, Pepper Tree Grove on Park Blvd. Free Tel: 2 32-1238 and anti-war skits featuring Jane Fonda, food, Folk Singers. Donald Southerland and many others. A Tickets are on sale at Fleet Landing, PCS 3:00-8:00 special bonus will be the music and words Horton Plaza, and outside some bases 1924 Island Ave. of Jon Baez and David Harris. most afternoons. Tickets and information San Diego, Calif The show will be held in Russ Aud can also be obtained from the following Tel: 239 2119 itorium, at 12th and Russ Streets in San organizations: Diego. (Near Balboa Park) Take the No. 7 Garry Goodrow, Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, and Peter Boyle entertain troops from Fort Bragg. VOLUME ONE; ISSUE 1 san diego libert MAY 12, 1971 PUBLISHED BY THE ENLISTED MEN AND concerned officers movement OFFICERS OF THE SAN DIEGO COM Active Duty GIs in L.A. Peace Memorial Forty-five San Diego servicemen participate in religious services in attended a memorial service, May 2, for uniform. all those who have died in the Viet Nam A large group of Vietnam veterans also War. The service was sponsored by Con attended the service. The veterans, cerned Clergy and Laymen of Los dressed in army fatigues and sporting long Angeles and was held at L.A.'s ExDosition hair and beards, offered a statk contmsl Park. to the servicemen in their service dress Six uniformed servicemen carried a uniforms. The participation of both wooden coffin up to the stage to start the groups was expressive of the growing service. Behind the coffin marched forty opposition to the war among veterans and officers and enlisted men in ranks of four active duty servicemen. abreast. The servicemen stood at Most of the servicemen present were attention throughout the ceremony members of the Concerned Officers which lasted about forty-five minutes. Movement, but they were not repre The service consisted of addresses by senting COM, nor were they representing several clergy, responsive readings and their respective services. Each man was two hymns led by two choirs in atten representing only himself, both as an dance. A guitarist led the assemblage in individual and as a serviceman. They wore "Blowing in the Wind" and "If I had a their uniforms because as servicemen they Hammer." The service ended as the ser share in the guilt for all those who have vicemen marched off while a bugler died. They also share in a commitment to played "Taps." work for an end to the war. Each Pall bearers bore an unmarked casket, individual had come to express his own symbolic of all the war dead regardless of personal sense of grief at the loss of untold thousands of Americans, Cam nationality or military affilliation. Many bodians, and Vietnamese in a senseless of the servicemen present had actually war. served in Vietnam. Some of the enlisted men were senior petty officers with eight The officers and enlisted men who to ten years of service. One Navy man attended the service are convinced that had received a Silver Star for bravery in they can no longer remain passive while _ the war. the President persues a policy which is Some people at the service could not destroying both Vietnam and America. A Active Duty GIs hoist a coffin symbolizing the Indochina War dead. believe that these were actually active man cannot hide behind his uniform and duty servicemen participating in the say that he is only doing his duty. service. They seemed to think that it was All of us who believe the war is wrong staged by a group of actors or ex- have a moral responsibility to speak out servicemen. Their reaction was in .rt against it, to use our influence as mem due to the fact that participatioi a bers of the United Slates military to bring service of this nature by active duty an end to the killing. Our children will servicemen in uniform is almost unheard not ask us, "Daddy, what did you do in of. The participation of the servicemen the War?" Instead, they will ask, "Daddy, Talk to Each Other was perfectly legal since Department of what did you do to end the War?" Defense directives allow servicemen to —Gus Anderson The war continues. to get, you may lose your security Like so many other things in America, clearance, and you might "even" get an it is both bigger and, so they say, better. unfavorable fitness report. Besides, you your uniform and be yourself. Erase the Supposedly better because body counts "volunteered" for the military, so you artificial barriers that have been put up are reaching '"acceptable" levels. might as well play the game their way for around you: officer-enlisted, corps-line, Work on the Connie continues. a couple years. Better to wait until you military-civilian. It is easy for those in This supercarrier readies herself to get out, when you'll be free. Yes? Except power to repress an isolated few. Talk to deliver her presents of Napalm, Defoliants, then you'll be travelling, going to school, Each Other They can't send everyone to and high explosives., but after all, they're raising a family working for an organ Nam. they can't put everyone in the Brig only slant eyed gooks.... ization as monolithic and conformist as and they can't dismiss everyone. You don't like the rape of Indochina. the military. Meanwhile wars will drag on, You must overcome paranoia. The one In private conversations with like-minded ABM systems will be built, people will be thing to remember is that you are doing people you express your feelings. Slave getting jailed for speaking too freely. nothing wrong. Exercise your right of for the conscience, affecting nothing. If you don't act now, you never will. free speach, guaranteed by the Con But after all, what can you do about Of course you're newly married and don't outcast every day at work. stitution you are sworn to uphold. it? You could stick your neck out, but want to get transferred. Of course, you It is hard to stand up alone, and it is Engage in dissent because dissent is the you might risk a CO or CPO trying to need the money and don't want to get easier to be crushed if you are on your burn your ears, you might jeopardize the passed over for the next highest rank. Of own. So get togather-communicate. Take comfortable billet you waited two years course you don't want to risk being an off the mask you put on every day with (continued on P. 2, Column 1) PAGE 2 MAY 12 ttife Ml MtoR In Washington, Vietnam veterans the U.S. Constitution. demonstrate against the war, throwing Those who demonstrate and dissent in their medals away, playing out guerrilla Russia do not want to overthrow the theater on the Capitol steps. The Peking government. They just want their govern Review carries an editorial lauding the ment to let people speak freely and try to Revolutionary Spirit of those who are change it. When the Hungarian revolution joinging their revolutionary brothers and gave Hungarians a short period of sisters to overthrow the Fascist Pig independence in 1956, they did not invite Capitalist Oppressors. Bullcrap. Not me, Wall Street to take over. They formed a Mao Baby. lot of new political parties, all different, That proves that those demonstrators but mostly communist or socialist, all are part of an International Communist joyously arguing about what should be Conspiracy to undermine America's done; all free to criticize. Moral Fiber, to destroy our Way of Life When men seek freedom of expression, and make us weak. Then no one will then they attempt to use those freedoms respect America and the Free World will to offset their lack of money or power, be raped by the Red Hordes, liberty will and influence their government, they are be crushed forever under the Iron Heel of not in the pay of some Foreign Power. Communist Tyranny. Further bullcrap. Not unless the power of free speech is Not me....SIR. foreign to the men who rule over them. In Moscow, writers and scientists and a But all over the world, through-out war-hero general demonstrate against history, there are men who set loyalty to repression of free speech. American news an institution above all, who consider any men and Government spokesmen (fortunately, still two different sources, despite the wishes of some) praise the Freedom Loving Spirit of the men who reveal Communism for What It Is, and soon join with fellow lovers of freedom to overthrow the Murdering Marxist Dictators and vote Republican.