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Detroit Winter Soldier Commemoration EventMar 15 2008 - 2:00pm to 3:00 pmVeterans To Commemorate Detroit Winter Soldier Hearings Members of Veterans For Peace and the Vietnam Veterans Against the War will commemorate the 1971 Winter Soldier hearings on Saturday, March 15th at 2pm at the original hearing site, 2921 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit. The Detroit commemoration is being held at the same time Iraq veterans are holding their own Winter Soldier hearings in Washington, DC. The "Winter Soldier Investigation" was a gathering sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW – www.vvaw.org) intended to publicize war crimes and atrocities by the United States Armed Forces and their allies in the Vietnam War. The VVAW challenged the morality and conduct of the war by showing the direct relationship between military policies and war crimes in Vietnam. The three-day gathering of 109 veterans and 16 civilians took place in Detroit from January 31-February 2, 1971. Discharged servicemen from each branch of military service, as well as civilian contractors, medical personnel and academics, all gave testimony about war crimes they had committed or witnessed during the years of 1963-1970. On Thursday March 13 to Sunday March 16, 2008, the Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW – www.ivaw.org) will hold their own Winter Soldier hearings. The event will feature testimony from U.S. veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, giving an accurate account of what is really happening day in and day out, on the ground. The four-day event will bring together veterans from across the country to testify about their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan - and present video and photographic evidence. In addition, there will be panels of scholars, veterans, journalists, and other specialists to give context to the testimony. These panels will cover everything from the history of the GI resistance movement to the fight for veterans' health benefits and support. The original Winter Soldier hearings were held at the Howard Johnson’s New Center, which was torn down in the late 1990's. The commemoration event in Detroit on March15th will be at the site of the Howard Johnson’s hotel, on the corner of West Grand Boulevard and 3rd Street, which is now a parking lot. The event will consist of veterans reading the names of the first 100 soldiers killed in both the Vietnam and present Iraq war, along with statements by veterans about the parallels between Iraq and Vietnam. The public is invited. For more information, contact Bob Krzewinski at wolverbob [at] gmail [dot] com or call 734-487-9058. The event is being sponsored by Veterans For Peace – Michigan. Contact: Bob Krzewinski Phone: 734-487-9058 Contact e-mail: wolverbob@yahoo.com Website: http://www.vfp74.org Location: |