March 19, 2006 was the third anniversary of the war of aggression against Iraq. March 2006 also marked seven months after Hurricane Katrina battered the Gulf Coast, killing, injuring, and displacing hundreds of thousands of people. To show our continued opposition to the war in Iraq and the government’s mistreatment and abandonment of our own residents of the Gulf Coast, we marched for six days from Mobile, AL to New Orleans, LA.

For many veterans, the complete destruction and devastation along the Gulf Coast brought back memories of the ruin we experienced while deployed in war zones. On our march, we witnessed American families living in mold-infested houses, camp tents, and FEMA trailers, dealing with an ongoing crisis that the news media and federal government have been all too silent about. As veterans, we saw first-hand how diverting billions for an endless occupation in Iraq is responsible for the shameful lack of aid for reconstruction in the communities that survived Hurricanes Katrina and Rita here at home. Seeing mile after mile of complete destruction in our own country was shocking and has moved many of us to actively help in whatever way we can.

We decided to launch the Veteran Gulf Reconstruction Project to work together with local communities and rebuild in the wake of one of our nation’s worst disasters. If we can build bases in the desert for war, we can rebuild cities in the U.S. for justice. This will be our message as we work in solidarity with the people of the Gulf Coast. We must demand that our government bring our troops home now and direct its resources to caring for returning veterans and giving the people of the Gulf Coast the help needed to return and rebuild their communities.

To support the Veteran Gulf Reconstruction Project with a tax-deductible donation, click here.