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Iraq Veterans Against the War has become About Face: Veterans Against the War. About Face can be found at aboutfaceveterans.org

Iraq Veterans Against the War

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Veteran's Day Poem

published by Jennifer Cole on 11/11/14 10:09am

On Veteran's Day, schools and government agencies would sound a one minute alarm on the eleven hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month. I have not heard this call for remembrance for over eleven years. Growing up I was a child of two active duty, enlisted parents. I had a deep respect for Veteran’s Day and what it meant. Later in my youth, I joined the Marine ROTC and gained an even deeper understanding of what it meant to be a veteran, but it was not until I served in Iraq that I truly understood the weight of being a veteran. As the years past, eleven years, the meaning of being a veteran changed. I no longer felt that a yellow ribbon and an obligatory “Thank you for your service” did anything for veterans other than acknowledge their existence and experiences. Agencies tasked with caring for us after war, have failed us. I, personally, have felt like a burden, or worse yet, a guinea pig at the VA hospitals. I, and all veterans, deserve better than that. Seeing war continuing in the countries we once stepped foot on hurts us, as if the war still follows us. For some of us, Veteran’s Day is a reminder of what we lost and how little the American people actually understand us.

 
A child born into freedom
The eleventh hour
Pride in my parents’ service to this great country
Wonder for the glory of war and patriotism of those who served
Mourning in my heart for those who served died in wars past
 
A teen marching in an ROTC uniform
The eleventh hour
Pride in my child’s military uniform
Honor in following a childhood dream
Admiration for those who served in the adult military
 
A woman, home just over one month from war
The eleventh hour
Pride in knowing I served my country
Mourning the loss of a friend
Remembrance of the bitterness of war
 
A woman, home from war for over a decade
The eleventh hour
Mourning the loss of a friend and shattered dreams
Resentment for the government who forced us to invade a country
Anger for the agencies who ignore my traumas of war
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Right to Heal Tour comes to the Puget Sound

Hear first hand from veterans of the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan about our plan to stand up for service members' right to heal and bring an end to the occupation of Afghanistan. Join us at one of our upcoming tour...

Hidden Battles

  IVAW's Operation Recovery is standing up for and empowering veterans to hold responsible those who continue to ignore and deploy traumatized troops. "Hidden Battles" features the individual accounts of soldiers and...

Right to Heal Tour 2012 - Fighting for service members and veterans right to heal.

The Right to Heal Tour has already jumped of to a great start in Bellingham, WA, Portland, OR, and Atlanta, GA. Please come out to partisipate in our tour as we pass through your area. You can follow the tour at www....

From War to Resistance: Afghanistan Veteran Explains Why He plans to Return His Medals to NATO's Generals

"The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an attack occurs, each of them, in...
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Washington State Members to Launch Operation Recovery at Joint Base Lewis-McChord

In a church basement in Tacoma, WA nearly two-dozen members of the Washington Chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) gathered to launch a local Operation Recovery campaign at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.  Operation...

Why I am a sustaining donor

Being a sustaining donor of an organization demonstrates your support and dedication to the shared views and values of that organization. I am a sustaining donor of IVAW, Under the Hood, and Coffee Strong (please call the...

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