Counting Up the Costs of War

How many ways need it be said? America is going broke—and has become imperious, callous and cruel—waging wars around the world. A group of concerned citizens in New Jersey and New York set out recently to visually convey the costs of war for our nation. The result is a mind-boggling array of art work displayed at the Puffin Cultural Forum in Teaneck, NJ.

The “Looking at the Human and Economic Costs of War through the Arts” exhibition on display through April 14 includes paintings, drawings, sculpture, photographs, poetry, dioramas and posters by war veterans, military family members and other concerned taxpayers, artists, writers, teachers and students about various aspects of wars’ costs.

Among the most memorable items is a carefully crafted prosthetic leg lent by a World War II veteran, Bob Levine, who lost his lower right leg from grenade wounds in 1944 in Normandy, France. The VA-issued replacement leg is part of a multi-media display of photos, drawings, newspaper clippings, tables of statistics and a diorama conveying the destructive effects of landmines and other explosives on arms and legs of multitudes of maimed survivors of war zones around the Earth.

“The Million Dollar Soldier,” another diorama made from a US Army camouflage uniform crafted for war in Afghanistan, vividly displays another side of the costs of the conflict in that part of the world. Pinned to the fashionably designed combat jacket are oversize price tags for the cost per soldier per year of keeping an army fighting for nearly a decade halfway around the world in equivalent dollar amounts to the tax bills to local residents for running the municipality and public schools of Teaneck.This diorama, by Nancy and Walt Nygard, was among several art works and poems provided by VFP Chapter 21 members.

The cost in lives in the war on terrorism is represented by a display of poetry and photos conveying former New Jersey resident John Fenton’s tormented grief over the death of his son Matthew, who died in May 2006 of wounds received as a Marine in Iraq.

Costs in torment to war survivors and family members is the subject of many of the art works. Nightmares are evoked from images torn from military actions around the globe. “A few years ago if I’d seen that piece I’d have run out of here,” poet Dayl Wise said of a mixed media painting by Ruth Bauer Neustadter of a precariously standing man rendered as a jumble of parts and bones. Wise read to a standing-room-only audience a pair of haunting poems—about losing his sturdy jungle boots when he was wounded in Vietnam and, decades later, suddenly seeing dead Vietnamese farmers amid the “road kill” as he drove on a highway near his home in New York.

 "Open Wound," Combat Paper pulp painting made with military uniforms, by Eli Wright, US  Army veteran, Iraq


Other work addressing the corrosive impact of post-traumatic stress on war survivors includes a raging display of Combat Paper artwork made from shredded military uniforms by Iraq war veterans, including Robynn Murray, featured in the Oscar-nominated film, Poster Girl. Another piece along these lines is a "Costs of War" poster incorporating a poem I wrote, with calligraphy by Drew Cameron of Combat Papermakers, hand-printed on paper made from military uniforms.

To convey a fuller view of this exhibition’s arresting visual impact, I created a Shutterfly photo album of the artwork and performers who appeared at a Costs of War cultural program on March 20. My poem on this topic is below.

Costs of War

Legless,
armless,
homeless veterans,
dead civilians
in the millions— 
orphans,
widows,
shattered families—
from blasted cities,
ghostly villages
full of ghastly graves
in the ruins, ditches, fields…
pillaged farmsteads,
defoliated forests,
ravaged lanes
sowed with landmines,
roadside bombs,
booming blasts of doom
to passersby…
poisonous debris
seeding cancers,
crippling disorders,
including traumatic stress
and birth defects
for generations
in hate-filled nations…
what a toxic residue,
billions spent,
billions still due

--Jan Barry

Looking at the Human and Economic Costs of War Through the Arts

"Costs of War" poem by Jan Barry, calligraphy by Drew Cameron of 

Combat Papermakers, hand-printed on paper made with military uniforms

Exhibition at Puffin Cultural Forum

March 15 – April 14

The exhibition of paintings, drawings, sculpture, photographs, poetry, dioramas and posters by veterans and civilians includes Combat Paper artwork by Robynn Murray, featured in the Oscar-nominated film, Poster Girl.

The exhibition is free and open to the public Tuesdays through Thursdays
12-4 pm

Cultural Program

Sunday, March 20

3 - 4 pm     Reception – meet the artists and writers
4 – 6 pm    The Costs of War – seen through poetry, dance, and song

                 Puffin Cultural Forum
            20 Puffin Way, Teaneck, NJ 07666
               (parking and public transportation available)

              The exhibition is sponsored by:

             Military Families Speak Out, Bergen County;

             Veterans For Peace, Chapter 21 NJ;

              Vietnam Veterans Against the War,NJ chapter;

              People’s Organization for Progress, Bergen County;

              NJ Peace Action, Bergen County Grassroots, 

              Bergen County Green Party,

              Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County,

              Rockland Coalition for Peace and Justice,

              Teaneck Peace Vigil, Leonia Vigil Group,

              NYC School of the Americas Watch.

           For more information: TheCostsofWar@gmail.com
           or the Puffin Cultural Forum, (201) 836-8923.

A New Jersey veteran's hope for Iraq

This guest column by VFP Chapter 21 member Michael McPherson ran in the Newark Star-Ledger on January 16, 2011.

By Michael T. McPhearson
 
Twenty years ago this month, I sat in the vast wilderness of the Arabian desert as a captain in the 24th Mechanized Infantry Division, waiting to invade Iraq. That campaign — which was to expel Iraqi troops from Kuwait — began on Jan. 16, 1991.

I remember wondering how many of us would die, how many would return home scarred or broken. Would I ever see my wife and 5-year-old son again? I never imagined U.S. troops would still be fighting there — 11 years into the next century.

After I left the Army in 1992, I paid little attention to U.S. activities in Iraq, although I knew that our forces never ended military operations there. Containment was the policy.

Operation Southern Watch, begun in August 1992 to enforce a no fly-zone over southern Iraq, did not officially end until 2003. There were Operations Vigilant Warrior in 1994 and Desert Strike in 1996, which expanded the no fly-zone to parts of northern Iraq. There was Operation Desert Fox, a four-day bombing campaign launched on Dec. 16, 1998.

One summer day in 2001, I saw activists in New York City holding a sign reporting that half a million Iraqi children had died, due in part to U.S.-led economic sanctions. I began to feel some responsibility. Then, 9/11 happened and the drum beat for more war on Iraq began anew. By that time, the United States had been dropping bombs on Iraq for 10 years.

Today, when most Americans think of Iraq, the March 20, 2003, invasion is the date they remember. That is far from reality.

In December of that year, as part of a peace delegation of military families and veterans, I visited Baghdad. The city was bustling with people going about their lives, yet bombed-out buildings served as a backdrop and access to basics such as water and electricity was unpredictable. Sectarian violence had not yet exploded, but many people — especially women — feared for their safety.

The delegation met with an Iraqi human rights activist who, through an interpreter, shared the perspective of many Iraqis. The man, who appeared to be in his late 50s, told us that “… all the Iraqi suffering is because of the Americans.” He explained that Saddam Hussein’s Baath party cronies, who came to power via a 1968 coup, boasted back then of having U.S. help. He went on to remind us of the 1991 invasion and the following decade of misfortune under U.S.-led economic sanctions. He spoke of the March 2003 invasion and occupation mounted by the United States to remove the dictator it helped put into power. Our nation, he said, has meddled in his country’s affairs for more than 40 years. His feelings were reiterated by many other Iraqis I spoke with over the course of my visit.

Since then, I have returned to Iraq seeking peace, my 5-year-old son grew up and, like his father, served a tour waging war in Iraq. In 2009, the Obama administration declared the end of U.S. combat missions in Iraq, U.S. troop levels have been reduced to 50,000 and the United States has pledged to remove all troops by the end of this year.

We helped place Saddam Hussein into power and supported him, expecting him to act in our interest, and the Iraqi people have paid a high price for his removal. Today, unemployment in Iraq is estimated as high as 30 percent. Electricity continues to be sporadic and, in many parts of the country, clean water is not readily available. Birth defects in areas of heavy fighting, such as Fallujah, have increased due to the use of uranium munitions by U.S. forces. Sectarian violence, while low compared to 2004, continues to take lives and destroy families.

Forty years of meddling and 20 years of war are enough. We must not allow the Obama administration to drag its feet or back out of leaving Iraq.

Freedom is the ability to chart one’s own destiny, not have it decided by a power thousands of miles away. We owe it to the Iraqi people. They have suffered enough.

Michael T. McPhearson was a field artillery officer in the 24th Mechanized Infantry Division during Desert Shield/Desert Storm, also known as Gulf War I. A Newark resident, McPhearson is the co-convener of United for Peace and Justice, and former executive director of Veterans for Peace.

© 2011 NJ.com. All rights reserved.

Why I Work for Peace

Address by Joann Dalton in accepting a local organizer award at the Jersey City Peace Movement's recent Peace and Progress Honors Awards ceremony.

Thank you very much for this award. I am very honored. For those of you that don't know me, I am an associate member of Veterans for Peace chapter 21, a lifetime member of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and also a member of New Jersey Peace Action. I am most active with Veterans for Peace, doing a lot of the behind the scenes work .Many times calling myself the administrative assistant to VFP's president who happens to be my husband.This can involve arranging trips to Washington DC, keeping his appointments straight, and also filling in for the secretary and/or treasurer  of the chapter when needed. I also participate in a weekly vigil in Teaneck, table at street fairs, and most recently attended a counter-recruitment call from a frantic mother about her son who wants to join the military. At times I also try to knock some sense into the right-wingers I work with.  Although mostly all I get from that is frustration.

I'd like to explain a little about my back ground and how I got here. As a child, I was raised in a family who had lost someone killed in  war. My mother's brother a co-pilot in the Air Force during WWII was shot down in the Pacific by the Japanese.Back then they flew in formation and the plane above him got hit and then fell on his plane. At the time I didn't understand my mother and grandmother. I thought it happened such a long time ago, why were they still upset?  I can honestly say that both my mother and grandmother never really got over my uncle's death.One reason being that my mother was pregnant with my sister about the same time my uncle was killed. In fact, they didn't tell my hospitalized mother until she came home with my sister because they were afraid she would lose the baby So every time my sister had a birthday, they were reminded of the awful news they received about the same time. My grandmother could have been a Gold Star Mother, but refused because she felt that would be celebrating my uncle's death.  Now I've come to realize how much his death has impacted my feelings as an adult. I know first hand how war and the resulting problems it causes can affect a family the rest of their lives. When the Iraq and Afghanistan wars started at first I got active because I didn't want my son or daughter going to war, but soon realized I didn't want anybody's son or daughter going to war. About the same time I  also figured out why my anti war feelings were so strong--because of my Uncle Steve who I never had the opportunity to meet.

Just to show how futile war is, I'd like to tell you one more story this one involving our son. In the spring of 2009,  as a student at Rutgers University , Brian studied abroad for a semester, in Kyoto, Japan at Ritsuimeiken University . While there he met Hero, a Japanese student studying at the same school. That summer, Hero came to visit the United States to try to improve his English. Part of his trip he stayed with my son in Brian's off campus housing. But during one of NJ's heat waves, Brian called and asked if he and Hero could come stay with us for the weekend and enjoy some air conditioning. So they spent some time with us. While taking some pictures of Hero and my son Brian, we realized ---just one generation ago they would have been expected to kill each other .Instead, here were two young men who had become good friends.

Once again,  Thank you and Let's keep our activism going strong.

Case Dismissed re Vets Arrested at White House Protest

Judge Dismisses Cases Against Military Veterans and Anti-war Activists Following December 16^th Washington, D.C. Arrests

 For more information, contact:  Ann Wilcox (202-441-3265)

Tarak Kauff (845-249-9489)

Washington, D.C. – January 4, 2011:  Anti-war military veterans and other activists celebrated a breakthrough victory today in DC Superior Court, when charges were dropped, following arrests in front of the White House, on December 16, 2010.  Over 131 people were arrested in a major veteran-led protest while participating in non-violent civil resistance in a driving snowstorm.  US Park Police charged all 131 protesters with “Failure to Obey a Lawful Order,” when they refused to move.  All remained fixed to the White House fence demanding an end to the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and further US aggression in the region. 

Among those arrested were members of the leadership of the national organization Veterans for Peace , Pentagon Papers whistleblower Dr. Daniel Ellsberg; Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges; former senior CIA analyst Ray McGovern; and,  Dr. Margaret Flowers, advocate for single-payer health care. 

Forty-Two arrested opted to appear in court and go to trial with the first group appearing in DC Superior Court on January 4, 2011.  Prosecutors from the DC Attorney General’s office stated that the Government “declined to file charges due to missing or incomplete police paperwork.”  Presiding Magistrate Judge Richard Ringell confirmed that the cases were dropped and defendants were free to leave.

Those who participated in this action make this statement:

“This is clearly a victory for opposition to undeclared wars which are illegal under international law, have led to the destruction of societies in Iraq and Afghanistan, bled the US Treasury in a time of recession, and caused human rights violations against civilians and combatants.   Many of us will return to Washington, DC, to support an action on Tuesday, January  11, 2011 to protest the continued use of Guantanamo detention facility, including torture of detainees in violation of international law.”

The defendants  were represented by co-counsels Ann Wilcox, Esq. and Mark Goldstone, Esq.  Ms. Wilcox stated:  “clearly the Government and Police felt that these veterans and their supporters acted with the courage of their convictions, and did not wish to spend the time and funds necessary for a trial proceeding.  This is a major victory for the peace movement.” 

For more information visit www.stopthesewars.org or on facebook.

Wikileaks

Over the past few weeks, American politicians have been calling for the censor and prosecution of Wikileaks and its founder, Julian Assange. In fact, some people in our government have been calling for Assange to be prosecuted for treason which is ridiculous since he's not a U.S. citizen and because of that cannot be a traitor. Still others have branded Wikileaks a "terrorist" which is just as ridiculous since terrorism is the willful murder of innocent civilians or military actions against the same for political purposes. The only thing being murdered in the case of Wikileaks is the credibility of the U.S. and it's leaders, both Republicans and Democrats.

Another method being deployed against Wikileaks is to smear it's founder Julian Assange with  rape allegations. First, in Sweden having unprotected sex with a consenting adult female is considered rape. Such an allegation in the United States would be laughed out of court. Yet, this charge is being pursued by Sweden due to pressure from Washington and Stockholm's desire to please the U.S. Government. Washington's tactic is to smear the messenger and thereby taint the message which is nothing new.

Many of these leaked reports from Wikileaks are already well known throughout the world. Going back several months ago when Wikileaks released a video of an American helicopter gun ship murdering innocent civilians in Iraq, most of the people in the world, especially the Arab world knew about this event. The only people shielded from that news by a self censoring media were the Americans and that's the point. People around the world, from Latin America to Southeast Asia and on to the streets of Baghdad who have been on the receiving end of U.S. foreign policy already know many things hidden from the American people. That's what Washington is most afraid of, the American people learning what their government is up to, especially when that government is spending trillions of dollars to do so while at the same time it is asking the poor and middle classes to endure sacrifices and pain.

In closing, any government which continuously lies to its citizens and or has too many secrets is neither free nor democratic!

Kenneth Dalton
President
VFP 21, N.J. & VVAW

Vets for Peace Arrested at the White House

Daniel Ellsberg (in video above) joined with hundreds of Veterans For Peace members from across the nation to take a message of dissent to President Obama on December 16. 

Veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan, Gulf War I, Vietnam and other overseas military actions, accompanied by military families and other peace activists, chained themselves to the White House fence or otherwise refused police orders to leave. The civil disobedience, which led to 131 arrests, was done on  the day the latest official report about the military situation in Afghanistan was released. Two members of Veterans For Peace, Chapter 21 NJ, Jules Orkin and Stefan Neustadter, were among those arrested in protest of continuing the counter-productive and wasteful wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Those arrested also included Ellsberg, the former Marine officer who leaked the Pentagon papers, retired CIA analyst Ray McGovern, FBI whistleblower Colleen Rowley, and Pulitzer prize-winning war correspondent Chris Hedges, noted Examiner.com blogger Gregory Patin. "While small in numbers, this protest is significant because it was organized and led by veterans who have served their country," Patin wrote. "It is also significant that it was completely ignored by the mainstream media on a news day largely filled with sports news and holiday shopping reports."

But Veterans For Peace was determined to send a message directly to Obama by getting arrested in front of the White House while throwing piles of postcards signed by antiwar activists over the White House fence.

"We are dedicated to exposing the true costs of war and militarism," said Mike Ferner, national president of Veterans for Peace, as reported in The Huffington Post. "We've killed well over a million people. We've orphaned and displaced five times that number at least. And here in our own country, we've managed to throw millions of people of out work and out of their homes," Ferner said at a press conference. "There is a connection there. That connection is the true cost of war."

"Citing information available for every city and state in America on the Cost of War website," The Huffington Post report by Dan Froomkin added, "the former Navy hospital corpsman noted that his hometown of Toledo alone has sent almost a billion dollars into the war effort."