A Time for Winter Soldiers

“I’ve been lied to.” “I feel crazy.” “I can’t do this anymore.”

As a counselor with the GI Rights Network, a group of activists that offers advice to soldiers who are seeking information about how to get out the military, these are the kinds of comments I often hear from people who call our hotline.

The stories these callers have to tell are always different but the theme is often the same: “I feel alone and I don’t have a place where my story will be heard.”

Five years into the military occupation of Iraq, it’s no secret that soldiers are coming home from tours of duty with devastating physical and emotional trauma from combat. Doctors and therapists can try to treat these wounds but it takes a larger movement to break the sense of isolation that many soldiers feel about their experiences.

This spring, Iraq Veterans Against the War will break the silence by bringing together the largest gathering of veterans of the occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan to date for Winter Soldier, to be in solidarity with one another for a public investigation into the hard truths of war.

The name Winter Soldier is a reference to a quote by Thomas Paine who, in 1776, wrote, “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.” In 1971, veterans of the Vietnam war adopted the name Winter Soldier for an event to expose the criminal nature of that war. Once again, it is time for allies of our current winter soldiers to stand with them so that they’re voices are heard.

Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan will be held March 13-16, 2008 in Washington DC. Here are ten things you can to do support Winter Soldier and the GI’s and vets who will be giving testimony:

1. Sign the statement of support.
2. Encourage and sponsor GI’s and veterans in your area to attend Winter Soldier.
3. Fundraise by collecting donations or hosting public events.
4. Distribute information to other organizations, web sites, and journalists.
5. Write letters to the editor of local newspapers telling them why Winter Soldier is important to you.
6. Call your Congressional offices, and request that they follow the hearings.
7. Organize community forums to view live feed coverage of the Winter Soldier hearings.
8. Provide emotional support for vets and GI’s during and after Winter Soldier.
9. Use the testimonies recorded at the hearings to talk to youth about the reality of military service.
10. Find creative ways to take action in your town and demand an end to the war.

For more ways you can support Winter Soldier, contact: wintersoldierally@ivaw.org or visit www.ivaw.org/wintersoldier.

Nico Amador is GI Rights program coordinator at CCCO. The Fellowship of Reconciliation is a partner organization supporting Winter Soldier.