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Speaking Truth to Power
| BIOGRAPHY |
Those words penned by Thomas Paine in 1776 were referencing the
Continental Army huddled together at Valley Forge, freezing and
severely tested in battle. They had many wounded, were short on
food, and critically short on military supplies. However, they were
not short on spirit or in heart. These first Winter Soldiers – the rag-
tag Continental Army of patriots who marched up from
General Washington’s Valley Forge winter bivouac – sent the best
trained and equipped army in the world at that time scurrying back
to England.
An observation: It ‘don’t’ have to be cold for there to be
Winter Soldiers.
Ever since Valley Forge, Winter Soldiers have met the challenges of
our nation’s greatest moments of distress and peril. Like I said; It
‘don’t’ have to be cold for there to be Winter Soldiers. Their greatest
stands have occurred in all climes; Boston Common, the Battle of
New Orleans, the Alamo, Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg, San Juan
Hill, the sands of Iwo Jima, the Battle of the Bulge, the Frozen
Chosin, the Hanoi Hilton.
The spirit of the Winter Soldier – fueled by true patriotism; love of
one’s country and its political ideals – transcends popular political
party or special interest
group thinking and political operatives’ rhetoric and spin, with ideals
that are grounded in the American Constitution, the Bill of Rights
and in our inherited principles. It is the soul and an unshakable
sense of duty to one’s nation that makes one a Winter Soldier; the
soul to stand and fight in face of withering fire; to patriotically march
up into history, unafraid, principles unscathed, no matter how
overwhelming the odds.
In 1971 in Detroit, at the Winter Soldier Investigation (WSI), the
Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) produced yet another
band of patriots who, this time, marched off the battlefields of
Vietnam and into history. Speaking truth to power, Vietnam
Veterans testified about the tactics of “pacifying” the Vietnamese
people at a sit-rep designed to inform the American people of the
Truth about what was being done in Vietnam in their name.
The VVAW WSI testimony was not leftist political rhetoric and spin
coming from the mouths of communists and “wannabes”, as those
of the swift boat 527 ilk would have you believe. This testimony was
the real deal. It was given by Winter Soldiers barely come of age
(average age in Vietnam was 19 years old)…those “doin’ the doin’s”
as they say here in the South; young men barely grown, with
“thousand yard stares,” addressing often blindly patriotic parents
with words few wanted to hear, for fear of the burden of
responsibility it may bring.
And once again in history, here we are. For those of us who lived
through Vietnam, soldier and citizen alike; it is Déjà vu:
These are, once again, the times that try men’s souls.
Like the last time out with Nixon and his gang, the real enemy
resides among us. In the words of the immortal Pogo, “we have met
the enemy, and he is us!”. Some of Nixon’s gang, notably Carl Rove
and Dick Cheney, along with the Swift Boat Veterans "For Truth" (in
all of their cyber-camouflaged IDs) are in fact still with us, left over
from the Nixon debacle. They are not an easily discernable enemy like
the British Redcoats. While cyber-camouflaged, wrapped up in flags
and patriotic-appearing websites and blogs, they tell their lies and
spin their political rhetoric, designed to bring them personal and
corporate wealth, and personal and political power.
These neocons are the true enemies of our Constitution, bent
on shaping the future of our great nation to match their own
personal and corporate capital greed and never-ending quest
for power.
Power it would seem, that is a more addictive drug than either nature
or America’s pharmaceutical companies could ever produce. Power
that that drains American blood and treasure. Power that abuses
the most basic of American principles; democracy. Democracy
defined as what most of us understands it to be; Constitutional
democracy. The same concept of democracy that inspired Winter
Soldiers to first march up from Valley Forge and to fight off the yolk
of British tyranny so long ago.
Well, now a new generation of Winter Soldiers is marching up from
battle to bring the Truth about their war to the American People;
those of the Iraq Veterans Against The War (IVAW). These Winter
Soldiers will come from the shadows at the National Labor College in
Silver Springs, Maryland, this March 13th thru 16th, at an event
entitled Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan (WSI: I&A). These
Combat Veterans and in-country logistical support personnel will
testify in Maryland about the impact of America’s boots-on-the-
ground involvement in Iraq & Afghanistan. Involvement that arose
as the result of the Bush administrations’ lies about the presence of
Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in Iraq and their alleged “ready
availability” to terrorists worldwide.
IVAW has accepted this mission in spite of mounting personal perils
and sacrifice, in the same spirit of patriotism that inspired the
testifiers at VVAW’s WSI, in 1971. This new breed of Winter
Soldiers’ reward for having the courage to speak Truth to power and
to the American people? The news of the event is already bringing in
harassing fire via the blog-o-sphere; as the date grows near it will
evolve into a full frontal assault via all elements of the mass multi-
media.
These troops are the true Winter Soldiers and American
patriots who will soon have their patriotism, motivation, war
record and military service questioned publicly by self-
described patriots who accuse them of not “supporting the
troops” because they are profoundly moved to testify to the
Truth that they have lived, in the name of America.
The insults and dishonoring of American fighting men and women
who are willing to speak their Truth, comes from an array of
misguided, narrow-minded, and uninformed sources. That
perspective is currently being fronted by a group of “patriots” who
claim to “support the troops”. They call themselves Gathering of
Eagles (GOE). They are a swift boat 527 clone organization. This
bunch is currently actively mobilizing to disrupt WSI: I&A, in Silver
Springs.
They plan on demonstrating their “support for the troops” by
gathering in the streets in front of the campus and clamoring at the
gates of the closed campus, and hurling obscenities and insults at
America’s returning fighting men and women and their families, as
they enter and exit the closed campus during the testimony.
These patriots describe these types of activities as “supporting the
troops”. I call it insulting American fighting men and women, and
dishonoring their service to their country. I call it despicable and
disrespectful behavior. I also call it abridging these young American
Veterans’ constitutional right to feel free to speak Truth to power,
and to the American People. All of this hate mongering for the
benefit of the cable news media, and their 527 puppet masters.
There has even been chatter on their blog-site that they plan on
some guerilla actions and subterfuge to try to gain entrance to the
campus in order to personally disrupt the hearings. Very patriotic,
very supportive of the troops! Not!
In spite of these early threats, IVAW, like the Winter Soldiers of
VVAW in 1971, has accepted and will carry out this mission of
Truth. The antics, obscenities, and rhetoric by the GOE and the like
will be more inspirational to the IVAW Winter Soldiers than it will be
debilitating or intimidating to them, I assure you. Honor them
America – listen closely to your Veterans who have been there,
because they are your eyes and ears on the ground, and they have
no reason to lie to you. On the other hand, they have everything to
lose by speaking the Truth. Just ask the old VVAW Winter Soldiers
and supporters, they have already walked this trail.
Forget the rhetoric of “pride” and blind “patriotism” – think for
yourself, hear what your Combat Veterans have to say, take
personal responsibility where responsibility is needed, and make
things right…for the Veterans, and for America. That is truly
supporting the troops. That is a patriotic first step in recapturing our
flag and our Constitution...one we can all take at no cost, but with
major gain. A patriotic act that is contrary to the swiftboating of the
honor and service of those who have fought in foreign lands in our
name. Swiftboating is definitely a tactic that will be employed by the
GOE and their kind, regarding WS: I&A in Silver Springs.
There is nothing more American than our own Winter Soldiers
speaking truth to power in the face of grave personal sacrifice
and peril.
Today’s IVAW Winter Soldiers will not be there alone, though. The
Old School Winter Soldiers of VVAW will be there with them, back to
back. The VVAW is providing logistics and security and standing
shoulder to shoulder with their younger Brothers and Sisters as they
speak Truth to power, and to the American People. These Veterans
have been here before. Like all Winter Soldiers, they will always be
there...whenever America needs them. Like always... whenever the
times try men’s souls. Winter Soldiers…Past & Present; Speaking
Truth to Power, and to the American People. Now, that’s patriotism,
with a capital "P."
Together Then…
Together Again…
Willie Hager
www.Vetspeak.org
Continental Army huddled together at Valley Forge, freezing and
severely tested in battle. They had many wounded, were short on
food, and critically short on military supplies. However, they were
not short on spirit or in heart. These first Winter Soldiers – the rag-
tag Continental Army of patriots who marched up from
General Washington’s Valley Forge winter bivouac – sent the best
trained and equipped army in the world at that time scurrying back
to England.
An observation: It ‘don’t’ have to be cold for there to be
Winter Soldiers.
Ever since Valley Forge, Winter Soldiers have met the challenges of
our nation’s greatest moments of distress and peril. Like I said; It
‘don’t’ have to be cold for there to be Winter Soldiers. Their greatest
stands have occurred in all climes; Boston Common, the Battle of
New Orleans, the Alamo, Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg, San Juan
Hill, the sands of Iwo Jima, the Battle of the Bulge, the Frozen
Chosin, the Hanoi Hilton.
The spirit of the Winter Soldier – fueled by true patriotism; love of
one’s country and its political ideals – transcends popular political
party or special interest
group thinking and political operatives’ rhetoric and spin, with ideals
that are grounded in the American Constitution, the Bill of Rights
and in our inherited principles. It is the soul and an unshakable
sense of duty to one’s nation that makes one a Winter Soldier; the
soul to stand and fight in face of withering fire; to patriotically march
up into history, unafraid, principles unscathed, no matter how
overwhelming the odds.
In 1971 in Detroit, at the Winter Soldier Investigation (WSI), the
Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) produced yet another
band of patriots who, this time, marched off the battlefields of
Vietnam and into history. Speaking truth to power, Vietnam
Veterans testified about the tactics of “pacifying” the Vietnamese
people at a sit-rep designed to inform the American people of the
Truth about what was being done in Vietnam in their name.
The VVAW WSI testimony was not leftist political rhetoric and spin
coming from the mouths of communists and “wannabes”, as those
of the swift boat 527 ilk would have you believe. This testimony was
the real deal. It was given by Winter Soldiers barely come of age
(average age in Vietnam was 19 years old)…those “doin’ the doin’s”
as they say here in the South; young men barely grown, with
“thousand yard stares,” addressing often blindly patriotic parents
with words few wanted to hear, for fear of the burden of
responsibility it may bring.
And once again in history, here we are. For those of us who lived
through Vietnam, soldier and citizen alike; it is Déjà vu:
These are, once again, the times that try men’s souls.
Like the last time out with Nixon and his gang, the real enemy
resides among us. In the words of the immortal Pogo, “we have met
the enemy, and he is us!”. Some of Nixon’s gang, notably Carl Rove
and Dick Cheney, along with the Swift Boat Veterans "For Truth" (in
all of their cyber-camouflaged IDs) are in fact still with us, left over
from the Nixon debacle. They are not an easily discernable enemy like
the British Redcoats. While cyber-camouflaged, wrapped up in flags
and patriotic-appearing websites and blogs, they tell their lies and
spin their political rhetoric, designed to bring them personal and
corporate wealth, and personal and political power.
These neocons are the true enemies of our Constitution, bent
on shaping the future of our great nation to match their own
personal and corporate capital greed and never-ending quest
for power.
Power it would seem, that is a more addictive drug than either nature
or America’s pharmaceutical companies could ever produce. Power
that that drains American blood and treasure. Power that abuses
the most basic of American principles; democracy. Democracy
defined as what most of us understands it to be; Constitutional
democracy. The same concept of democracy that inspired Winter
Soldiers to first march up from Valley Forge and to fight off the yolk
of British tyranny so long ago.
Well, now a new generation of Winter Soldiers is marching up from
battle to bring the Truth about their war to the American People;
those of the Iraq Veterans Against The War (IVAW). These Winter
Soldiers will come from the shadows at the National Labor College in
Silver Springs, Maryland, this March 13th thru 16th, at an event
entitled Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan (WSI: I&A). These
Combat Veterans and in-country logistical support personnel will
testify in Maryland about the impact of America’s boots-on-the-
ground involvement in Iraq & Afghanistan. Involvement that arose
as the result of the Bush administrations’ lies about the presence of
Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in Iraq and their alleged “ready
availability” to terrorists worldwide.
IVAW has accepted this mission in spite of mounting personal perils
and sacrifice, in the same spirit of patriotism that inspired the
testifiers at VVAW’s WSI, in 1971. This new breed of Winter
Soldiers’ reward for having the courage to speak Truth to power and
to the American people? The news of the event is already bringing in
harassing fire via the blog-o-sphere; as the date grows near it will
evolve into a full frontal assault via all elements of the mass multi-
media.
These troops are the true Winter Soldiers and American
patriots who will soon have their patriotism, motivation, war
record and military service questioned publicly by self-
described patriots who accuse them of not “supporting the
troops” because they are profoundly moved to testify to the
Truth that they have lived, in the name of America.
The insults and dishonoring of American fighting men and women
who are willing to speak their Truth, comes from an array of
misguided, narrow-minded, and uninformed sources. That
perspective is currently being fronted by a group of “patriots” who
claim to “support the troops”. They call themselves Gathering of
Eagles (GOE). They are a swift boat 527 clone organization. This
bunch is currently actively mobilizing to disrupt WSI: I&A, in Silver
Springs.
They plan on demonstrating their “support for the troops” by
gathering in the streets in front of the campus and clamoring at the
gates of the closed campus, and hurling obscenities and insults at
America’s returning fighting men and women and their families, as
they enter and exit the closed campus during the testimony.
These patriots describe these types of activities as “supporting the
troops”. I call it insulting American fighting men and women, and
dishonoring their service to their country. I call it despicable and
disrespectful behavior. I also call it abridging these young American
Veterans’ constitutional right to feel free to speak Truth to power,
and to the American People. All of this hate mongering for the
benefit of the cable news media, and their 527 puppet masters.
There has even been chatter on their blog-site that they plan on
some guerilla actions and subterfuge to try to gain entrance to the
campus in order to personally disrupt the hearings. Very patriotic,
very supportive of the troops! Not!
In spite of these early threats, IVAW, like the Winter Soldiers of
VVAW in 1971, has accepted and will carry out this mission of
Truth. The antics, obscenities, and rhetoric by the GOE and the like
will be more inspirational to the IVAW Winter Soldiers than it will be
debilitating or intimidating to them, I assure you. Honor them
America – listen closely to your Veterans who have been there,
because they are your eyes and ears on the ground, and they have
no reason to lie to you. On the other hand, they have everything to
lose by speaking the Truth. Just ask the old VVAW Winter Soldiers
and supporters, they have already walked this trail.
Forget the rhetoric of “pride” and blind “patriotism” – think for
yourself, hear what your Combat Veterans have to say, take
personal responsibility where responsibility is needed, and make
things right…for the Veterans, and for America. That is truly
supporting the troops. That is a patriotic first step in recapturing our
flag and our Constitution...one we can all take at no cost, but with
major gain. A patriotic act that is contrary to the swiftboating of the
honor and service of those who have fought in foreign lands in our
name. Swiftboating is definitely a tactic that will be employed by the
GOE and their kind, regarding WS: I&A in Silver Springs.
There is nothing more American than our own Winter Soldiers
speaking truth to power in the face of grave personal sacrifice
and peril.
Today’s IVAW Winter Soldiers will not be there alone, though. The
Old School Winter Soldiers of VVAW will be there with them, back to
back. The VVAW is providing logistics and security and standing
shoulder to shoulder with their younger Brothers and Sisters as they
speak Truth to power, and to the American People. These Veterans
have been here before. Like all Winter Soldiers, they will always be
there...whenever America needs them. Like always... whenever the
times try men’s souls. Winter Soldiers…Past & Present; Speaking
Truth to Power, and to the American People. Now, that’s patriotism,
with a capital "P."
Together Then…
Together Again…
Willie Hager
www.Vetspeak.org
| WINTER SOLDIER |
| The summer soldier and the 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.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776 |
by Willie Hager
Sgt., USMC, RVN,
1965-66, 1968
1965-66, 1968
| THESE ARE THE TIMES THAT TRY MEN'S SOULS... |
WILLIE HAGER
 |  |  |  |  |