Transcript of conversation with VFP national executive director Garett Reppenhagen Sunday May 29, 2022 with CHapter 25 Madison Members
Transcript Garett Reppenhagen May 29 VFP edited
Tag Archives: Veterans for Peace
Help Promote Peace ~ Memorial Mile ~ Memorial Day Observance
Opportunity to volunteer in Madison, Sat. May 28th, starting at 9 am for a couple hours: You can help Veterans for Peace Chapter #25 set up the “Memorial Mile” along Atwood Avenue in Olbrich Park.
Because of COVID, for the past two years, we were unable to install the long stretch of tombstones, which we have created as a remembrance of one of the worst costs of war. We find the world today in a hazardous state and believe it is important to again install the Memorial Mile as a reminder of the costs of war, particularly when use of nuclear weapons is now “on the table”.
Do you think you might be able to assist with the Memorial Mile this year? Let us know as soon as you can. Let us know if you can bring friends.
Please respond to John at
Volunteers are critical to installation of the 6,000+ tombstones (Photo by Paul McMahon)
350 Madison: James Janko of Veterans for Peace Speaks On Militarism & Climate 7 Feb @ 7pm
The Cost of War & Militarism for the Climate Crisis
WHAT: 350 Madison Monthly Meeting
WHEN: Monday, February 7, 2022, 7:00–8:10 pm, followed group discussions
HOW: Register in advance for the meeting here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting via computer, tablet, or smartphone.
Join 350 Madison and Quakers on Monday, February 7, to hear James Janko of Veterans for Peace speak about militarism and the climate crisis. This is an excerpt from what Jim, a medic in Vietnam, has written about why he joined the Veterans for Peace Climate Crisis & Militarism Project:
“In Viet Nam, I saw first-hand the destruction in the Cu Chi and Tay Ninh countryside, the forests and fields razed by bombs and defoliants, the land seemingly stripped of all life for as far as the eye could see. Sometimes I felt we were fighting the earth itself…. The destruction occurring because of climate change dwarfs the almost indescribable devastation I witnessed in Viet Nam. No organization in the world emits more greenhouse gases than the Pentagon. For this reason, issues of militarism and the consequences of militarism need to be at the forefront of the climate movement.”
As part of his presentation, he will talk about the environmental impact of the F-35s, something that he talks about with all groups, but of particular relevance for us at 350 Madison. His talk is co-sponsored by the Madison Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).”
Jim Janko Statement: WHY I’VE JOINED VFP’S EFFORTS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE
Stop Drone Crimes, It’s No Accident.
What modern drone warfare means for both civilians and soldiers
“Last week, the Pentagon announced that no one would be disciplined for the U.S. drone airstrike that killed ten Afghan civilians in August.
New reporting suggests that decision follows a pattern. Locals in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria are killed by U.S. drones and there’s little accountability after. But for many higher ups in the military, the civilian death toll is simply a cost of war. The benefits outweigh the collateral damage.”
GUESTS
Azmat Khan
investigative journalist, The New York Times
Christopher Aaron
former intelligence analyst for the CIA’s drone program
Wayne Phelps
retired Lieutenant Colonel, the Marine Corps; author, “On Killing Remotely: The Psychology of Killing with Drones”
What modern drone warfare means for both civilians and soldiers
“…Biden’s withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan is substantially less meaningful when analyzed in light of his administration’s pledge to mount “over-the-horizon” attacks in that country from afar even though we won’t have troops on the ground.”
“Our troops are not coming home. We need to be honest about that. They are merely moving to other bases in the same region to conduct the same counterterrorism missions, including in Afghanistan.”
Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-New Jersey)
Drones
People gather around a crater caused by an air strike in Amran province, northwest of Yemen’s capital Sanaa April 12, 2015. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
In solidarity with struggles for political, cultural, and economic liberation around the world, we are an international grassroots campaign committed to banning aerial weaponized drones and military and police drone surveillance.
Courage to Resist supports the troops who refuse to fight, or who face consequences for acting on conscience, in opposition to illegal wars, occupations, the policies of empire abroad and martial law at home.
A national campaign to “shut down” the criminal U.S. drone terror program. The campaign is a call for coast to coast mobilization for bi-annual week-long resistance in the spring and fall, at Creech Air Force Base, a principal drone control base in Indian Springs, Nevada, an hour north of Las Vegas. Using the powerful tool of nonviolent Gandhian resistance and peaceful protest, we uncover the lies and misinformation, educate, break the silence and put our bodies on the line for the global defenseless living under the daily terror of remotely controlled U.S. militarized drones. We invite other organizations to join this important campaign.
Drone Papers from the Intercept
A cache of secret documents detailing the inner workings of the U.S. military’s assassination program in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia.
Tracking, assessing and archiving military actions and related civilian harm claims in conflict zones such as Iraq, Syria and Libya. We also work with militaries, where practicable, to help improve understanding of civilian harm allegations – with the aim of reducing battlefield casualties.
NY Times: Hidden Drones – Hazmat Khan
VFP No Drones Working Group – Sign up
