Category Archives: Veteran

Memorial Day Vets for Peace Event ~ Mon May 26, 2025 ~

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Memorial Day VFP Event  with music by Old Cool 

Speakers

  • John Nichols 
  • Will Williams
  • Bagpipes by Sean Michael Dargan


301 Wisconsin Ave, Madison, WI 53703 

Park in the ramp behind the building off Johnson St

Map

 

 

 

 

Call or email if questions.

Brad

920-650-0052

[email protected]

or

 

John

608-438-7480

[email protected]

 

Community Co-sponsors: Social Justice Ministry of First Unitarian Society of Madison, Church Women United of Madison, Indivisible Madison, Interfaith Peace Working Group, Madison Friends Mee4ng, Pales4ne Partners, Pax Chris4-Madison, The Progressive, Physicians for Social Responsibility Wisconsin, Safe Skies Clean Water Wisconsin, WI An4-Violence Effort Educa4onal Fund, WI Bail Out the People Movement, WI Network for Peace and Jus4ce, WORT 89.9 Community Radio

 

Watch Our Annual Peace Rally – Recorded May 29, Memorial Day at the Gates of Heaven in Madison, Wisconsin

Memorial Day Peace Rally 2023 

No to War, No to Fascism

Link to the Video

– The Progressive and Veterans for Peace –
at Gates of Heaven 

  • Emcee Norm Stockwell, publisher of The Progressive

 

 

 

 

  • Keynote Speaker Matt Rothschild, executive director of Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, former editor and publisher of The Progressive
  • Music by Old Cool 

  • Speakers: Father David Couper, Daryl Sherman, Paul McMahon and Will Williams

  • Bagpipes by Sean Michael Dargan

Thank you for everyone involved in making this event possible, and much appreciation to everyone who was able to join us. Thanks to Norm and The Progressive for producing the video. Photos from the event by Phil Fransen.

As we leave the event, we lay carnations at the base of the memorial for the actions of the Lincoln Brigade a who resisted fascism and promoted freedom.

 

Critical thought trumps fascism.

Fascism: A guide for study and resistance

 

Gates of Heaven Synagogue
James Madison Park
302 E. Gorham Street
Madison, WI 53703

“As people pass the little chapel in James Madison Park, few realize that the chapel was built in 1863. First located at 214 West Washington Avenue, it was designed and built by the first group of Jewish immigrants to arrive in Madison…”

The Progressive Inc. publishes The Progressive magazine and Progressive.org. They also operate the Public Schools Advocate and the Progressive Media Project/Progressive Perspectives as well as the annual “Fighting Bob Fest.”

Like us on Facebook: Madison VFP

The Progressive on Facebook

Photo by Terry Talbot, Talbot Gallery 2118

 

 

 

Dove Mound Effigy by David Giffey

 

“The Mourning Dove Mound is a symbol of peace at the Highground. It represents a constant presence of peace among numerous other memorials and monuments dedicated to wars and conflicts.

As the designer in 1985, I tell the story on this video of the mound and how Native American people built burial and effigy mounds for centuries before I designed the dove mound. It was dedicated in 1989. In recent years, I met hundreds of school children in person at the Highground to tell the Dove Mound story.” 

The artist:  David Giffey

Learn about the Dove Effigy Mound at the Highground Memorial Park

 

The Costs of War: Panel and Discussion [Watch Recording]

link to recording
 Zoom Panel and Discussion on The Cost of War

We had an excellent lineup of guest speakers.
 

All wars have large costs, which the political, financial, and governmental elites instigating the conflicts would rather the citizens minimize –but pay for. With a “volunteer military”, outsourcing, drones, and “smart bombs”, the war-makers attempt to hide the costs of war. The true story, however, is much grimmer.


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Panelists:
 
***Veteran of the “War on Terror” Brittyn Calyx who will talk about the cost of war on the individual veteran and the impact of war on their own life.
 
***Vietnam veteran, artist, and peace activist David Giffey, who will speak on the societal costs of war,
 
***Dr. Eileen Ahearn, a long-time psychiatrist at the VA in Madison, Wisconsin who will take a look at war and moral injury and
 
***Rev. David Couper, who brings his experience as a veteran, former Madison police chief, and Episcopal priest, and will discuss the militarization of policing.
 

Each panelist will be given about 10 minutes to speak, followed by Q&A. We will use the Zoom chat box to field questions from our panelists.

Facebook Event for Costs of War Discussion

 

Peace
Fran Wiedenhoeft, [email protected], 608-576-7416
Primary organizer
Veterans for Peace Madison