Chicago – Nearly 50 US military veterans at an anti-Nato rally in Chicago threw their service medals into the street on Sunday, an action they said symbolised their rejection of the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Some of the veterans, many wearing military uniform shirts over black anti-war t-shirts, choked back tears as they explained their actions. Others folded an American flag while a bugle played Taps, which is typically performed at US military funerals.
“The medals are supposed to be for acts of heroism. I don’t feel like a hero. I don’t feel like I deserve them,” said Zach LaPorte, who served in Iraq in 2005 and 2006.
LaPorte, a 28-year-old mechanical engineer from Milwaukee, said he enlisted in the Army at 19 because he felt there were few other options. At the time, he could not afford to stay in college.
“I witnessed civilian casualties and civilians being arrested in what I consider an illegal occupation of a sovereign nation,” LaPorte said.
He said he was glad the United States had withdrawn its combat troops from Iraq, but said he did not believe the Nato military alliance was going to leave Afghanistan.
On Sunday, Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen opened the two-day summit of the 26-member alliance saying there would be no hasty exit from Afghanistan.
A veteran from New York who only gave his name as Jerry said: “I don’t want any part of this anymore. I chose human life over war, militarism and imperialism.”
The veterans had hoped to present their medals to a Nato representative. The closest they could get was the fence ringing the McCormick Place convention centre about a block from where US President Barack Obama and other leaders were meeting. The veterans threw their medals toward the convention centre.
Matt Howard, 29, who served in the Marines from 2001 to 2006, said the rate of suicides among veterans returning from the wars is high.
“These medals are not worth the cloth and steel they’re printed on. They’re representative of failed policies,” said Howard, a spokesman for Iraq Veterans Against the War.
Former US Army Sergeant Alejandro Villatoro, 29, of Chicago, served during the Iraq 2003 invasion and in Afghanistan in 2011.
He said he suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome and depression and gave back three medals – one “War on Terrorism” medal, one for participating in the Iraq war and a Nato medal from the Afghanistan war. He said he wants the war in Afghanistan to end.
“There’s no honour in these wars,” said Villatoro, before he threw away his medals. “There’s just shame.”
Source: Reuters
+1 !
soldaten, vertraut euch nicht barbaren an – unmenschen die euch verachten und denen euer leben nichts wert ist. Ihr seid für sie nur sklaven – ihr habt das zu tun, das zu glauben, das zu fühlen – ihr werdet gedrillt, gefüttert, wie vieh behandelt und seit nichts weiter als kanonenfutter, ihr seid viel zu schade für diese verirrten subjekte – diese maschinen menschen mit maschinenköpfen und maschinenherzen. Ihr seid keine Roboter, Ihr seid keine Tiere – Ihr seid menschen! Bewahrt euch die Menschlichkeit in euren Herzen und hasst nicht. nur wer nicht geliebt wird hasst..
greatest speech ever…thank you charlie http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GwMKX3Uyo2Q#!
naja ganz so einfach isses ja nicht. Soldaten sollte nur in absoluten Ausnahmesituationen Befehle hinterfragen. Sonst würde die ganze Militärstruktur ad absurdum geführt werden. Denn in der Regel kann ein einfacher Soldat nicht entscheiden, wie weit seine Aktionen größere Auswirkungen haben. Vor allem ist Krieg bzw der ganze Militärapparat wie ein großes Puzzle aufgebaut.
Nur die obersten Befehlshaber wissen, welches Gesamtbild gerade vorherrscht und was welche Aktionen auslösen (oder auslösen sollen). Wenn jeder Soldat seine Befehle anzweifeln würde, würden seine Kameraden zwangsläufig irgendwo in Gefahr gebracht werden.
Der Krieg ist somit als Ganzes zu hinterfragen. Soldaten können nur für die Tatsache belangt werden, dass sie überhaupt Soldaten geworden sind.