Dear Friends and Comrades,
We hope this finds you well despite the difficult times we are living in. If you feel, as we do, that veterans have a special connection and influence with today’s active duty troops, then read on.
The Veterans For Peace Billboard Campaign has been made a VFP National Project. We have placed over 30 Refuse Illegal Orders billboards either directly outside or very near military bases; we have gotten first-person reports from soldiers that troops are talking about the billboards. Many active-duty troops are disturbed by what’s going on in Iran, Gaza, Lebanon, and of the killing of fishermen in the Caribbean.
To add insult to injury, ICE has begun detaining close family members of active-duty troops.
Another sign of the rising dissatisfaction among active-duty military is that the Center on Conscience and War, whose phone # is on the billboards, is getting six times the normal number of calls from troops looking for answers, according to CCW head Mike Prysner.
We have not had such intense dissent in the military since the Vietnam War.
The billboard campaign, which began in January, has gotten major media coverage. The generous donations we received have produced results.
We have already made a serious impact and we want to continue this campaign throughout the U.S. and overseas where possible. There are over 300 military bases in the continental U.S. and some 750 bases overseas, and we’d like to reach as many as possible with this message. Here’s one directly outside the Marine base in Henoko, Okinawa.
At this moment, because of Trump, Rubio, Miller and Hegseth’s criminal and cruel lunacy, we have an opportunity to powerfully confront the wars abroad and the cruel war being waged here at home (50,000 arrests in July alone) by ICE thugs.
These billboards can be as big as 14 ft by 48 ft, so they do make a powerful visual impact, We are also producing large banners to use as “mobile billboards” in front of various government buildings and other flashpoints. (Contact Tarak 845-706-0187 if you want a banner)
Here’s a billboard that’s up outside drone bases in Puerto Rico and New Mexico (some other designs are shown at the bottom of this email):
These billboards can at least motivate troops to think and resist, as soldiers did during the Vietnam War. This may be our best chance to stop the fascist war-making tide.
Every donation, small or large that helps us keep this campaign going is significant and much appreciated. We can promise that your donation will have impact.
You can make a donation here.
Or send a check made out to Veterans For Peace and mail to:
Veterans For Peace 3407 S. Jefferson Ave, #219 St. Louis MO 63118.
Please note in the subject line, Billboards.
Thanks for all you do. We hope to hear from you soon. Let’s keep this important campaign going!
In Solidarity,
Ellen Davidson, Mike Ferner, Nick Mottern and Tarak Kauff
