The VFP Monthly Meetings

are the first Wednesday of the month, 1800 hours, Hal Anthony presiding.

The April 7, 2010 location to be determined.

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PAST PROJECTS (Reverse chronological order)

On Feb 24, 2010, we co-sponsored with Southern Oregon SafeHaven (SOSH), Peace House and CPJ to bring Gerry Condon to the SOU campus. In addition to assisting GI resisters get into Canada, Gerry runs two blogs, http://www.soldiersayno.blogspot.com/ and http://soldiersayno.blogspot.com/search/label/project%20safe%20haven, Gerry is also the President of VFP Chapter 92 in Seattle, WA.

Nov 6-7, 2009, we worked with the Southern Oregon SafeHaven (SOSH) to bring in the cross-country bicycle team of Josh Stieber (left) & Conor Curran (right), who documented their cross-country bicycle ride at http://contagiousloveexperiment.wordpress.com/.

In November 2009, the Dahl Jamial presentation was an interorganizational effort.

May 2009, we helped to bring Benji Lewis to the Rogue Valley for a 3-city speaking tour Ex-Marine speaks out. Benji is a very dynamic speaker and can vividly describe his experiences during his Marine training and two tours in Iraq.

Likewise, in the Ashland July 4th parade, with a crowd estimated at about 25,000 and where our Chapter was applauded virtually the entire 45-minute route. Left: Only a small part of the crowd (from the local Daily Tidings). Right: The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) contingent that marched with our Chapter. Far Right: Starting out.

We had a VERY SUCCESSFUL Boatnik Parade in Grants Pass on May 23rd, 2009, with a crowd estimated at about 20,000.

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ONGOING PROGRAMS

We have various "Committee Actions" in progress:

• Alternatives to Military Recruitment (AMR) - in conjunction with Peace House. This is to be a 30-to-50 minute show for on-campus presentations, intended to highlight the realities of military enlistment as well as alternatives to enlisting (Don Chapin is the Chapter liaisan to Peace House for this effort).
  
  
• As an outgrowth of the above AMR Program, this Chapter has organized a Straight Talk on Military Recruitment Counseling Program (see link to the left of this paragraph) consisting of two key activities:
  
  1. We have organized a "Straight Talk" pre-enlistment program for those considering entering the military, consisting of:
     
     
     • A service-specific one-on-one counselor/advisor capability and
       
       
     • A short HS and college classroom presentation using Power Point slides as a "topic focus," but relying on our experiences and studies of current events. The intent is to limit the presentation to about 20 to 30 minutes, then open the floor to a Q&A session.
       (Although none of us are "recent" ex-military members, we are keeping up with various changes in education, etc. From what we review and from contacts with our "brother" organizations that often represent more recent enlistees, we see the military as basically unchanging in it's essential training and functioning. We are also writing grant requests for external funding to cover some minor costs of the program.)
     
     
  2. We are attempting to highlight the inequities and Constitutional violations of the manner in which the Armed Services Vocational Ablilities Battery of tests are conducted around the State of Oregon.
     
     
• Stand for Peace - For details, contact Emmet Band of Rogue Valley Veterans for Peace at 474-3782 or emmet.band@gmail.com.
  
  
• Assisting veterans in any way we can, such as a job hunt, or working with the VA's annual Standdown for homeless veterans: (2009 Southern Oregon Stand Down Statistics) and 2009 Immunization Statistics.
  
  
• Working to "gain the ears" of State and Federal elected representatives to inform them of various veteran and Chapter-related issues.
  
  
• Working with other peace groups in the Rogue Valley, such as Ashland's Peace House, Nuclear Weapons Abolition Project, and the Southern Oregon SafeHaven project.
  
  
  
• Troops Home! Support - Keeping the Oregon National Guard in Oregon, Hal Anthony, 541-476-4156. Also check http://www.pjw.info/troopshomecampaign.html.

Due to Thanksgiving this week, please join us, instead, this Saturday, 11/22/2008 at 12:00 noon in front of the Mall of Medford at Crater Lake Hwy and the I-5 freeway. Just turn south off the freeway. See you there.-->

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NOTE: From a suicide rate of 9.8 per 100,000 active-duty soldiers in 2001 -- the lowest rate on record -- the Army reached an all-time high of 17.5 suicides per 100,000 active-duty soldiers in 2006. In January 2009, more Army soldier suicides occurred than KIA in both Iraq and Afghanistan, while Army recruiter suicides reached such levels that even the Army had to take notice. Then in May 2009, one soldier in Iraq killed five others in a treatment clinic.
References:

(1) "Soldier Suicides at Record Level," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/30/AR2008013003106.html?referrer=emailarticle
(2)http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/12/AR2009051201127.html?wpisrc=newsletter
(3)http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1889152,00.html
(4) http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2009-05-11-iraq-shooting-soldiers_N.htm

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