VFP101 helped ― Celebrate the Power of Civil Disobedience ‖ by joining the San Jose Peace and Justice Center on May 25 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the anti-Vietnam War action by four South Bay women--Aileen Hutchinson, Beverly Farquharson, Lisa Kalvelage and Joyce McLean-- who blocked a forklift loading napalm bombs at the port of Alviso. Their arrest and trial exposed the horrors of the war; headlines dubbed them " The Napalm Ladies ". Lisa ' s powerful statement at the trial was put to music by Pete Seeger.
In March, our members approved and published the 2016 application for the Gary E. May Peace Scholarship. Area high school seniors and college students are eligible to apply for this $ 1000 unrestricted grant by submitting an original essay in response to one of four writing prompts. The deadline for applications is October 15; the recipient will be announced on Armistice Day
Chapter 104- Evansville, IN John O’ Leary
On April 28, we hosted a public lecture by Dr. James MacLeod, author and professor of history at University of Evansville, who spoke about Evansville‘ s experience as a manufacturing center in WWII and the war‘ s social and cultural impacts on the community. A VFP panel discussion on ― understanding the true cost of victory ‖ followed, with Indiana‘ s 2012 Toastmaster of the Year, John W. Taylor, serving as moderator.
On May 11, our members served hot dogs, fresh fruit, and cold drinks to about 150 appreciative veterans and staff at the local VA hospital.
Chapter 105- Baltimore, MD Jim Baldridge
Charter Chapter member and WWII veteran Dr. Larry Egbert was in a rehab facility to prepare for a cardiac procedure when he died in mid-June. Keep his wife Ellen and all who loved him in your thoughts.
16 VFP Newsletter Summer
The Chapter tabled at the Farmers Market two days before Memorial Day. We do this three times per year in the Market‘ s Non-Profit space. Following Pres. Obama‘ s visit to Vietnam and to Hiroshima, people were sensitive to the news and were very supportive. People gave us thumbs up, nods and smiles, stopped to get literature and give contributions and we got contacts for new members. Predictably there were two who were not as supportive but the support was far greater by an order of magnitude.
Ch 105 outreach at Farmer’ s Market
Our annual vigil at the K of C hall which housed the Catonsville draft board records during the American war in Vietnam was on 22 May. Members and supporters vigiled for over an hour, expressing words of peace. Life-long activist Elizabeth McAlister, the wife of Phil Berrigan, told us of the memorial for Dan Berrigan who passed on 30 April, just days before his 95th Birthday. Many of us recounted the connection we felt with the Catonsville Nine event 48 years ago.
Chapter 106- Dallas, TX Leslie Harris
Chapter 106 started the spring with a " Flush the TPP " demonstration. Marking the 13th anniversary of the Iraq invasion, we hosted a demonstration outside the Bush Library called, " End Endless War," displaying our banner, " MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: WORLD IN CHAOS!" We co-sponsored a large "# ExxonKnew: Divest from Deception " Rally for the Exxon / Mobil Shareholders Meeting.
Members attended: ― A Community Conversation " with a former Baltimore PD officer and whistleblower; ‖ Texas & the Syrian Refugee Crisis ‖ at SMU; and Mothers Against Police Brutality ' s " 1st Annual Youth Speakout. We demonstrated in support of New Mexicans whose largest energy company held its shareholder meeting in Texas! Len Ellis spoke for VFP at a ― Peaceful Tomorrows ‖ Memorial Day event.
Associate member Leslie Harris was honored to spend time in the Clark County Jail with other VFP members during SHUT DOWN CREECH. She joined Ann Wright and five others on a speaking / action trip to Germany as part of a CODEPINK delegation to accept a humanitarian award. The group protested drone warfare at Ramstein Air Base and at Kelley Barracks / AFRICOM. Leslie and Ann went on to visit refugee camps in Greece, at the Port-of-Athens / Piraus: hundreds of tents on asphalt docks … and at Idomeni, near the Macedonian border: thousands of people in tents, in the mud. Heartbreaking!
Chapter 114- Sheboygan, WI Tom Contrestan
It ' s been a chilly spring along the banks of the majestic Sheboygan River, but we ' ve managed to keep busy. In March, we hosted our 12th annual Concert for Peace and Justice. FYI spots, between acts dealt with U. S. military spending, School of the Americas and alternative therapies for Post-Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury, such as ― mask therapy ‖ and use of medical marijuana instead of problematic narcotics that the VA tends to prescribe. We raised close to $ 500 for our Peace Park project as we entertained and informed our audience. That same week, John Koehler attended a conference in Vietnam on Agent Orange and unexploded ordnance.
In April, we got involved in Global Art Project for Peace. Our Artist in Residence, Bob Fleming, created a tapestry-like banner showing the word ― Peace ‖ entwined with ivy that