Posted on May 30, 2012 by SHAWN MUSGRAVE
The Boston chapter of Veterans for Peace aren’t typically known for their quiet assemblies. Rather, somewhat of a ruckus tends to accompany the Smedley D. Butler Brigade, whether in its boisterous participation in Veterans Day and St. Paddy’s Day parades or in its members’daring defiance of the eviction order at Occupy Boston last October. Boston VFP members routinely risk arrest to bring attention to their pleas for peace, demilitarization of foreign policy and adequate care for members of the military returning from combat. They are no strangers to vocal, dramatic and even disruptive demonstrations.
But, unlike VFP’s direct actions, no parade or fanfare accompanied the Boston Veterans for Peace’s Memorial Day commemoration on the waterfront at Christopher Columbus Park.
“Memorial Day is meant to remember those who did not make it home, those who have been injured physically and mentally, and all those who have suffered from war,” says VFP coordinator Patrick Scanlon, a Vietnam veteran. “We’re tired of the militaristic parades, the flyovers and the paratroopers. So Veterans for Peace put together this [ceremony] as something that is meaningful and respectful for all who have lost family members and loved ones.”
Reverend Lara Hoke, Secretary of Boston VFP, opened the ceremony by invoking wisdom to avoid war and complicity in its execution. After reading the names of four Boston VFP members who had passed away over the past year, Scanlon spoke on the alarming trend of suicide among veterans, which has increased markedly since US troops entered Afghanistan and Iraq. A survey released by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America revealed that nearly 40 percent of the 4,000 veterans surveyed knows at least one other service member who has committed suicide.