Cost of the War in Iraq (JavaScript Error) To see more details, click here.

 
Please consider making a tax deductible donation towards the operation of our biodiesel bus.
Selling weapons is highly profitable. Working for peace is not.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Make check payable to "VFP Bus Project"
and send to 310 Garfield, #24, Eugene, Oregon 97402

Organizational Background

Veterans for Peace (VFP) is a national 501(c)3 organization established in 1985, dedicated to non-violent conflict resolution and adherence by the United States government to all international treaty law prohibiting aggressive war as well as U.S. sponsored covert aggression.  Its by-laws state its purposes as working with others:
(a) Toward increasing public awareness of the costs of war
(b) To restrain our government from intervening, overtly and covertly, in the
internal affairs of other nations
(c) To end the arms race and to reduce and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons
(d) To seek justice for veterans and victims of war
(e) To abolish war as an instrument of national policy.

VFP maintains a national office in St. Louis, MO, with a staff led by Executive Director Michael McPhearson.  VFP holds annual conventions, maintains an active interactive website providing key links and information distribution, publishes a quarterly newsletter, collaborates with a wide range of other national peace organizations including VVAW and IVAW, and sponsors numerous timely campaigns and
activities. VFP is an official NGO represented at the United Nations.

Lane County, Oregon, has established a local chapter of Veterans for Peace that will target the same and expanded goals and will operate with its own budget according to its own by-laws.  Our chapter will work with other Oregon and Northwest chapters and intend to focus our efforts on (1) demands for compliance by the United States government with all international covenants regulating the conduct of armed aggression including cessation of the illegal occupation of Iraq, (2) prevention of all future aggressive wars, and (3) transferring American resources away from the military-industrial complex into urgent human needs such
as health care, education, and alternative energy development for which Oregon could provide a national model.

Two members of the Lane County chapter will own the bus.  Membership of our and nearby Willamette Valley chapters who would participate in educational and outreach activities include veterans of WWII, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and the Iraq War.  Many active and motivated members are combat veterans or former combat medics.  The Lane County chapter includes an Vietnam era Army psychologist, Vietnam combat veterans, an Iraq War veteran, and a minister who, as a combat engineer, survived battles of WWII from the invasions of North Africa, Italy, Normandy, and the Pacific theater.  This mix will empower the team to discuss the horrific realities of war, PTSD and other enduring psychological damage from combat exposure, and a religious perspective addressing the confusing messages received today by many conservative Christians.
 

PURPOSES

There is widespread confusion in America today about patriotism and loyalty - to the Constitution or to the current administration?  To veterans of VFP the answer is clear: we took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, not any officers or policies of our government, and swore to obey only legal orders of superiors which do not include waging of illegal wars, illegal occupations of other countries, torture, or use of internationally prohibited weapons.

We strongly oppose the foreign policies of the Bush administration that use war as a political instrument in violation of all international laws since 1928 that have prohibited aggressive war.  These include the Kellogg-Briand Peace pact, the Nuremberg Charter, the United Nations Charter, and the Geneva Conventions, to all of which the United States is a signatory, making these the "supreme law of the land" under Article VI of the United States Constitution.  Peace is the declared will of mankind, which the United States has repeatedly pledged to respect through its international treaty and charter agreements.

The U.S. media have failed to present these facts and principles to the American public. We believe that widespread dissemination of this knowledge is of vital importance to transform American consciousness, national priorities and national conduct in the world.

The idea of pursuing this goal with an awareness-raising tour bus was inspired by experience with the 2006 National VFP Convention held in Seattle in July.  After spending over a week with the "White Rose" support bus escorting disabled veterans riding bicycles to the convention, our chapter's founding member, Gordon Sturrock, came away deeply impressed with the publicity potential of veteransusing a "decorated" bus to promote peace.  Sturrock reports, "The White Rose turned heads everywhere it went! People waving, visiting, taking pictures, flashing peace signs, honking in support, all the time!" Photographs of the bus
and stories of the trip may be seen at www.squadron13.com in the section of the site called "Share the Sacrifice - Ride for Peace."

As well as providing a compelling publicity tool, the bus will serve as a magnet to recruit other like-minded veterans, many of whom complain of inability to generate support in their communities. For many veterans, being a bus crew member joining like-minded veterans who share a common abhorrence of  illegal and unnecessary war generates the team feeling of their military days.  Many of us recall joining the military with a band of comrades to fulfill necessary service for our country.  But this time our service to America will be truly necessary.
 

INTENDED USES

1) Outreach to information-deprived communities.  The bus will transport teams of peace-promoting veterans to selected field sites to distribute information and
stimulate discussion, especially targeting non-urban locations.

2) Public education We will perform public education via videos, posters, displays of "War Image Photo Gallery" and "Photo Gallery of Grief," educational flyers and brochures, and veteran-led discussion groups.

3) A mobile billboard.  The bus will be an expressive "mobile billboard" through decoration with images and information summaries that display and describe the realities of war.  These will be laminated and attached to the bus on 9"x12" magnetic sheets, progressively supplemented by participating veterans along the way and in the field.

4) Anti-war audio.  The bus will include a sound system with external speakers to broadcast anti-war information.

5) Anti-war theater.  The first several rows of the bus will be converted on-site to a theater, providing films for local public in communities without access to progressive documentary films.  These would include documentaries addressing our national problems such as:

- A Soldiers Heart (on PTSD)
- Sir, No Sir (on active duty resistance during the Vietnam war)
- Metal of Dishonor (on depleted uranium)
- Poison Dust (on depleted uranium)
- Beyond Treason
- Iraq for Sale (on Blackwater, Halliburton and other war profiteers)
- The Revolution will not be Televised (on the attempted CIA coup against Chavez)
- An Inconvenient Truth
- The Ground Truth
- The Corporation
- Arlington West
- Hidden Wars of Desert Storm
- Uncovered: the War on Iraq
- Soldiers Speak Out
- Why We Fight
- The War against the Third World (on CIA history since WWII)
- Bush Crimes Commission testimony on Torture and Prisoner Detention

The films would be followed by discussion between viewers and VFP members enlarging the relevant history, meanings and implications of the films' contents.  Our objective is to empower local residents with information to effectively influence their own communities.

Laptop computer, projector, and screen are available temporarily from VFP members until these can be obtained by the chapter.

6) Fund-raising.  These programs will provide natural field sites for fund-raising to supplement company sponsorship for operating expenses. Sales of bumper stickers, buttons, posters, CDs and T-shirts will be one source in addition to monetary and in-kind donations.  We have found that many people want to help, more so now than ever before with the strong anti-war momentum that has developed since the 2006 election theft.
We can loan our bus to other nearby VFP chapters and share the funds raised 50/50. Ideally, the bus should be "on duty" regularly, promoting and supporting peace activities. This will depend upon availability of motivated and responsible crew, but collaboration of VFP members from Eugene to Vancouver, WA staffing a peace booth at the 2006 Oregon State Fair in Salem identified a likely willing and capable cadre for this project.  We will draw upon Corvallis, Salem and Portland chapters to keep the bus in operation as continuously as possible.

7) Disaster response.  The communications, electrical and cargo capacities, and our veterans' training and expertise, can be brought if necessary to respond to urgent regional needs.  For example, the previous VFP chapter in Garberville used the bus in Katrina relief.
 

SETUP AND DESIGN

We have purchased a used school bus already converted to VFP use, in service as such for 8 years by VFP chapter 22 in Garberville, CA.  The Sprit of Garberville, now renamed Squadron13.com,  is equipped with sleeping bunks in the rear and seating in front for 12, and has a recently rebuilt transmission and clutch as well as about 15,000 miles on a 100,000-mile set of tires.  Minimal repainting will be necessary, since VETERANS FOR PEACE and STOP THE WAR are already painted on each side.  It will be limited to 12 passengers to enable its registration as an RV rather than a commercial vehicle.  This will reduce the insurance premium rate to $120/year and not require a commercially licensed driver.  Three current members are experienced drivers with vehicles of this size.

The bus will use ecologically responsible bio-diesel, demonstrating our need for transition to alternative energy sources from the oil-dependency underlying our military-industrial economic base and resource-extractive foreign policy associated with U.S. military aggression. We have added the lettering: "American-made biodiesel gets zero soldiers per mile."
 

FUNDING

Acquisition
The Spirit of Garberville has been funded in full throughout its 8-year history by business sponsors who receive advertising through listing on the back of the bus.

We have received $1,000 for a down payment and are currently seeking an additional $6,000 to complete purchase of the bus, re-paint, and install some additional equipment listed below.  Additional features will be added by VFP members and in-kind donations as we proceed.

Operating expenses
Ongoing operating expenses including fuel, maintenance, and insurance will be met by our VFP group, other VFP groups using the bus, donations at events, and sale of pro-peace products.  This has worked well for the White Rose as well as the Sprit of Garberville.

Additional equipment to be added when available
We will solicit these additional items through donations or as tax-deductible in-kind contributions, such as equipment donations of outdated models from businesses.

1) A digital projector for film and slide shows
2) Drop-down screen for film and slide shows, installed behind driver
3) Access to internet via satellite to provide internet wi-fi communications and streaming audio
4) Rooftop audio system
5) Twelve 6-volt RV batteries when AC power supply is not available
6) Diesel generator for emergency electrical assistance when needed in remote
locations

Actions so far (Details can be viewed at www.squadron13.com)

Support for Lt. Watada  Three trips to Ft. Lewis to demonstrate support for Lt. Ehren Watada at:
(1) his pre-trial hearing:
(2) a "citizens hearing" held at Evergreen College in Tacoma to accept and record testimony from excluded defense witnesses to testify on the illegality of the Iraq War; and
(3) his court-martial ending in a mistrial.

Opposition to GNEP  Transported citizens to testify against the US Department of Energy's "Global Nuclear Energy Partnership" including our own testimony about depleted uranium at:
(1) Pasco, Washington, stressing risks to the environment and northwest fishery; and
(2) Hood River, Oregon, stressing risks of transporting nuclear waste for recycling across Oregon

Parades
(1) Invited by the Lincoln County Democratic Party to participate in their contingent of Newport's "Loyalty Day" parade, from which we were excluded upon arrival by the parade organizers.  This led to a creative response at the time, a continuing public identity crisis within the Newport community reflected in the Newport News Times, and a widespread boycott of the Newport tourist industry.

(2) Invited and participated in the Waldport Beachcombers parade, followed by filming in front of the Newport City Hall of a video calling for the citizens arrest of Bush and Cheney.  This is now posted on YouTube and can be linked through www.squadron13.com.

Local demonstrations  Have provided a supportive presence at numerous local demonstrations and events, including:
(1) Eugene rally supportive of and addressed by Lt. Watada;
(2) sit-ins within congressional offices conducted the Occupation Project;
(3) appearances at major local malls on Memorial Day to remind shoppers of the meaning of the holiday.

(this list of successful actions is incomplete)
 

Below are some pictures of two buses that the new Eugene Chapter will model their own after.

"White Rose" in Eugene, Oregon at start of "Share the Sacrifice - Ride for Peace"
Summer of 2006
 

The "White Rose" supported the "Ride for Peace", shown here with some of the
participants.

White Rose in Newberg, Oregon. Note 13 starred Betsy Ross Flag donated
by VeteransAgainstTorture.com

The "Sprit of Garberville" at the Golden Gate Bridge

...in the mountains in California.

The back of "Spirit of Garberville"
 

Please consider making a tax deductible donation towards the operation of our biodiesel bus.
Selling weapons is highly profitable. Working for peace is not.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Make check payable to "VFP Bus Project"
and send to 310 Garfield, #24, Eugene, Oregon 97402

Back to Squadron13-Deployed Homepage