Building Peace:

Veterans work to end wars

On July 25, Harry Patch, the last British veteran of World War I, died, marking the passing of an entire generation of veterans of the so-called "war to end all wars." What was most remarkable about Patch’s experience is that he came to believe that what he and his fellow soldiers had done so proudly in their youth had been in vain. At a remembrance ceremony on November 11, 2007, Patch explained:

"Today is not for me. It is for the countless millions who did not come home with their lives intact. They are the heroes. It is also important we remember those who lost their lives on both sides."

Patch didn’t talk about the war for 80 years, but he came to believe the casualties were not justified.

"I met someone from the German side and we both shared the same opinion: we fought, we finished and we were friends."

"It wasn't worth it."

Joining together to stand up for peace--first to end the Vietnam conflict and later, all wars--was a direct result of the social action of Vietnam veterans. Since 1985, Veterans For Peace have been dedicated to end war as a political policy, including members of the Phoenix Chapter. Other peace groups, such as Arizona Institute for Peace Education and Research (AIPER), have programs to help veterans, especially disabled vets. This is necessary because the previous administration relied on war to confront international issues but failed to take full responsibility for the troops who fought those wars for the politicians..........Rest Here

One Result of Political Wars of Choice

VA center wasn’t aware of many veteran suicides

Report says methods used to identify victims ‘may be inadequate’

The number of Spokane-area veterans who killed themselves in a one-year period is far greater than the Spokane Veteran Affairs Medical Center knew at the time, a VA investigation has found.

The VA’s Office of Medical Investigations discovered that from July 2007 through the first week of July 2008, at least 22 veterans in the Spokane VA service area killed themselves, and 15 of them had contact with the medical center...........Rest Here