Revolutionary Worker #1272, March 27, 2005, posted at rwor.org
March 18 marked the second anniversary of the U.S. war on Iraq. In hundreds of cities across the world demonstrations took place opposing the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq, including in major cities in the U.S.
Thousands from around the country converged on Fayetteville, North Carolina, to speak against the war outside Ft Bragg, one of the country's largest military bases. Many came determined to support resisters who have stepped forward within the military to oppose the war, and to show their solidarity with growing numbers of military families who are calling for the return of soldiers to the U.S.
And it was particularly significant that a number of GIs from Fort Bragg turned out at the rally, standing among the crowd in civilian clothes.
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Kara Hollingsworth lives on Fort Bragg. Her husband is an active-duty soldier deployed in Iraq as part of the Army's 18th Airborne Division.
Kara told the RW that discussions have been going on at Fort Bragg among military families over this war—just like in the rest of society these days. Some of the families are all for the war in Iraq. Others were more beginning to question "the mission." And there were some, like Kara, who have come to some firm conclusions that the U.S. should not be in Iraq. She feels the U.S. government has lied to her about the mission in Iraq and she wants her husband to come home. And she has become an active member of Military Families Speak Out!
Kara joined with a number of other military families, veterans organizations and GI resisters taking a public stand against the U.S. war on Iraq on its second anniversary in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Kara said her husband couldn't comment to her about his thoughts on the war, but he supported her speaking out.
When the RW first met Kara on Saturday she said she was the only family member at the rally from Ft. Bragg. She thought she was alone in this. But toward the end of the day when we checked back in with her, she said she had met two other family members and had seen at least ten others she recognized from Ft. Bragg.
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Speakers at this North Carolina rally included Camilo Mejia, one of the first GI war resisters to publicly refuse to return to Iraq, and also Kevin and Joyce Lucey, whose son killed himself shortly after coming back from Iraq. He was suffering from depression brought on by what he had seen done to the Iraqi people.
Kelly Dougherty came to this event with about 30 other members of Iraq Veterans Against the War. She spoke to the crowd about what she learned from the Iraqi people—including the terror they were experiencing under U.S. occupation.