IVAW Winter Soldier on Capitol Hill

(Crossposted from The Free Speech Zone)

I first met Kristofer Goldsmith and Mathis Chiroux when they came to the Final Presidential Debate at Hofstra University. I had joined IVAW and CODE PINK for a Joint demonstration on Oct 15th, 2008 to allow these two and other veterans to ask their questions at this debate.  They were denied entry and then arrested, Sgt. Nick Morgan was trampled by police on horseback.  I had my own footage and even cross-posted a diary here about it but I deleted that photobucket account. However I still have the videos somewhere on my other computer, but for now, here:

Seeing Kristofer Goldsmith go before Congress (with Mathis Chiroux behind him) made me realize that I was witnessing the same history that those in the Vietnam Anti-War Movement witnessed.  Here it was, in real time, I know that guy, I marched with him, talked with him, saw him get arrested, and at around this time last year, just like those that testified about the CIA’s Phoenix Program, he testified (with others) as to the things he witnessed in Iraq in terms of the humanitarian crisis that exists because of the occupation.

The one thing I didn’t know is that he attempted suicide.

It’s not exactly something that came up in our casual conversations on the day of the debate or later with the courtroom solidarity, but it explained a lot in terms of pinpointing a vibe I got that seemed to haunt his presence. Seeing the edge everyday in Iraq will most assuredly make you want to jump if only to end the anxiety.

It was because of this he got a “General Discharge” and was denied the $40K promised to him in the Montgomery G.I. Bill.  Seems the government believes that he didn’t “earn” it since he tried to kill himself in a warzone where the enemy is embedded in the population and you never know where and when an attack would come.

Happy Memorial Day.