Comments on: VETERANS SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN http://www.calledtoservevietnam.com/blog/2009/03/29/veterans-speak-out-against-the-war-in-afghanistan/ Called to Serve: Stories of the Men and Women Confronted by the Vietnam War Draft Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:09:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: janet levine http://www.calledtoservevietnam.com/blog/2009/03/29/veterans-speak-out-against-the-war-in-afghanistan/#comment-164 janet levine Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:22:04 +0000 http://www.vietnamwardraftstories.com/blog/?p=196#comment-164 To any of you who might help a dear friend of ours, now in need of shelter in Washington D.C. Tom Mahany has begun a hunger strike as of 11, November, toward the pull-out of our troops from the Afghan and Iraqi fronts.  Tom is a Viet Nam War Vet, a long ago protester and hunger strike activist against that war. Now past 60, he has driven himself to Washington D.C. to try to raise awareness of the great human toll and waste of this current war. He is desperately in need of shelter in the D.C. area, from which he can reach out his message to The President and those in power to make military decisions.  Tom attended West Point, served in Viet -Nam, is an upstanding member of his Michigan community. The events a week ago at Fort Hood have made a horrible impact on Tom's conscience, and spiraled him into this hunger strike to try and make a difference.His message below explains his position. I am attaching the letter which he hopes to circulate. I am urgently in hopes that you have contact in D.C. which can offer this kind and caring man shelter immediately. He is running out of strength rapidly. I am most sincerely yours, Janet Levine janet@iwild.com President of the United States 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC Dear Sir, In May of 1970 I spent 29 days in Lafayette Square fasting for Peace in Viet Nam. I now feel that is time to act again. Accordingly, as of 0600 Hours, Nov 11, Veterans Day 2009, I have taken my last material sustenance other than water until specific action is taken by your Administration and our Military to stem the tragic and ever-increasing rise in cases of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome which is rapidly approaching endemic proportion amongst our Fighting Men and Women. I fought in Viet Nam and I also lost a brother-in law from suicide caused by PTSS. He had two young sons. I have seen firsthand what this can do to a family. In taking my action I hope to elicit from the national populous moral support sufficient to spiritually bolster you while making your upcoming decision concerning our military presence in Afghanistan. Mr. President, please end this needless, incessant war making. We have long ago surpassed humanely reasonable demand exacted upon the fruit of our middle class as well as wrought excessive death and destruction on unwitting civilians in foreign lands. Let us tone down the hatred and stop the violence that has engulfed our society. I beg you in the words of Abraham Lincoln; please do not yield to the “peculiar and powerful interests. [Sic] With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, [Sic] let us strive on to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, [Sic} to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations. [Sic} The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart, [Sic] will yet swell the chorus [Sic], when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature” Sir, I pray you find the strength to make the honorable choice and the courage to implement it. Withdraw our military men and women from the Middle East now. Take them away from the ordeal of continually dealing with adjacent, senseless mortality. Deal with the cause, not just the effect. Again, I am resolved to partake of no food until some concrete positive action on your part has come to pass. During this time I shall, if allowed, keep myself available to the public in Lafayette Square across from the White House. Respectfully yours, Thomas E. Mahany Thomas E. Mahany Royal Oak, MI 101st Airborne Division, USRV, 1969 To any of you who might help a dear friend of ours, now in need of shelter in Washington D.C.
Tom Mahany has begun a hunger strike as of 11, November, toward the pull-out of our troops from the Afghan and Iraqi fronts.  Tom is a Viet Nam War Vet, a long ago protester and hunger strike activist against that war.
Now past 60, he has driven himself to Washington D.C. to try to raise awareness of the great human toll and waste of this current war.

He is desperately in need of shelter in the D.C. area, from which he can reach out his message to The President and those in power to make military decisions.  Tom attended West Point, served in Viet -Nam, is an upstanding member of his Michigan community. The events a week ago at Fort Hood have made a horrible impact on Tom’s conscience, and spiraled him into this hunger strike to try and make a difference.His message below explains his position.

I am attaching the letter which he hopes to circulate.
I am urgently in hopes that you have contact in D.C. which can offer this kind and caring man shelter immediately. He is running out of strength rapidly.
I am most sincerely yours,
Janet Levine
janet@iwild.com

President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC

Dear Sir,

In May of 1970 I spent 29 days in Lafayette Square fasting for Peace in Viet Nam. I now feel that is time to act again. Accordingly, as of 0600 Hours, Nov 11, Veterans Day 2009, I have taken my last material sustenance other than water until specific action is taken by your Administration and our Military to stem the tragic and ever-increasing rise in cases of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome which is rapidly approaching endemic proportion amongst our Fighting Men and Women.
I fought in Viet Nam and I also lost a brother-in law from suicide caused by PTSS. He had two young sons. I have seen firsthand what this can do to a family.
In taking my action I hope to elicit from the national populous moral support sufficient to spiritually bolster you while making your upcoming decision concerning our military presence in Afghanistan.
Mr. President, please end this needless, incessant war making. We have long ago surpassed humanely reasonable demand exacted upon the fruit of our middle class as well as wrought excessive death and destruction on unwitting civilians in foreign lands. Let us tone down the hatred and stop the violence that has engulfed our society.
I beg you in the words of Abraham Lincoln; please do not yield to the “peculiar and powerful interests. [Sic] With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, [Sic] let us strive on to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, [Sic} to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations. [Sic} The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart, [Sic] will yet swell the chorus [Sic], when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature”
Sir, I pray you find the strength to make the honorable choice and the courage to implement it.
Withdraw our military men and women from the Middle East now. Take them away from the ordeal of continually dealing with adjacent, senseless mortality. Deal with the cause, not just the effect.
Again, I am resolved to partake of no food until some concrete positive action on your part has come to pass. During this time I shall, if allowed, keep myself available to the public in Lafayette Square across from the White House.

Respectfully yours,

Thomas E. Mahany
Thomas E. Mahany
Royal Oak, MI
101st Airborne Division, USRV, 1969

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