WINTER SOLDIER HEARINGS AIRED IN SKOWHEGAN ON SAT., 3/15

Skowhegan, March 16 -- Michael Vernon, Vietnam veteran and father of two active duty sons, delivered a keynote address on the cost of war to his family, our country, and to himself. He shared how difficult it was to talk of such things, and of the indifference of most Americans to hearing about such things. Michael was joined by his partner, Carol Dove, and about fifty others in watching live coverage of the Winter Soldier hearings held in Washington D.C. on Saturday, March 15 from noon to 4:00pm.

Watchers gathered at the Empire Grill in Skowhegan, where live feed from the Iraq Veterans Against the War (ivaw.org) website was projected onto a big screen set up in a period diner reconstructed as a location for the movie "Empire Falls" based on Richard Russo's book of the same name. The viewing was co-sponsored by local group Waterville Area Bridges for Peace & Justice (wabpj.org) and Every-Village-Green (everyvillage-me.us), a state-wide peace and justice coordinating body. Support from American Friends Service Committee (afsc.org) helped defray the costs of promoting and staging the event.

Wait staff at the diner explained to customers who wandered in what the hearings were all about; one waitress returned after her shift with her mother, and they joined those watching the hearings. Another waitress told me that she had a cousin in Iraq and added, "I hope someone from the government is coming to watch the hearings."

Students from Skowhegan Area High School and Lawrence High School in nearby Fairfield also attended; two of the Skowhegan students, Evan Lebrun and Eric Axelman, ae founding members of their school's League of Progressive Voters. Among other attendees were artists, doctors, social workers, teachers, wood workers, retired mill workers, tradesmen, counselors, etc. Several donations were received on behalf of IVAW to help defray the costs of veterans' travel to Washington.

Those witnessing the testimony reacted with both tears and laughter at time. Best moment from the hearings: young veteran Chris Arendt spoke about his tour of duty guarding prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, which he called a "concentration camp," pointing out the power of words and noting that semantics are important. He closed his testimony by mentioning his rivalry with a fellow soldier to see who could do the most to "piss off the top brass" adding, "I believe I am ahead now."

The event was covered by a Waterville Morning Sentinel reporter and a photographer, and by a videographer for the local access t.v. station in Madison. International coverage of the Winter Soldier hearings was aired by the BBC Friday, March 14 when Maine veteran Perry O'Brien appeared in a segment about the 5th anniversary of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
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