Schrader - Fight to live, live to fight: veteran activism after war

FIGHT TO LIVE,
LIVE TO FIGHT

SUNY series in New Political Science

Bradley J. Macdonald, editor

FIGHT TO LIVE,
LIVE TO FIGHT

Veteran Activism after War

Benjamin Schrader

On the cover : Detail from War Is Trauma for Humans and Otherwise, by Roger Peet (Portland, OR), courtesy of IVAW (www.ivaw.org)

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

2019 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY

www.sunypress.edu

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Schrader, Benjamin, 1980 author.

Title: Fight to live, live to fight : veteran activism after war / Benjamin Schrader.

Description: Albany, NY : State University of New York Press, [2019] | Series: SUNY series in new political science | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018036280 | ISBN 9781438475196 (hardcover : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781438475202 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: VeteransPolitical activityUnited States. | Iraq War, 20032011VeteransPolitical activityUnited States. | Afghan War, 2001 VeteransPolitical activityUnited States. | VeteransUnited StatesBiography. | Political activistsUnited StatesHistory21st century. | Social movementsUnited StatesHistory21st century. | Protest movementsUnited StatesHistory21st century. | United StatesPolitics and government21st century. | MilitarismUnited States. | Critical theoryUnited States.

Classification: LCC UB357 .S347 2019 | DDC 322.4086/970973dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018036280

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Veterans are the light at the tip of the candle, illuminating the way for the whole nation. If veterans can achieve awareness, transformation, understanding, and peace, they can share with the rest of society the realities of war. And they can teach us how to make peace with ourselves and each other, so we never have to use violence to resolve conflicts again.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Contents

Abbreviations and Acronyms

1SGT First Sergeant

AO Area of Operation

AWOL Absent Without Leave

BDU Battle Dress Uniform

CIA Central Intelligence Agency

CMS Critical Military Studies

DCU Desert Camouflage Uniform

DUI Driving Under the Influence

EMDR Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

FOB Forward Operating Base

GED General Equivalency Diploma

GMACC Gangsters Making Astronomical Change in the Community

GWOT Global War on Terror

IED Improvised Explosive Device

IMF International Monetary Fund

IRAP Iraq Refugee Assistance Program

IVAW Iraq Veterans Against the War

JROTC Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps

Lt. Lieutenant

Lt.Col. Lieutenant Colonel

MILES Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System

MEPS Military Entrance Processing Station

MK19 Mark 19 Automatic Grenade Launcher

MRAP Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle

MST Military Sexual Trauma

NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement

NOLB No One Left Behind

OG Original Gangster

OPFOR Oppositional Forces

OpFree Operation FREE

OWS Occupy Wall Street

PL Platoon Leader

POG Person Other than Grunt

POGO Project of Government Oversight

PTS Post-Traumatic Stress

PTSD Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

QRF Quick Reaction Force

REMF Rear Echelon Mother Fucker

ROE Rules of Engagement

ROTC Reserve Officer Training Corps

Sgt. Sergeant

Sgt.Maj. Sergeant Major

SFC Sergeant First Class

SSG Staff Sergeant

TBI Traumatic Brain Injury

TC Truck Commander

UCMJ Uniform Code of Military Justice

VA Veterans Administration

VFP Veterans for Peace

VFW Veterans of Foreign Wars

VGJ Veterans Green Jobs

VVA Vietnam Veterans of America

VVAW Vietnam Veterans Against the War

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I would like to thank all the veterans who participated in this research. I can only hope that the narratives here inspire others as much as you have all inspired me. As a large part of this book contains accounts from my own life, this appreciation and love extends to my parents, Mark Schrader and Marykay DeverauxI am who I am because of you both, thank youand to my sisters Eryn Brady and Kelsie Foxx, as well as my brother, Brett Brady, rest in peace, and to my stepmothers and all who had a hand in raising me: Randi Schrader, Joan Schrader, and Shauna Atkins. They also extend to all my brothers and sisters with whom I served in the army. Within this group of people I would especially like to thank my closest friends: Garett Reppenhagen, Jeff Englehart, Thomas Cassidy, and Mark Lachance. Also to the rest of the 2/63 Scout Platoon shitbags: Matt Frank, Ron Holmes, Nestor Martinez, John Flynn, Kentner Scarborough, Matt Stroup, Jesse Smith, Abraham Stanfill (honorary scout), Brian Porter, Robert Brown, Michael Zugg, Zacarey Davis, Daniel Carter, Alfred Luna, Timothy Williams, Jody Casey, James Dolph (Doc), Thomas Ervin (wishes he was a scout), Josef Merritt, Gregory Bedingfield, John Casey, John Preston, Lt. Joshua Kaiser, Lt. Matthew Caldwell, Lt. Jon Genge, and all the others I missed, sorry. But definitely a very special thanks to SFC David Jenkins, you changed my life in more ways than I can express here.

A very special thanks to my friend and mentor, Eric Ishiwata. None of this would have been possible without you encouraging and pushing me to be better and do more! Once I left Colorado State University, I found a new family at the University of Hawaii. Thanks so much to my dissertation chairs Kathy Ferguson and Michael Shapiro, as well as to the rest of my committee, Jairus Grove, Manfred Steger, and David Stannard. And to all my fellow comrades from UH: Francois-Xavier Plasse-Couture, Rex Trombley, Anjali Nath, Katie Brennan, Sharain Nayler, Tani Sebro, Rohan Kalyan, Noah Viernes, Iokepa Cusumbal-Salazar, Melisa Cusumbal-Salazar, Guanpei Ming, Lorenzo Rinelli, Sam Opondo, Irmak Yazici, Adam Foster, Jimmy Weir, Sankaran Krishna, Sami Raza, Nicole Sunday Grove, Tuti Mary Baker, Nevzat Soguk, Alvin Lim, Akta Kaushal, Aubrey Morgan Yee, Bettina Brown, Brian Caldwell Gordon, Debora Halbert, Duyen Bui, Eri Kiyoko, Kim Compoc, Kyle Kajihiro, Ryan Knight, Heather Frey, Gitte Du Plessis, Julia Guimaraes, and Sophie Yeonhee Kim. A very special thanks goes to Brianne Gallagher, who always inspired me, made me a better person, and was able to make me understand complex things like no one else could. And thank you so much for pushing me to not put off turning this into a book; I am forever grateful and indebted to you.

And to my friends who are fighting the good fights: Kristen Grigsby, Alan Pitts, Mitch Trebesh, Ian Overton, Carlie Trott, Laura Bruner, Therese Inman, Phil Linkchorst, Jodi Edmonds, Cheryl Distaso, Marketa Rumlena, Irene Vernon, Micah Lease, Adam Bracky, Ambeur Johnson, Jennifer Dobb, Sara Gill, Jeff Key, Eli Wright, Kelly Dougherty, Lovella Calica, Barb Kistler, Sean Jaster, Jeni Cross, Rachael Martel, Melanie Amoroso-Pohl, Maggie Martin, Matt Howard, Rachel Darden, Megan White, Katie Gleeson, Mark Settle, Dan Palmer, Jason Green, Sadie Conrad, Trevor and Katie Trout, Megan Skeehan, Rachel Johnson, James Sander, Mike Marion, Emily Yates, Shawna Foster, Mike Flaherty, Vrnda Noel, Dom Mullins, Kim Grubbs, Jess Dyrdahl, Peter Dearth, Casey Boczon, Colleen Bannon, Matt Stys, Robin Guthrie, Wendy Barranco, David Mann, Nick Velvet, Jose Vasquez, Charon Hribar, Phil Guzy, Kevin Levad, Kevin Kirchner, Ramon Mejia, Lance Wright, Roe Bubar, Karina Cespedes, Doreen Martinez, Cori Wong, Rachel Kennedy, Denise Ondaro, Monica Rivera, Carmen Rivera, Laura Osteen, Emily Ambrose, Caridad Souza, Ray Black, Bobby Kunstman, Norberto Valdez, Carl Olsen, Maricela DeMirjyn, Nancy York, Claire Ryder, Erica LaFehr, Avondine Hill, Kevin Cross, Krista Martinez, Shelby Williams, Michele Frick, Pam Norris, Jen Johnson, Chris Leck, Sam Bowersox-Daly, Taylor Smoot, Ben Prytherch, and so many more! (Im missing so many here just know you are loved.) And to the Bouncing Souls, whose music saved me from many dark places, as their friendship has always been amazing, and their lyrics inspired the title of this book.