The Unlikely Activists (Page 1 of 4)

The most likely supporters of the war in Iraq would seem to be United States military personnel and veterans, but many are instead contributing to the growing anti-war movement after witnessing atrocities while deployed.

 Camilo Mejia was serving with the National Guard in Iraq when he saw innocent civilians mowed down and decapitated by U.S. military machine gun fire.

Aidan Delgado was an Army mechanic when he witnessed the immoral and inhumane conditions in the Abu Ghraib prison and grew concerned with general disrespect for Arab people.

Kelly Dougherty was serving as a military police officer with the National Guard in Iraq when she decided to make changes and address the treatment of veterans returning from war.

These experiences are part of the complexity that led these three Iraq war veterans to speak against the war upon their return to the U.S. Now that they’re back, they’ve devoted themselves to opening civilian eyes to what it really means to support our troops.

Nationwide, veterans and those still actively in the service have begun speaking out against the war in Iraq for political, spiritual, ethical, or simply humanitarian reasons.

Dougherty, Delgado, and Mejia are all members of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), an organization devoted to raising awareness and ending the violence in Iraq by an immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces.

IVAW members are veterans who have served since Sept. 11, 2001, including Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. They also call on the government to provide the benefits that are owed to those who have served.

“IVAW was formed in July 2004 by a small group of combat and non-combat members, and we want to bring troops home, take care of them, and make reparations to the Iraqi people. We do a lot of speaking and outreach to young people and other veterans,” Dougherty said. She estimates IVAW has about 300 members and is growing.

“We’re speaking against what we’ve been ordered to do and need support from everyday people,” Dougherty said. “It’s important for the community to let [veterans] know they’re welcomed home.”

IVAW members Dougherty, Mejia, and Delgado are each featured in the new documentary, “The Ground Truth.” The film was released in select cities nationwide over the weekend of Sept. 16 with the slogan “Sometimes the greatest act of courage is to tell the truth.”

Dougherty attended the Sept. 16 screening of the film in Knoxville hosted by the United Church of Christ on Weisgarber Road. Mejia and Delgado have also been attending screenings of “The Ground Truth” around the country.

“We want the film to do well because it’s such an urgent film right now,” Mejia said. “All these twisted lies about support the troops and the war and yellow ribbons on cars … you don’t see the flag-draped coffins or the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the suicides.”

He added, “You’re a hero if you have a good face for the camera and you came home with all your body parts. The film shows people coming home so traumatized, because it’s needed to create awareness.”

 “The Ground Truth” follows the progression of being recruited and trained for combat where killing is a conditioned response. The documentary also shows the mental trauma that occurs when soldiers return and are expected to lead civilian lives, without medical and psychiatric follow up from the military. The film illuminates the PTSD, paranoia and suicides that can follow a return from combat.

John Gill, a pastor at the United Church of Christ, said the documentary shows soldiers’ experiences in the war and the challenges they face upon returning.

 “Whether you’re for or against or not sure [about the war], the film raises up another issue of the humanity of those going, and the support they receive when they return,” Gill said. “We feel like the humanity gets lost, the humanity of civilian victims … what we’re committing our soldiers to when we send them to war."