Veterans Day 2007 - VFP Press Release & Info

For Immediate Release

Veterans For Peace, Greater Atlanta Chapter 125: www.vfp125.org; www.veteransforpeace.org

November 9, 2007                          CONTACT: Debbie Clark, 770-855-6163, dclark@antiwar.com
                                                                              Reid Jenkins, 678-984-6788, reid@freejoye.com

VETERANS’ DAY: KEEPING FAITH WITH THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF ARMISTICE DAY

Atlanta Veterans For Peace Chapter 125 will be marching in the Veterans Day parade in downtown Atlanta for the second year in a row on Nov. 11. The group was initially denied entrance to this year’s parade stemming from objections voiced at last year’s parade about their “Bring Them Home Now” banner, although no formal complaint was made. The group was later accepted into the parade after agreeing that they would display no signs or banners during the parade this year and will carry only Veterans For Peace and US flags.

The original Armistice Day ended World War I on November 11, 1918, but not before nearly 30 million soldiers had been killed or wounded, and over seven million taken prisoner.

Congress responded to a universal hope that this would never happen again and passed a resolution calling for “…exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding…inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches…with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.”

Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day under the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who stated in the first Veterans Day Proclamation that the purpose of Veterans Day is to "solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom" and to "reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain."

Of the many veterans’ organizations in the U.S., one exists specifically to carry out the original purpose of Armistice Day, now celebrated as Veterans' Day. In word as well as action, Veterans For Peace, a national organization with 120 chapters, is dedicated to the cause of peace.

“Our statement of purpose is clear and direct when it says we intend to ‘abolish war as an instrument of national policy.’ We want this generation of veterans to be the last,” said VFP president Elliott Adams.

Debbie Clark, founder of the Atlanta Veterans For Peace (VFP) chapter 125, said that members of her chapter honor veterans and work toward peace in a variety of ways every single day. The eight-year Army veteran and former US Army CID special agent pointed to activities such as ongoing weekly peace vigils in the Atlanta area led by veterans, public speaking, letter-writing, the Appeal For Redress campaign led by Atlanta native and Navy seaman Jonathan Hutto, as well as service activities such as phone card distribution at the Atlanta VA Medical Center last Christmas and fundraising for future plans in partnership with the Mad Housers to build huts for homeless veterans and others.

Veterans For Peace was founded in 1985 and includes veterans of all eras and wars from the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), World War II, the Korean, Vietnam, Gulf and current Iraq wars as well as other conflicts cold or hot. It has participated in every major demonstration against the war in Iraq. Their collective experience tells them wars are easy to start and hard to stop and that those hurt are often the innocent. VFP is represented at the UN as an official Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).

For more information, please visit www.vfp125.org for the Atlanta VFP chapter and www.veteransforpeace.org for the national website

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See the national VFP website HERE for VFP Veterans Day activities nationwide

NAME OF EVENT: Atlanta Veterans Day Parade

LOCATION OF EVENT: West Peachtree Street near Pine Street through downtown Atlanta and ending at Centennial Olympic Park   Map of parade route HERE

DESCRIPTION OF EVENT: 26th Annual Veterans Day Parade. Greater Atlanta VFP Chapter 125 will be marching in Division 5. Participation with VFP Chapter 125 in the parade is contingent upon strict adherence to the stipulations made by the Atlanta Veterans Day Parade Committee, which include NO SIGNS OR BANNERS OF ANY KIND. Members may carry VFP flags and US flags only. US flags are required to be in the upright position. Other veterans or prospective members are welcome to join VFP in the parade, however, they will be required to adhere to these guidelines. Failure to comply will result in the Atlanta VFP being denied entry into the parade next year.

TIME: 11:11 AM

DATE: Sunday, November 11, 2007

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Debbie Clark, 770-855-6163, dclark@antiwar.com
or Reid Jenkins, 678-984-6788, reid@freejoye.com

DIVISION 5
Parade Line-Up for Division 5 as provided by the Georgia Veterans Day Parade Association of Atlanta

1. DEKALB COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT HONOR GUARD            FIRST YEAR
2. NORTH GEORGIA COLLEGE & STATE UNIVERSITY
           Golden Eagle Band - Dahlonega, GA
3. DEPT. of GEORGIA V.F.W. and LADIES AUXILIARY
           Macon, GA
4. V.F.W. POST 5290 - Conyers, GA
5. V.F.W. POST 3650 - Riverdale, GA
6. VFW POST 7612
7. V.F.W. DISTRICT 6 - Jim Calnan, District Commander
8.   SIGMA PHI PSI SORORITY - For US Armed Forces Women

9. MILITARY ORDER OF THE PURPLE HEART - Department of Georgia

10. MILITARY ORDER OF THE PURPLE HEART
              Atlanta Chapter 465, General William A. Cunningham

11. MILLER GROVE HIGH SCHOOL AJROTC - Lithonia, GA              FIRST YEAR

12. KOREAN WAR VETERANS ASSOCIATION
              General Raymond G. Davis Chapter - Atlanta, GA

13. AVONDALE HIGH SCHOOL AFJROTC - Avondale Estates, GA

14. LUNG CANCER ALLIANCE GEORGIA                  FIRST YEAR

15. SOUTH COBB HIGH SCHOOL - Eagle Battalion

16. MISS USO GEORGIA
            Driven by Freeman Donald Representing VOLVO of SOUTH ATLANTA

17. USO WORLD MOBILE CANTEEN

18. THE OLD GUARD OF THE GATE CITY GUARD - Atlanta, GA

19. YAARAB SHRINE BAND         FIRST YEAR

20. VA MEDICAL CENTER - Decatur, GA

21. GEORGIA MILITARY VEHICLE PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION

22. FLEXCAR - Mini Cooper and pickup truck    FIRST YEAR

23. VETERANS FOR PEACE

24. CYCLE WORLD ATHENS        FIRST YEAR

25. T U C C O (TUCKER CONCRETE CO.)
              2 Camouflage Concrete Trucks

26. MAXIMUM LIMOSINE SERVICE - Atlanta, GA