An Open Letter from Veterans to Recently Activated National Guard Troops
Attention Members of the National Guard,
We write you as fellow veterans and service members with full knowledge of what’s at stake as many of you are being asked to mobilize against civilians in your own country. As your neighbors fill the streets demanding the justice this country promised them, your command is undoubtedly telling you that you’re being activated in service to your community. And yet, it is your community members who fill the streets, while your Commander in Chief tweets about using you to murder people over something as insignificant as property damage.
A moral choice lies before you. As veterans who have faced similar tests of conscience, only to realize too late that we chose wrong, we cannot stress enough the impact this decision will have on the rest of your life. We all took an oath to defend the country from enemies foreign and domestic. Are Black protesters the enemy of this country? Today you have to decide whether you are loyal to the values you swore to uphold or to the commanders who would order you to turn on your neighbors for demanding justice. You cannot be loyal to both.
We know that it is your intention to be of service and prevent more harm, but we urge you to remember the deadly legacy of the National Guard enacting violence against protesters- Watts in 1965, Kent State in 1970, Los Angeles in 1992, and many other examples in recent history.
The military is designed to be lethal, not to de-escalate.
We urge you to have the courage to do the right thing. Refuse activation orders.
No amount of property is worth a single human life. Are you really prepared to carry out the violence President Trump threatened against Minnesotans and others? We ask that you stand up for Black lives by standing down. We know the consequences you may face for disobeying orders. Many of us have faced them ourselves. And many of us live with the consequences of following orders we shouldn’t have, and can tell you that the cost of moral injury is far greater.
There is a long legacy of troops choosing what’s right over what’s ordered. You are not alone in your convictions. To discuss your rights and the options available to you, contact the GI Rights Hotline at 1–877–447–4487. You can also connect with veterans ready to support you as peers and stand with you in your decision by emailing support@aboutfaceveterans.com.
Very respectfully,
About Face: Veterans Against the War and the undersigned
Veterans (311, updated 6/1)
Devin Griffin, Air Force
Tashi-Kali Macket, Air force
Stephen Dutschke, Air Force
Percy Hilo, Air Force
Tim Pluta, Air Force
Phillip Pflager, Air Force
Ronda Shelton, Air Force
Dave Paolo, Air Force
John Spitzberg, Air Force
Koni Delgado , Air Force
David Yhann, Air Force
Ksenia Voropaeva, Air Force
Christina Burgtorf, Air Force
Jack Koning, Air Force
Evan Anderson, Air Force
Madison Coveno, Air Force
Steve Griffin, Air Force
Kyle Harlow, Air Force
Christine Meisenheimer , Air Force
Corbett Brattin, Air Force
Sandra Barrett-Hoomani, Air Force
Wilford Vogt, Air Force
Nancy Cook, Air Force
Lori Quintana , Air Force
Kevin Parent, Air Force
Bill Wilson, Air Force
Joris Hines, Air Force
Michael Turek, Air Force
Fred Norman, Air Force
Andrew Kincare, Air Force
Quintin Gorman , Air Force
Dustin Kearns, Air Force
William Laidley, Air Force
Jonathan Babcock, Air Force
Donald Larson, Air Force
Julie Pitt, Air Force
Alex Freeman-Smith, Air Force
Michael Dowdy-Benivamonde, Air Force
Jessica Coulter , Air Force
Thíeyacine Fall, Army
Pamela Hagans, Army
Gary McGrath, Army
Ryan Bishop, Army
Joseph Scott, Army
Mike Conyers, Army
Jorge Rodriguez , Army
Andrew Nixon, Army
AJ Goodman, Army
Robyn Fishburne, Army
Matthew McManus, Army
Amanda Madison, Army
Joseph Farkas, Army
Maggie Martin, Army
Jacqueline Singh, Army
Geoff Hogate, Army
Stan McCoy, Army
Jenn Webster, Army
Amy Divin, Army
Naomi Rodela, Army
Tim Hardin, Army
Mikaila Thomas, Army
Andrew Yip, Army
Zachary Yeary, Army
Nathan Hughes, Army
Arny Stieber, Army
John Gieler , Army
Adam Dowd, Army
Marybeth Knowles, Army
Marvin Sawyer, Army
Doug Rawlings, Army
William potvin, Army
David Giffey, Army
Amanda Vidri, Army
Rand Dawson, Army
Ed Murphy, Army
Ellen Chung, Army
Bill Butler, Army
John Barron-Wike, Army
Stephen Davie, Army
Robert Prokop, Army
Dan Ryan, Army
Steven Linden, Army
Garett Reppenhagen, Army
Douglas Stuart, Army
George Marzocchi, Army
Dan Morgan, Army
Steve Morse, Army
Larry Brink, Army
Cara Bissell, Army
John Hutchcroft , Army
Lorraine Dumas, Army
Christopher Countey, Army
David Brown, Army
Reese Forbes, Army
Marc Cryer, Army
Jaclyn Polhamus, Army
Bryan Urquhart, Army
Donald Reith, Army
Danny Beever, Army
Allen Hallmark, Army
Christina Sitton, Army
Thomas Riddering, Army
Jovanni Reyes , Army
Daniel Rogers, Army
Brian Trautman, Army
Wendy Barranco, Army
Art Sanchez, Army
Arya LaVallee, Army
Casey Lovell, Army
Casey Lovell, Army
Casey Lovell, Army
Hollis Higgins, Army
Ned Long, Army
Spenser Rapone, Army
James Brown, Army
Clesson Oakes, Army
Ray Cage, Army
Kenneth Pelo, Army
David Larsen, Army
Robert Dredden, Army
Ava Salas, Army
Wesley Ware, Army
Joel Isaacson, Army
Steve Bean, Army
Steve Claassen, Army
Andy Berman, Army
Jeff Scroggin, Army
Robert Dredden, Army
Xeena Spellman, Army
Richard Sinnott, Army
Jim Casteris, Army
Ellen E Barfield, Army
Terry Hansen, Army
James J DiPisa, Army
James J DiPisa, Army
Ilmarinen Gouge, Army
Jonathan Raab, Army National Guard
Brandon Bridge, Army National Guard
Jason Mizula , Army National Guard
Erik Johansson, Army National Guard
Fred Dente, Army National Guard
Kristen Grigsby, Army National Guard
Alexander DeSha, Army National Guard
Mick Hill, Army National Guard
Alex Beerling, Army National Guard
Shawna Foster, Army National Guard
Ryan Keen, Army National Guard
Aaron Hughes, Army National Guard
Celia Gomez, Army National Guard
Brittany Ramos DeBarros, Army Reserve
Lee Liddle, Army Reserve
Todd Arena, Army Reserve
Kristina Wolff, Army Reserve
Daniel Tompkins, Army Reserve
Rory Brown, British Army
Marvin Cohen, Coast Guard
David Bailey, Coast Guard
Bud Haas, Coast Guard
Ramon Mejia, Marine Corps
Amelia Fowler, Marine Corps
Joseph Calvert, Marine Corps
Brandon Mariano, Marine Corps
Daniel Alvarez, Marine Corps
Jared Gordon, Marine Corps
Charles Osburn, Marine Corps
Ken McDaniel, Marine Corps
Dmitriy Ostrovskiy, Marine Corps
Ryan Endicott, Marine Corps
Laurel Wade, Marine Corps
Eric Gunlefinger, Marine Corps
Thomas Gill, Marine Corps
Charles Brown, Marine Corps
Jeff Hanrahan, Marine Corps
Matt Howard, Marine Corps
John Motter, Marine Corps
Matthew Hoh, Marine Corps
Albert Sargis, Marine Corps
John Ferrari, Marine Corps
Josh Davila, Marine Corps
Daryl Denning, Marine Corps
Prescott McCurdy, Marine Corps
Stephen Funk, Marine Corps
Timothy Bagwell, Marine Corps
Stephen Funk, Marine Corps
Jim Driscoll, Marine Corps
James Burtns, Marine Corps
Elizabeth Rojo, Marine Corps
Chris Huddleston, Marine Corps
Michael Peterson, Marine Corps
Tony Velez, Marine Corps
Arthur Surratt, Navy
Cynthia DuheHarris , Navy
Christopher Martin, Navy
Matthew Gore, Navy
William Courson, Navy
Rachel Sidney, Navy
James Kelly, Navy
Jeffrey Brown, Navy
Brent Miller, Navy
Connie Hill, Navy
Marvin Young, Navy
Eric Dean, Navy
Armon Ketchum, Navy
John Latta, Navy
Jennifer Weeks, Navy
Jim Wohlgemuth, Navy
Sally-Alice Thompson, Navy
Eric Dean, Navy
Dale Herman, Navy
Dennis Kreiner, Navy
Gregory Ross, Navy
Steven Kloppenburg, Navy
Joseph McLaughlin, Navy
Graeme Currie, Navy
Sarah Parker, Navy
David Wilkerson, Navy
Graeme Currie, Navy
Mike Ferner, Navy
Chuck Hamilton, Navy
Theodore Voth, Navy
Thomas Watson, Navy
Thomas Meisenhelder , Navy
Andrew Turner, Navy
David Cooley, Navy
David Gage, Navy
Gil Williams, Navy
Frank Campbell, Navy
Robert Richard, Navy
Bobbi Steele, Navy
Anthony Murtha, Navy
Brenda Smith, Navy
Beverly Diakur, Navy
Joel Maguire, Navy
John Snively, Navy Reserve
Sterling Vinson, Navy Reserve
Richard Sanderell, Navy
Jason Cordova, Navy
Jeni Brett, Navy
Ronald Inskeep, Navy
Jason Mott, Army
Alexandra Cotton , Navy
Lisa Ling, Air National Guard
Bok-dong Yoon, Marine Corps
Andrei Burke, Marine Corps
Joshua Ovalle, Navy
Daniel T, Army
Gerry Condon, Army
Jim Rutherford , Air Force
Jean Vereen, Army
Chris Spradlin, Navy
Courtney Ferebee , Air Force
Brian Brown, Air Force
Robert Vermillion, Army
Mike Lowery, Navy
James Raasch, Army
Tim Poelker, Navy
Jeff Parente, Marine Corps
Dirk Dieters, Army
Kyle Spalding, Marine Corps
Brian Tucker, Navy
Lyle Jeremy Rubin, Marine Corps
Ed Fisher, Navy Reserve
Jeff Camp, Air Force
Daniel Wilson, Navy
Zack Henson, Army National Guard
Gene Manon, Army
Krystal Two Bulls, Army Reserve
Andrew Johnson , Army
Buzz Davis, Army
Marissa Waters, Army Reserve
Chris Wencker, Air Force
Arti Walker-Peddakotla, Army
Francis Moulton, Air Force
Ismael Uribe, Army
Joseph Laundry, Army National Guard
Matthew Swenson, Army Reserve
Shana Press, Air Force
Allen Wilson, Coast Guard
Mary Font, Army
Jacob Maier, Marine Corps
Thomas Leonard, Jr., Marine Corps
Arian Istogu, Army
Greg Bowman, Air Force
Natasha Bonner , Marine Corps
Amanda Perez, Army
Malorie Kennedy, Army
Rachell Tucker, Army
David Keeler, Navy
Cassandra Jorgensen, Marine Corps
Benjamin Smalley, Navy
Paul Julian Gould, Army
Phillip Crist, Marine Corps
Ashley Kerwin, Air Force
Amber Carpenter, Marine Corps
Matthew Soellner, Navy
Stephen Davidson, Navy
Lauren Franklin, Navy
Jason Hunt, Marine Corps
Renee Sinicki, Army
Caroline Mejia, Air Force
Shiloh Emelein, Marine Corps
Lyle Adley-Warrick, Army
William Roemhild, Army National Guard
David Heeg, Navy
Lise Hull, Navy
Civilian Allies (17, Updated 6/1)
Meagan Rossin
Rodgers Frantz
Amy Henry
Marilyn Brock
Patsy Martinson
Aisha Anjum
Carol Trabing
Jason Brinkman
Myra Mendible
John Alder
Gaia Quay
Maureen Biscardi
Adrienne Weller
Dave Ransom
Michele Ortiz
Rachael Baskind
Siri Margerinn
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About Face: Veterans Against the War’s mission is to mobilize the military community to organize against militarism at home & abroad. Media inquiries please email press@aboutfaceveterans.org
