Saturday, November 10, 2007

Alex Arredondo's First Letter Home

There have been many families who have members in the military. Few have members taking away from them.

I wish we would only use our military when they are needed. Not for the use for power and money. I wish these kids would be used in this way - they give their life to us.

Thank you to all how have given their life to protect our country.

Thank you Alex.....

Mom & Dad,

Today is Sunday, January 19, 2003. I've been out at sea for three days now and I'm starting to feel better. The first two days I was completely sick from seasickness and some virus. So far everyday I come outside the skin of the ship and write letters, whale watch, (which isn't that great cause I haven't seen any but there are plenty of dolphins that swim along side the ship), watch the horizon and sunset, etc. This seams so unreal to me. I've never seen water this BLUE before, I've never looked 360 degrees around me and seen nothing but water, clouds, the sun and a Fleet of Battleships surrounding me. Tomorrow is one of my many , many training days on ship to prepare me for my mission. I will also be training a short time in Kuwait. This is hard for me to comprehend. It seems like my whole life changed in an instant. Yesterday I was in a classroom learning about trigonometry and history. I graduated, went to boot camp, went to school, graduated as a GRUNT. I was sent across the country to train. Now I'm being sent across the world to fight. Today I am in a classroom learning about Tactical Urban Combat and Nuclear, Biological and chemical warfare. In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, on my way to experience 1st hand what I am learning about. I am not afraid of dying. I am more afraid of what will happen to all the ones that I love if something happens to me. Soon enough I will be in the desert, outside in the city of Bagdad, in full combat gear, ready to carry out my mission. Wondering how this all happened so fast, Wishing I was back home going to school, dating Shelia, taking care of my family. Although I think this way now I am almost certain that if I didn't walk this path I would be wondering to myself "why didn't I make the other decision. Why didn't I walk the path of a proud warrior, a marine." Just because I wonder "what if" doesn't mean I'm not proud, it doesn't mean I feel like I made the wrong decision. It doesn't mean I have any regrets. I'm still proud to be fighting for mycountry. I feel like, If I'm not helping one way I should still do all that I can to help (OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM). I'm on a time back now. I need to send this letter in the next hour for it to get to you by Tuesday or Wednesday. I love you both very much and I wish I could keep writing but I got to go. LOVE YOU. PFC ARREDONDO/ UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

A note to Brian his brother:

WHATS UP BRIAN, I feel so lucky to be blessed with the chance to defend my country 6 months after I joined the military. Some Marines have been in for over 20 years and still haven't seen combat. I'm also lucky to have such a wonderful family. I know how much you love me and support me and that keeps me going along with a few other things. Is Jeanette babysitting for Mom? LOVE YOU BROTHER Your Big Brother - Private First Class Arredondo USMC

August 25, 2004

Lance Corporal Arredondo served as Fire Team Leader during the Battalion's attack into the old cith of Najaf. As the Platoon attacked to clear a four-story hotel, it was heavily engaged by enemy machine gun and sniper fire from three different directions. Lance Corporal Arredondo returned fire exposing himself to great risk to ensure the members of his team were safe. After fearlessly exchanging fire with the enemy snipers for more than three hours, Lance Corporal Arredondo fell mortally wounded as he moved through the rooms to inspect the Marines' defensive position.


Remember Us - Documentary tells of war families' pain

By John R. Ellement Globe Staff / November 10, 2007

Carlos Arrendondo's pain and the life and death of his Marine son, Lance Corporal Alexander Arredondo, are not part of a new documentary about families from New England that lost loved ones in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

But Arrendondo was at Northeastern University in Boston last night, watching a preview of the 90-minute New England Cable News documentary. He came at the invitation of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who had invited dozens of others like Arredondo.

"It's important for the community to see and remember all of our sons and daughters who paid the ultimate sacrifice," said Arredondo, of Roslindale.

"No matter what their position is on the war, we have the same pain," he said.

The documentary, produced by NECN executive editor Iris Adler and titled, "Remember Us," will be broadcast tomorrow night at 7 in honor of Veteran's Day, said Philip S. Balboni, founder of NECN.

In opening remarks, Balboni said he is a Vietnam-era veteran and wished that "I could say all of our fellow citizens remember our sacrifice, but I think we know the honest answer is many do not," he said. "And that is what motivated us at NECN to produce 'Remember Us,' so we can honor and remember those who have died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."

The state's senior senator, accompanied by his wife, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, met privately with the dozens of family members who came from across New England.

The survivors and deployed military families are invited to Gillette Stadium on Dec. 10 for an event supported by the New England Patriots and the Jeffrey Coombs Memorial Foundation, named after an Abington man killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. More information is available at jeffcoombsfund.org.


READ MORE

Monday, September 17, 2007

Carlos Arredondo Beat up at the DC protest by the pro war/pro killing people

This was just sent to me by Melida:

Carlos Arredondo, 47 year old father of two sons, arrived in the nation's capitol on Monday, 09/10/07 to share a memorial he has made to honor for his eldest son, Alex. Carlos has visited thirty of the United States with the traveling memorial to his son Alexander. Lcpl. Alexander S. Arredondo, USMC was killed on 08/25/04. He was 20 years and 20 days old. The memorial consists of a casket, poster- size photographs of Alex when he graduated from boot camp, before his second tour in Iraq, lying in state at his wake, and a photo of Alex with his younger brother Brian.
Saturday, September 15, 2007 consisted of first a rally, a march towards the capitol and then a die-in. Carlos pulled the memorial along the march route approaching the rotunda near the capitol building. Several of the marchers requested for him to speak about the memorial where a crowd gathered around him. After finishing, several people walked with Carlos as he pulled the memorial. Several pictures of Alex dressed in his blues were attached to the display.
As Carlos passed counter protesters, one man ripped a picture of Alex from the memorial. Carlos leaped on the man to retrieve the picture. It was at that point that approximately five others all began to attack Carlos by kicking him in the head, legs, stomach and back.
The Capitol police bicycle patrol then appeared to break up the fight. Several officers including a female officer were engaged in breaking up the fight and were able to stop any further injuries from occurring. Hannah Jones who was walking with Carlos was also assaulted.
A bystander named Ramesh witnessed the whole encounter and also retrieved the picture of Alex for Carlos. He was quite distressed at how he watched the men yelling epithets follow Carlos as he pulled the memorial, and eventually take Alex's photograph. Soon, an ambulance showed up as well as many concerned activists. The paramedics provided first aid to Carlos but he did not seek further medical attention. Carlos sustained bloody cuts on his shins. He also reported bruises all over his torso and head where he was kicked.
I will send updates on Carlos and his work in DC as I am able.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Viedo of Carlos Arredondo and why he shares Alex with you

Video I found of my neighbor Carlos. He talks about the day he set fire to the van. A day I will never forget. You can still see the burn marks in our road.
May peace be inside all of us,
Cindy




Carlos Arredondo at DC antiwar protest yesterday

CARLOS ARREDONDO walking with his son Alex in the end the war march on DC September 15, 2007. I can only imagine what the other side of the divide had to say to him when they saw his him carrying his flag upside down. I had my flag on my house upside down for a long time ~ a few people left me nasty messages in my mail box.
The other side of the divide wants to keep killing people for no good reason. I think these people would follow George Bush off a cliff just because he is their "President".

May peace be inside all of us - May we support our troops by saving their lives and bringing them home to their families. The other side of the divide has no problems killing our troops for their own security. If they don't kill our troops they will kill us....right other side of the divide?




Thousands march in D.C. war protest

By MATTHEW BARAKAT, Associated Press Writer

Several thousand anti-war demonstrators marched through downtown Washington on Saturday, clashing with police at the foot of the Capitol steps where more than 190 protesters were arrested.

The group marched from the White House to the Capitol to demand an end to the Iraq war. Their numbers stretched for blocks along Pennsylvania Avenue, and they held banners and signs and chanted, "What do we want? Troops out. When do we want it? Now."

Army veteran Justin Cliburn, 25, of Lawton, Okla., was among a contingent of Iraq veterans in attendance.

"We're occupying a people who do not want us there," Cliburn said of Iraq. "We're here to show that it isn't just a bunch of old hippies from the 60s who are against this war."

Counterprotesters lined the sidewalks behind metal barricades. There were some heated shouting matches between the two sides.

The arrests came after protesters lay down on the Capitol lawn in what they called a "die in" — with signs on top of their bodies to represent soldiers killed in Iraq. When police took no action, some of the protesters started climbing over a barricade at the foot of the Capitol steps.

Many were arrested without a struggle after they jumped over the waist-high barrier. But some grew angry as police with shields and riot gear attempted to push them back. At least two people were showered with chemical spray. Protesters responded by throwing signs and chanting: "Shame on you."

The number of arrests by Capitol Police on Saturday was much higher than previous anti-war rallies in Washington this year. Five people were arrested at a protest outside the Pentagon in March when they walked onto a bridge that had been closed off to accommodate the demonstration, then refused to leave. And at a rally in January, about 50 demonstrators blocked a street near the Capitol, but they were dispersed without arrests.

The protesters gathered earlier Saturday near the White House in Lafayette Park with signs saying "End the war now" and calling for President Bush's impeachment. The rally was organized by the ANSWER Coalition and other groups.

Organizers estimated that nearly 100,000 people attended the rally and march. That number could not be confirmed; police did not give their own estimate. A permit for the march obtained in advance by the ANSWER Coalition had projected 10,000.

Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan told the crowd is was time to be assertive.

"It's time to lay our bodies on the line and say we've had enough," she said. "It's time to shut this city down."

About 13 blocks away, nearly 1,000 counterprotesters gathered near the Washington Monument, frequently erupting in chants of "U-S-A" and waving American flags.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Robert "Buzz" Patterson, speaking from a stage to crowds clad in camouflage, American flag bandanas and Harley Davidson jackets, said he wanted to send three messages.

"Congress, quit playing games with our troops. Terrorists, we will find you and kill you," he said. "And to our troops, we're here for you, and we support you."

MORE PHOTOS HERE




The other side of the divide

The people who have to kill for their own security

UPDATE:
They think they are better then any other. You have to read their words. If you aren't like them your not and American, your not supporting our troops. They way I see it is they could care less about our troops our they wouldn't let them be used the way they are - for the love of power and money, mostly money. Again, these people would follow Bush off the cliff to their death and take all of us with them because of their own lack of knowledge of compassion for other humans.

Blogs from the other side of the divide read their word. See for yourself.
They think they are the best humans on this earth
Man these people are twisted. They twist things. First of all from all the stories I've read there were only 150 pro war/pro killing people with 10-15,000 who stand of the side of peace. For years there has been the 30-32% who want to kill and torture people. These people will never change no matter how many freedoms and rights you take away from there. There are 72-78% of our country who know the truth and will never vote for more killing. More than half this country wants to Impeach the war criminals.
And, I knew someone would say something about the upside down flag. Our country is in distress which is why Carlos carries it upside down. I feel Alex is very proud of his father for his actions. Alex was asking questions at the time of his death. He knew what they were being asked to do was wrong. Carlos is expressing Alex from the grave. He doesn't want anyone to forget Alex. He has the freedom to express his and Alex's views any way he wants. After all, he is his parent. Who knows you better than your parents?

The 30% pro war meets the 70% against the war. Video of the mean and nasty people




May peace be inside all of us,
Cindy

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Carlos Arredondo in DC with the mean and nasty people called Gathering of Eagles

There's a big march on DC again this weekend to end the war. Carlos Arredondo and Cindy Sheehan and all the peace people are there along with the other side of the divide.

You have to read the article from these mean and nasty people. Listen to the words used by them. These people are selfish and full of fear wanting to kill the next person just because they are different than them. It is really unbelievable to me the way these people think. All the damage done to our country and these people eat up all the propaganda sold to them.

Our country can only be destroyed from within. With all the freedoms taken from us, there are those who say it has to be done for their security. Their misguided security.

I was in DC 2 years ago along with 300,000 who wanted to end the war and here we are 2 years later with so many more lives gone. We kill others because the very small group called Gathering of the Eagles live in fear and spew their hate.

If you can get to DC this weekend do it. It will be an experience that will energize you for a long time. If you see Carlos go talk to him about Alex.

May peace be inside all of us,
Cindy

A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition Press Conference

As one of the many media representatives at today’s press conference said, prefacing a question to Cindy Sheehan: “This is Petraeus Week in Washington; this is a hard sell.” He was referring to the September 15 “Mass March and Die-In” the A.N.S.W.E.R. * Coalition was announcing in the Murrow Room of the National Press Club in Washington, DC.



Cindy Sheehan and Carlos Arredondo of Gold Star Families for Peace, and Brian Becker, National Coordinator of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition.

Carlos Arredondo, whose son Alex, a Marine, died in Iraq in 2004, had brought his US passport to emphasise that the words on the inside cover say “We the People” and that “we the people have a tremendous responsibility to the rest of the world,” a sentiment echoed later by Cindy Sheehan, who said that “If America is healthy, if America truly practises democracy, then the whole world will benefit.”



Carlos Arredondo

Two other themes stood out. One was that the forceful arrest of Rev. Lennox Yearwood on Monday when he was trying to get into the Petraeus-Crocker hearing on Capitol Hill is being looked at by the antiwar movement as a seminal moment that will help drive support for this Saturday’s March and Die-in. Yearwood was physically supported by two fellow Iraq Veterans Against the War when he spoke at the conference, his leg having been broken in Monday’s fracas. A video of his arrest is posted on YouTube.


Rev. Lennox Yearwood, CEO and President of the Hip Hop Caucus

The second strong theme was the significance of the Die-In, which will be a mass act of civil disobedience. Prompted by a question from Fox News, Brian Becker--the event coordinator--said a thousand people have so far signed up to take part in the Die-In and he expects that number to double or triple over the next few days. “We hope to trigger in the country a new model of protest,” Becker stated.

A Cybercast News Service journalist asked what kind of impact A.N.S.W.E.R. thinks the likely mass arrests of the Die-In participants will have on middle Americans who are at best only lukewarm towards the protest movement. Tina Richards, of Grassroots America, said that she’s from a little tiny town in the Ozarks and has found no trouble in gaining the support of people from middle America. She noted that it’s often the rank and file membership of organizations such as labour unions who show their support first, with organizational support coming later.


Tina Richards, whose experience of fighting against her son’s reactivation and deployment to Iraq for a third time led her to create Grassroots America.

* Note: A.N.S.W.E.R. is the abbreviation for Act Now to Stop War and End Racism.

--ENDS--

Week of Antiwar Events To Start With a 'Die-In'
Protesters Advocate Civil Disobedience

By Michelle Boorstein and Allison Klein
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, September 13, 2007

WaPo 9.13.07
Antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan wipes away a tear as Adam Kokesh, left at podium, and the Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. speak at a news conference. (By Gerald Herbert -- Associated Press)

A week of events meant to crank up a national demonstration against the war in Iraq is set to begin Saturday, with a 1,000-person "die-in" at the U.S. Capitol led by current and former American troops and accompanied by taps and a mock 21-gun salute.

The die-in will be the culmination of a march and rally. Organizers hope the event will spur people in the antiwar movement to move from protesting to performing acts of civil disobedience that "get in the way of the war machine," said Brian Becker, national coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition, at a news conference yesterday at the National Press Club.

The group's permit with the U.S. Park Police is for 10,000 people, a source said, but ANSWER, which stands for Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, expects tens of thousands, Becker said. More than 1,000 people had signed up on the group's Web site as of yesterday to lie down at the die-in, he said, which is meant to represent Americans, Iraqis and others who have died in the war. Organizers expect the number to double or triple by Saturday.

Daily antiwar events are planned from Saturday through Friday. War opponents are scheduled to go to Washington area military recruitment centers Monday to try to shut them down. On Wednesday, "Pentagon Outreach Day," Iraq veterans plan to walk through the Pentagon wearing antiwar T-shirts and talking about the conflict.

9.13.07 Hackwell
Some of the Sept. 12 press conference participants

Across the country, war opponents are being encouraged to visit their congressional representatives' hometown offices and not leave until someone "gives them an explanation about the war," Becker said.

Protesters are to start gathering about 10 a.m. Saturday along the north side of the White House, in Lafayette Square. The official rally will be from noon to 1:30 p.m. Demonstrators will march down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol, where the die-in is to take place. Police said there will be rolling street closures along Pennsylvania Avenue.

The route will cross the jurisdictions of the U.S. Park Police, D.C. police and Capitol Police, which said they are beefing up patrols in preparation for arrests.

Two counterprotest groups, the Gathering of Eagles, made up of Vietnam veterans, and the D.C. chapter of the conservative group Free Republic, also have permits. They plan to rally at 9:30 a.m. on the Mall at Seventh Street NW and later line Pennsylvania Avenue NW between Seventh and 10th streets.

At a news conference Monday, Gathering of Eagles spokesman Kristinn Taylor said the group's purpose is "to not allow this generation of America's servicemen and women to be betrayed on the battlefield and at home, as happened during and after the Vietnam War."

But at the ANSWER news conference yesterday, Carlos Arredondo, whose son Alex was killed in Iraq in 2004, said, "My passport says 'We the people,' and we the people are responsible for stopping this madness." Arredondo held a folded U.S. flag in one hand and his open passport in the other.

Other speakers included antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan and Adam Kokesh, co-chairman of Iraq Veterans Against the War.

The antiwar movement "is far from where Bush would like you to think we are, that we are the fringe. They are the fringe. We are the mainstream," said Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Muslim American Society's Freedom Foundation, which encourages Muslim civic participation.

War opponents have carried out acts of civil disobedience since the war began, but Becker said the die-in will be different because it was conceived by and will be led by Iraq war veterans and their families.

*******************************************************



AND NOW THE FULL OF HATE PRO WAR TOM KNOTT

It's Gathering of Eagles vs. nitwit marchers

Tom Knott
September 13, 2007

The Cindy Sheehan-inspired dingbats descending on the city this weekend are infinitely more outraged by a pair of panties being placed on the head of a virgin-seeking terrorist than by a virgin-seeking terrorist placing a steak knife to the neck of an infidel, while chanting, "Praise be to Allah."

This passes as a thoughtful position on the part of the losers, nut jobs, socialists, communists and revolutionaries aligned with ANSWER, Code Pink and the loony left of Hollywood.

All they are saying is give a suicide bomber a chance. These wackos live with a conundrum. As much as they hate America, they refuse to leave it. By the way, Alec Baldwin's private jet is still parked on the tarmac. He apparently is too busy cussing out his daughter to make good on his long-ago vow to leave the United States in the event of George Bush taking up residence in the White House. Mr. Baldwin no doubt is carbon-neutral, not unlike every other fuel-guzzling phony on the left. Plant a tree. Cop a ride on a private jet.

This should be taken as a warning to the innocents who live in the region and the unlucky tourists who planned a vacation at the same time the nitwits of the nation planned a celebration of their insanity. Stay away from the downtown part of the city if it is at all possible. The start of the Million Nitwit March is Saturday.

Fortunately, the nitwits will be blunted in part by the pro-America, pro-soldier, pro-victory group known as the Gathering of Eagles. It is a shame that we live in an upside-down time, when it is necessary to have a group pointing out that we live in the best nation in the world, period, and that millions of poor souls want to come here and nowhere else. The legal immigration numbers tabulated around the globe each year are not even close. What does that tell you about our concededly imperfect nation?

It tells you we are so fat, so soft, so intellectually inept that too many of us do not even understand how good we have it.

Sorry. Forgot. That view is, like, so not hip in Hollywood. It is far more enlightening and patriotic to make movies that ridicule our troops.

No word on whether Tim Robbins will show up to lend his expertise on the number of Iraqi civilians who have died in the war. Wonder if Mr. Robbins starts heaving and sobbing whenever he sees the black-and-white footage of Dresden after we employed our version of urban renewal on it in World War II.

THERES MORE BUT THIS IS ENOUGH OF TOM KNOTT'S HATE

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Remembering Dondo: Alexander Scott Arredondo KIA Iraq 8/25/04

AN EVENING OF REFLECTION:
Remembering Dondo

Alexander Arredondo was born 08/05/84 and killed at 10:35 Iraq time (3:35 pm EST) on 08/25/04. Carlos Arredondo has traveled the US as means of grieving openly, memoralizing his son and honoring all those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He will speak about Alex and his family, the journey of healing and his experiences meeting other grieving families. This event will be held at the River Green.
Also part of the program:
ZEMYA will sing. Poetry by Pat Frisella.
As dusk nears we will light candles in rememberance of the lives lost in war. Augustin Aguayo will play Flamencan Guitar music and his wife Helga will speak. Origins of Flamenco reflect suffering and loss.
Please scroll down for quotes about or for Alex that fellow troops have listed on www.fallenheroesmemorial.com as well as directions from Boston.
"Arredondo was a stand up Marine. He was one of the few that understood the reality of war. His understanding of the Iraqi people changed my view of the war. He helped me understand the difference between the Iraqi civilian and the enemy. I miss you Dondo. You will never be forgotten." Gabriel Prado of Corvallis Oregon

"Alex, I'm sorry I always gave you a hard time because you were junior to me in the marine corps. I know that it wasn't easy for you to go straight from SOI to OIF1 and I didn't make that time any easier for you. I never told you this when you were alive but I have a lot of respect for you. As a man and as a marine. You never complained when all the rest of us were crying like girls about some BS work that had to get done. I always noticed and respected that. So man, forgive me for being a mean drunk of a senior marine because I'm going to give you a hug when I see you in the afterlife. I love ya, man." Anonymous of Anytown, USA

"Alex, The best memory of you I have is when we were on top of the cliffs at red beach and I was afraid to repel down. You talked me into it. Man all the Raiders miss you and we will NEVER forget you. You were a great guy. Rest in peace Alex. Raider for life and beyond." john of woodlawn, arkansas

"Alex, Where do I begin? As all the Raiders that have been on here before me have said, I miss you Dondo, more than words can describe. I can go back to so many fond memories of us. From climbing school, where we really first got to know each other... where our fears of heights were forgotten and our bonds were formed. We would place pro and jump down like 15 feet to test it to show the others that it was safe. How we ended up driving, what 2 hours to snowboad in Brogdons car... and i broke my tail bone and had to ride back on my stomach in the passenger seat. Then always saying "Bomber" LOL that was the word. Then Iraq came and i have fond memories of you being on my left flank as we all went through the cemetary. You just had an attitude about you that made me smile in the hardest of times... we climbed those T-Barriers in FOB Baker, where we had like 7 people on them.. you climbed up it upside down LOL how great.. always talking about getting back and boarding... TOE SLIDE...HEEL SLIDE!!! And then i had to listen on the radio as all our brothers started falling, and found out that you weren't coming back. It was the first time i had lost someone extremely close to me, it is indescribable. Now, im out, im back home, living safely under our free skies, and theres not a day goes by that i don't think about you Alex, i could go on and on and on about how much i thank you for everything you taught me, everything we shared... but i'm just going to say it like this. I Love You Alex, Forever... until I see you at the gates of heaven.. "WE FEW, WE HAPPY FEW, WE BAND OF BROTHERS, HE WHO SHEDS HIS BLOOD WITH ME, SHALL FOR EVER BE MY BROTHER"" James Reed of Battle Creek, MI

"Dondo, I didn't know you as well as many others did but we are still brothers. Everyone from 1/4 seems to have a story about you and what a great person you were. I remember always trying to find your lane during the boat raid cliff assaults. RAIDER FOR LIFE!!!!" dsmith_raider@yahoo.com of Akron, OH

"Alex, Hey brother, it's me Mendoza. I'm sorry that i've taken so long to do this. Ayup, Pineda, Medina, Bagby, Enrique, Velazquez and I were all hanging out last night and we remembered you. I told 'em about how close those damn hellfires landed in front of us in the cemetary and how you would give me and Velazquez a hard time about smoking. I told 'em about how you would cover me when we were clearing those goddam tombs in the cementery. It's funny to think that i never would have gotten to know you better if you hadn't been on that far right flank of your platoon and me on the far left of mine. I remember you, velazquez, anspach and me fighting for every inch of that cementery. My friend, mostly I remember carrying you down the stairs of that building and hoping to god that the tracks would hurry and come get you. doc soto did everything that he could while we prayed. sadly, the good lord decided that you were due up in heaven. I hope that God gives your family the strength that they need day to day. I can't pretend to know what they are going through, but I hope that they read this and know that you have a whole company of brothers who would do anything for them. my friend, i want you to know that your picture is framed at my house and that my son knows your name. From now until the day i die, i will remember you and make sure that my son tells our embellished stories to his children. From now until the end of time, we shall be remembered. we few, we happy few, we band of brothers. SEMPER FI RAIDERS FOR LIFE DOZA" Carlos E. Mendoza of San Bernardino, CA

"Hey bro. Its me Ayup, I dont even know were to begin, its so hard for me everyday to go on with out you. I talk to crespo and Ssgt. Sandoval somtimes and we talk about how much we miss you bro.And hear I am crying like a little girl right now thinking about what happend that day on the roof.And when I held you in my arms befor they took you away. I relive that moment every day in my head. And just thinking that you were standing right were I was, it kills me bro. It hurts so bad. I love you so much man and miss you more then ever. your brother!!!! Cpl. Michael Ayup 1st BN 4th MAR Alpha co. Raiders Wpns platoon Raider for Life!!!!!" Cpl Michael Ayup of Camp Pendlton CA.

"Well ive been out for about a month and i really cant move on wit my life, yet i havent said goodbye to all thoose i needed to and i def havent said what i needed tosay to you and your fam but i will soon i havent finished what i started writting but im workin on it man, i just want your family to know that you arent forgoten not for a sec" adam of chicago il
"Hey Dondo, it's been two years next week since the worst day in many of our lives. I've thought about that rooftop every day and every night for the past two years. It took a while to understand why it was you and not someone else. Why Dondo? He didn't ever do anything wrong, never hurt anybody. Why? I struggled with this question for a long time and as we come to the anniversary of that fateful day once again I remember why. You were stronger in your faith and your character than anyone I've ever known. The good Lord knew where you were going and He needed more time to work on lost souls like mine. Thank you for being the rock that I can stand on. Thank you for reminding me what life is about and who to live it for. I love you buddy. You are sorely missed and forever will be. "From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother" Raider For Life. Semper Fi." Warren Glas of Union Grove, Wisconsin

"Dondo, sorry it has taken so long for me to say good-bye...i have been kinda thinking about this for the past couple of years...now im out of the Marine Corps and all it does it make me look back on everything....I was standing right next to you when it happened...I wish with everything in me there was something i could do...but by going to your families website and reading the letters you sent home it made me realize you were far more braver than any man I have ever known...I am proud to have fought next to you and proud to have been your brother "RAIDER FOR LIFE"....I will see you soon...with all my love..Semper Fi" Cpl Jarred Dorhauer of College Station, TX

"You were a great leader and a great friend Alex. Firm but fair, and always with a smile on your face. You are gone but never forgotten, and I am proud to have known you and called you friend. Raider 4 Life and Semper Fi." Cpl Adam Tresidder of Kuwait

"You'll always be in our hearts Love ya Bro" Lcpl Castor of Grand rapids MI

"To Carlos you pain like so many parents is so great that words could never be able to explain all you gone through and still are going through. Remember your son is now walking with God he is in heaven protecting us. When he was here on earth he wanted to protect his family and his country and now he has a bigger task because now he is helping all of us to reach heaven like he did. Our country would never be as wonderful as it is if it wasn't for men and women that are in the military protecting us always so no one but no take that freedom away from us. Thank you for being into this world a man of honor and courage. God bless you and your family and know we are always praying for you. If you know of others that still have not recieved their quilt please contact me at debeniel@ncn.net and let me know also check my website which is www.freedomquilts.net" Betty Nielsen (Freedom Quilts Inc) of Fonda, IA

"Dondo, I will never forget those long cold boat rides with you during the 11th MEU SOC work up. I will always remember how no matter how bad it got, you always had that smile that made everything seem alright no matter how shitty things were. The company has been up to the 1st Marines Memorial 4 times since your death, and I go up there at least twice a month. I will always remember what your death has taught me, and I will never forget what you sacrificed. Your fellow Raiders will always remember you." 1st Lt Richard Zjawin of A Co 1st BN, 4th Marines

"Mr and Mrs Arredondo, your son was on my Amtrac in OIF I. I was the vehicle commander and watched your son fight bravely during the war. He was a fine young man who had a great sense of humor and had lots of friend. I still have an Iraqi flag hanging in my room with his signature and comments on it. It was a pleasure to serve with him and I am very sorry that he is no longer with us. My thoughts and prayers are with you." Ssgt Kirkland of Jacksonville, Fl

"It saddens me every day when I look into the ranks of First Platoon Raiders and I neither see Lcpl. Arredondo or PFC Skinner. Alex was one of my best and a fine young man. I miss him every day along with Nicholas and I wish I could have them both back. But because I served with great men like Alex, It is his memory that keeps me going strong every day to be the best in what ever I am doing. I have decided to stay in the Marine Corps for as long as the Corps will keep me. I dedicate my time and service to my fallen Warriors. For the rest of my life, I will always be proud to have been that platoon Sgt of Alex and Nicholas. Semper Fi and I will see you again. Respctfully Simon L. Sandoval SSgt USMC Alpha Company Raider 1st Platoon" Simon L. Sandoval of Oceanside Califronia

"I was with him when God took him to a better place and I will say that he is and was one of a kind. He definitely watched out for his fellow Marines on countless missions before the last. I have so much admiration for him eventhough I am much older. To the families.....LCpl Arrendondo was truly a hero to remember everyday of our lives....I will never forget him and Skinner for as long as I live. May God bless you all." SSgt Johns 1/4 Alpha Company of Camp Pendleton, California

"I had Alex in my Company for OIF1 and OIF2, all my young Marines are like sons to me. LCpl Arredondo will, and is still truly missed by his fellow Hero's. His spirit will forever be in Alpha Company, Alpha Raider for life, we love you! "SOME GAVE ALL, ALL GAVE SOME." AN NAJAF, IRAQ AUGUST 2004" 1stSgt Synovec of San DIego, Ca.

"ALEX WAS A GOOD MAN AND I AM SURE HE WAS A EVEN BETTER SOLDIER, WISH I GOT TO KNOW YA BETTER. U WILL BE MISSED DEARLY" SPC JOHN BALIS, US ARMY of FORT SHAFTER HAWAII

"dondo you were my team leader, brother and my friend. i will guide my marines like u guided me. i will never forget you. i love u bro" Lcpl Brittner Eric 1st plt 3rd sqd 3rd team of FOB Duke
"This young man would have been a great leader - they say there is only one born per century - we were short changed. Rest in peace Lance Corporal Arredondo - you affected many lives in a positive manner." T of Iraq

"Rest in peace Raider. You are truly missed." 1stSgt Young, Alpha Raider of FOB Echo Iraq
"Dondo, you're of the greatest guys I ever knew. I've never met anyone that I could joke around with for hours and we'd still make each other laugh. It took an original mind to come up with some of the antics you and I performed, and thats probably one of the biggest things I'll miss about you. You and I were a lot alike, and I'll never forget the times we shared last year in Iraq. Those were some of the best times in my life, and that was largely due to you, and your company. I hope you watch over me and allow yourself to laugh at me now and again, like old times. I love you man, and I'll always have the pictures to remember you." Brent Mills, SS Plt, 1/4 of Conroe, TX

Traveling from the South
Take I-95 North into Maine & go to Exit 25 Kennebunk. Go thru Toll Booth and at Stop Sign Turn Left onto Rt. 35 South to Kennebunk. Go Approx 1 Mile to K’Bunk High School & Turn Left into School Driveway and Park in Parking Lot. Shuttle Buses will then take People to the Rally Site
.
Further information on weekend of activities at www.kportprotest.org


Mélida Arredondo,
Remembering Alex Arredondo
who died too young in honor of the Iraqi people
and his own nation, the
USA,
and protecting his buddies always
08/05/84 - 08/25/04

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Cheery pick the truth - His testimony was omitted from the 9/11 Commission

The last man out of the World Trade Center will share his harrowing story of courage, strength and hope on Friday, August 17th at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles. Actor Ed Asner along with 'Peace Mom' Cindy Sheehan are scheduled to appear.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) July 31, 2007 -- Declared a hero for saving numerous lives at Ground Zero, William Rodriguez was the janitor on duty the morning of 9/11 who heard and felt explosions rock the basement sub-levels of the north tower just seconds before the jetliner struck the top floors. His testimony, which was omitted from the 9/11 Commission, destroys the government's official story because it means there is a possibility explosives were placed in the buildings. Several eyewitnesses also claim they heard multiple explosions before the buildings collapsed.

At great risk to his own life, William re-entered the Towers three times after the first, North Tower impact and is believed to be the last person to exit the North Tower alive, surviving the building's collapse by diving beneath a fire truck. After receiving medical attention at the site for his injuries, he then spent the rest of the day a volunteer in the rescue efforts, and at dawn the following morning, was back continuing his heroic efforts.

In addition to being a spokesperson for the New York City first responders (leading the cause for compensation issues and rights) William is also active in the movement for immigrant rights. When Latino survivors and relatives of victims of the attacks were not receiving adequate attention from support groups or relief programs, he helped form a group just for them. He was also a major force behind the campaign to encourage non-documented survivors and relatives of victims to come forward for help without fear of deportation. The group raised funds for scholarships for children of immigrants killed or maimed in the attacks.

William believes that now is the time for all people to stand up for truth, even if it means personal sacrifice. In addition to testifying in front of the 9/11 Commission, he is also the lead plaintiff in a federal RICO lawsuit filed against President Bush and others, alleging conspiracy to commit murder and other crimes in the deaths of more than 3,000 people at the WTC.

William Rodriguez tells his story live Friday August 17, 2007 at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church located at 3300 Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles. The program begins at 7pm and there will be a donation request of $10. To view the trailer from William's new film The Last Man Out visit http://youtube.com/watch?v=0DEUzuzqSLQ

For more info or media inquiries please call Good Karma PR at 805-653-1588 or email GoodKarma @ GoodKarmaPR.com. You can also visit http://www.GoodKarmaPR.com.

Sponsored By: The Institute of Popular Education of Southern California (IDEPSCA) -- Physics Professor Steven Jones of Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Justice -- 911Truth.org -- 911WeKnow.com -- 911ShareTheTruth.com-- LooseChange911.com -- Professor James Fetzer of Scholars for 9/11 Truth -- 911TruthLA.us -- San Diegans for 9/11 Truth -- Pilots for 9/11 Truth --The Northern California 9/11 Truth Alliance -- Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth -- TruthAction.org -- WeAreChange.org -- H2Om Water

The Media Sponsor is KPFK 90.7FM Los Angeles 98.7FM Santa Barbara

Sunday, July 29, 2007

The Arredondo's whose son died in Iraq , criticize military recruitment


Conference at UR on immigrant solidarity
Parents whose son died in Iraq attend, criticize military recruitment
By MARGARET MATRAY
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Carlos Arredondo's son, Alexander Scott Arredondo, was 14 the first time he was approached by a military recruiter.

Alex joined the Marines when he was 17.

And he died in Iraq in 2004 when he was 20.

Arredondo travels the country to tell his story and warn parents about what he says are methods recruiters use to enlist young people and "seduce the immigrants."

Arredondo and his wife, Melida, were among a group of about 75 immigrant, labor and human-rights activists that gathered yesterday at the University of Richmond as part of a three-day conference hosted by the National Immigrant Solidarity Network.

The grass-roots conference was meant to create an open dialogue about immigration issues and link different activist groups to form a unified movement, said Lee Siu Hin, coordinator for the network, to the crowd inside the university's law school building.

The Arredondos, who are from Roslindale, Mass., said they believe certain military recruiting campaigns target young immigrants and Latino families. Recruiters appeal to the audience by saying that enlisting can help immigrants reach the "American dream," Melida Arredondo said.

She said she remembers finding gifts -- CDs, knapsacks, cigarettes and lighters -- in her son's room when she was tidying up one day before he was deployed. Alex also was given $10,000 as a sign-up bonus when he enlisted.

"I'm speaking out as much as I can," Carlos Arredondo said. Arredondo wore his son's dogtags around his neck and a black T-shirt that read: "No nos quedaremos callados -- We will not be silent." Arredondo received national attention after his son's death when he doused a government van with gasoline, climbed inside and set it on fire.

The speeches and meetings yesterday were peaceful. Hin said he was told by UR police officers that demonstrators might show up to protest the conference, but the hallways of the law school were quiet throughout the day.

In the late morning, activists and Virginia activist organizations met to talk about a state-wide solidarity movement. The activists discussed possibly starting a Dreams Across America Tour specific to Virginia. Dreams Across America sends immigrants throughout the U.S. to tell their stories and help dispel myths about immigration.

Cristina Rebeil, an attorney with Virginia Poverty Law Center, said putting a face on the immigrant population is vital.

"We need to work cross-culturally. Nothing is going to change until we share our stories," she said. "We need to come together and tell people who we all are."

Richmond resident Ben Ragsdale attended the conference because he was "appalled at the way we're treating the immigrant issue." Ragsdale was an activist in the civil-rights and anti-war movements more than 40 years ago, and said he thinks people are trying to "demonize" immigrants today.

"I'm glad to see some diverse groups come together," he said. "We need to be much more immigrant-friendly."

**********************************************

llegal Immigrants: Uncle Sam Wants You

Latino teenagers, including illegal immigrants are being recruited into the military with false promises.

By Deborah Davis July 25, 2007
Richmond, Virginia - Counter recruitment activists require tools. Carlos and Mélida Arredondo know this. It is far more difficult to find tools pertaining to how the US military has launched a full blown recruitment campaign on Latino immigrants in an effort to maintain troop numbers during the war on terrorism.
This is why both are so grateful that Deborah Davis has written the recently published article "Illegal Immigrants: Uncle Sam Wants You".
According to Mélida Arredondo, the article includes important information on the "Army's marketing campaign, created by Cartel Impacto, a cutting-edge firm from San Antonio, uses the firm's proprietary "barrio anthropology" and grassroots "viral and guerilla marketing" techniques to "go deep into the neighborhoods and barrios" ".
"Immigrants and specifically Latinos do not realize how calculated the techniques are that the military uses to get recruits. Deborah Davis provides important insights into the situation." states Arredondo.
Deborah Davis is a journalist who has published articles in the New York Times, Village Voice and Ramparts. In 1979 Davis published a book about Katharine Graham (Katharine the Great). The book also looked at the connections between Philip Graham and the Central Intelligence Agency. According to Davis the owner of the Washington Post was a key figure in Operation Mockingbird, a CIA program to influence the American media. According to Davis, Cord Meyer was Mockingbird's "principal operative".
When the book was originally published in 1979 Katharine Graham (probably under instructions from the CIA) persuaded the publishers William Jovanovich, to pulp 20,000 copies of the book. Davis filed a breach-of- contract and damage-to-reputation suit against Jovanovich, who settled out of court with her in 1983.

IN THESE TIMES

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Illegal Immigrants: Uncle Sam Wants You

Latino teenagers, including illegal immigrants are being recruited into the military with false promises.

By Deborah Davis July 25, 2007
In 1996, Jesus Alberto Suarez del Solar was a 13-year-old boy, up from Tijuana on a family shopping trip, when he stopped at a Marine Corps recruiting table at an open-air mall in Chula Vista, Calif.
Jesus had been an easy mark for the recruiter--a boy who fantasized that by joining the powerful, heroic U.S. Marines, he could help his own country fight drug lords. He gave the recruiter his address and phone number in Mexico, and the recruiter called him twice a week for the next two years, until he had talked Jesus into convincing his parents to move to California. Fernando and Rose Suarez sold their home and their laundry business and immigrated with their children to Escondido, where Jesus enrolled at a high school known for academic achievement. But the recruiter wanted him to transfer to a school for problem teenagers, since its requirements for graduation were lower and Jesus would be able to finish sooner. He was 17 and a half when he graduated from that school, still too young to enlist on his own, so his father co-signed the enlistment form, as the military requires for underage recruits.
Three years later, at the age of 20, his body was torn apart in Iraq by an American-made fragmentation grenade during the first week of the invasion. In the Pentagon's official Iraq casualty database, his death is number 74.
Now Jesus is in a cemetery in Escondido, and his parents, who blame each other for his death, are painfully and bitterly divorced. While his mother bears her loss as a private tragedy, Fernando, who has dual Mexican and American citizenship, is working tirelessly to protect other young immigrants from being manipulated by U.S. military recruiters--the way he wishes he had protected his son.
In the Iraq war, citizenship is being used as a recruiting tool aimed specifically at young immigrants, who are told that by enlisting, they will be able to quickly get citizenship for themselves (sometimes true, depending on what the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) branch of the Department of Homeland Security finds) and their entire families (not true; each family member has to go through a separate application process). Nevertheless, with the political pressures on Latino families growing daily under this administration, many young Latinos are unable to resist the offer, which immigrants' rights activists see as blatant exploitation of a vulnerable population.
From African American to Latino
Jesus, like the large majority of new military recruits, was signed up through the Delayed Entry Program (DEP), which operates in high schools, GED programs and home-schooling networks across the nation. The well-crafted messages on the DEP website have been in development ever since the draft ended and the all-volunteer military was initiated after Vietnam. The DEP's persuasion campaigns originally targeted black teenagers with the message that military service equaled jobs that promised equal treatment regardless of race. DEP recruiters were able to easily meet their quotas until the early '80s, when enlistment rates of young African Americans began to decline and the rates for Latinos began to rise for reasons the military did not understand. A 1995 article in Marketing Science, "The Navy Enlistment Marketing Experiment," noted that "a surprising development was the emergence of the Hispanic population as an important variable contributing to the pool of ... contracts. Further investigation of the phenomenon is warranted."
Over the next decade, the military commissioned a number of studies on the relationship between race and ethnicity and the "propensity to enlist." For example, the Youth Attitude Tracking Survey, conducted between 1975 and 1999 and published by the Defense Technical Information Center, found a correlation between the rising educational achievement of blacks and lower enlistment rates; and between the low educational achievement of Latinos (particularly if their first language was not English) and rising enlistment rates. As Latinos became a more important source of recruits, the Pentagon hired market research firms to design advertising campaigns that addressed the issues they cared most about--pride in family, children in school and citizenship.
Today, the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force recruitment campaigns focus largely on education and benefits to families. The Army's campaign, created by Cartel Impacto, a cutting-edge firm from San Antonio, uses the firm's proprietary "barrio anthropology" and grassroots "viral and guerilla marketing" techniques to "go deep into the neighborhoods and barrios" in order to tell Latino families how the military can help them have the kind of life they want in America. "We address the core issues of why they left their country in the first place," says a Cartel Impacto spokesperson, who did not want her name published. "You have to conduct your outreach carefully," she says, "using PTAs as an entry point," as well as "local Hispanic groups that the newly arrived would look to."
Recruit friends, earn bucks
These marketing campaigns support the work of recruiters who--as mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act--must have free access to students in every one of the country's public schools. Recruiters operating in high schools try to get children as young as 14 to sign up for the military's DEP, which allows them to finish high school before going on active duty. Under the program, these young "men and women," as recruiters are trained to call them, are targeted, tested, gifted, video-gamed, recruitment-faired and career-counseled into enlisting before they turn 18. They are also paid $2,000 for every friend they talk into signing up with them, and, until recently, were paid $50 for every name they brought in to a recruiter. The DEP website provides tips on how students can assist recruiters in signing up their friends. The student can:
  • · Provide your recruiter with names and numbers of anyone you know who is considering joining the military.
  • · Obtain the names and numbers of people who work with you or attend places you frequent and the best time to talk to them.
  • · Obtain the names and numbers of friends or acquaintances who sit with you in classes.
  • · Help your recruiter by screening his/her lists.
  • · Accompany your recruiter to places your friends normally hang out and make introductions.
In addition to cash, students who help recruiters to enlist their friends are promoted to a higher military rank, from Private E-1 to Private E-2, even before they are out of high school. The rewards are commensurate with the quality of the friends they recruit, as measured by their friends' ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) scores. "You will get promoted to Private E-2," promises the DEP website, if your referrals lead to the enlistment of "one soldier who scores 50 or higher on the ASVAB," or "two soldiers who score 31-49." Private E-1s are paid $1,301 a month, while E-2s earn $1,458 per month. Further, getting a second high-scoring friend or two more low-scoring friends to enlist earns the student another promotion, to Private E-3, and kicks the entry pay up to $1,534 per month.
Another way DEPs can earn extra money is to volunteer for hazardous duty. Students who sign up to be in a combat unit, or to dismantle explosives, or to handle toxic chemicals, get an additional $150 per month on top of their basic pay. Volunteering for hazardous duty, however, is a relative concept. Since DEP recruits do not, by definition, have a college education, there are few other military occupations open to them, except if their ASVAB scores are high enough for them to qualify for advanced training. But with the greatest need in this war being combat soldiers--so much so that even highly trained Air Force personnel are being sent to work with Army ground troop units--the chances of any DEP recruit getting out of combat duty and its attendant hazards are slim. The ASVAB is also administered only in English; and any job requiring even a security clearance cannot be held by a non-citizen. The implications of these conditions for young immigrants can be deadly.
The Department of Defense's casualty database (http://icasualties.org) doesn't publicly break down the dead and injured by ethnic group, but a tally of Latino surnames found that between January 10 when the surge began and July 1, 20 percent of the 174 young people (aged 18-21) who died were likely to have been Latino (the military does not keep public data on the race or ethnicity of casualties). With the intensification of DEP recruiting efforts in largely Latino high schools since the invasion began, this is no surprise.
Legal illegals vs. illegal illegals
How many of these young Latino recruits are illegal immigrants? "Nobody knows," says Flavia Jimenez, an immigration policy analyst at the National Council of La Raza. "But what we do know is that recruiters may not be up to speed on everybody's legal status. ... We also know that a significant number of [illegals] have died in Iraq." The recruitment of illegal immigrants is particularly intense in Los Angeles, where 75 percent of the high school students are Latino. "A lot of our students are undocumented," says Arlene Inouye, a teacher at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, "and it's common knowledge that recruiters offer green cards." Inouye is the coordinator and founder of the Coalition Against Militarism in Our Schools (CAMS), a counter-recruitment organization that educates teenagers about deceptive recruiting practices. "The practice is pretty widespread all over the nation," she says, "especially in California and Texas. ... The recruiters tell them, 'you'll be helping your family.' "
Inouye referred me to Salvador Garcia, a student whose father had been deported, and who had been approached by a recruiter when he was a freshman at Garfield (He is now a senior). Garcia says the recruiter told him: "If you need papers, come and fight for us and we can get you some, and then you'll never have to mess with immigration." When he told the recruiter that he was born in this country, the recruiter responded, "Do you have anybody in your family that needs a green card, needs papers?" Salvador told him that his father, who had entered the country illegally from Mexico, had recently been deported. "If you join the military you can get your father back," the recruiter said. "It's not a problem, we can get him his papers and nobody will ever bother him again." Salvador almost signed the enlistment form right then, but says he was stopped by the realization of "how it's all connected--the war and Mexico and immigration." He is now active in the counter-recruitment movement.
Recruiters in other parts of the country are making the same promises. In Chicago, for example, Jorge, whose entire family was illegal, joined the military because a high school recruiter promised that he and every member of his family would get a green card. Jorge actually did get a green card while he was in Iraq, but he became so angry and disillusioned when the military did nothing for his family that he went AWOL.
He is now back in Chicago, where a counter-recruitment activist named Juan Torres, whose only son was killed in Afghanistan, is working on getting him discharged from the military. Torres works with a number of counter-recruitment groups, including Gold Star Families for Peace and Military Families Speak Out, but mostly he works on his own, speaking at churches and schools around the country. He estimates that in the past year, close to 200 students have told him that they have been offered green cards for enlisting, and he says he personally knows of "five or six illegal families who have kids without papers in Iraq." Torres talked one teenage girl into changing her mind just as she was about the sign the enlistment papers. He says that the recruiter told her, "Now you're in trouble, you and your family, you will have to leave." And Torres says he once asked a recruiter, the son of one of his friends, "How can you lie to the kids like that?" The recruiter told him, "Sorry, it's my job, and I don't want to go back to Iraq."
Despite the mounting evidence of these recruitment practices, the Pentagon denies that illegal immigrants are in the military. "If there are any," says Pentagon spokesman Joseph Burlas, "then they have fraudulently enlisted, and when they're caught, they are discharged."
That is what happened to Army Pvt Juan Escalante, whose illegal status was discovered while he was serving in Iraq. He was discharged and shipped home, and ICE began deportation proceedings against him and his parents, who had smuggled him into the United States from Mexico when he was four years old. However, Escalante's unit commander wrote a letter on his behalf, saying he had served with distinction, so ICE reversed its decision and accepted his citizenship application. The deportation case against his parents, who also have two U.S.-born children, is still pending.
Another illegal immigrant serving in Iraq, Jose Gutierrez, was not so lucky. He was one of the first members of the U.S. armed forces to die during the invasion. Gutierrez had made his way to this country from Guatemala in 1996, at the age of 15, to escape the violence perpetrated by the death squads, only to be killed in Iraq by friendly fire. When the Pentagon announced his death, it came in the form of a carefully managed PR campaign that included a posthumous award of citizenship for Gutierrez, presumably to show that if an illegal immigrant manages to enlist and make it to Iraq, he will be rewarded. However, Gutierrez remains the only illegal alien on the U.S. casualty rolls whose real hometown is listed, while others who die are reported to be from Boston or Los Angeles, or wherever a recruiter finds them. In New York City, according to counter-recruitment activist Melida Arredondo, whose young stepson was killed in Iraq, DEP recruiters instruct illegal immigrants to write "New York City" as their "home of record address" on the enlistment form, and to write "pending" for their Social Security number.
Non-citizen soldiers
Why is all of this happening, when the enlistment and expedited naturalization of illegal immigrants serving in the armed forces is specifically authorized in U.S. law? An Executive Order signed by President Bush on July 3, 2002, provided for the "expedited naturalization for aliens and noncitizen nationals serving in an active-duty status in the Armed Forces of the United States during the period of the war against terrorists of global reach." Under this order, any noncitizen in the military can apply for expedited citizenship on his first day of active duty. Not only is this order still in effect, but it has been codified in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2006, that authorizes the enlistment of (1) nationals of the United States; (2) aliens who have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (green card); (3) residents of several former U.S. territories; and (4) any other person "if the Secretary of Defense determines that such enlistment is vital to the national interest."
With the law so clear on this issue, the treatment of illegal immigrants in the military, both by the Pentagon and by ICE, is difficult to understand. "Apparently," says Lt. Col. Margaret Stock, a nationally known immigration attorney and professor of military law at West Point, "nobody at the Pentagon reviewed the [regulations] on immigrants when the war started." She adds, "If the Pentagon has any immigration attorneys, I haven't met them."
Stock speculates that if the Pentagon is aware of the law, it might be "afraid there would be a political backlash" if the use of immigrant labor for the war were discussed openly. In a later e-mail, she added, "And by the way, the Pentagon has ALWAYS had the authority to recruit foreigners in wartime. ... The only thing that changed in January 2006 [when Bush signed the NDAA] was that Congress made it HARDER for the Pentagon to recruit foreigners who are not Lawful Permanent Residents. It used to be that ANYONE could join the military in wartime--even undocumented immigrants--but now the Service Secretaries have to find that an undocumented person's enlistment is 'in the vital interest' of the United States."
To illustrate her point, Stock noted that a section of the 2006 Immigration and Nationalization Law locates the naturalization of immigrants serving in Iraq firmly in the tradition of naturalizations "during World War I, World War II, Korean hostilities, Vietnam hostilities, [and] other periods of military hostilities." During these wars, citizenship was granted solely on the basis of three years of honorable service or honorable separation from service (discharge), whether or not the person ever lived in the United States."
"Recruiters trying to fill slots have historically pressed vulnerable people into service," says Dan Kesselbrenner, director of the National Immigration Project, a program of the National Lawyers Guild. "But for some people it's the only way they are ever going to get citizenship."
What recruiters do not tell their targets, however, is that the military itself has no authority to grant citizenship. It forwards their citizenship applications to ICE, which will then scrutinize them and their entire families for up to a year. Created under the Homeland Security Act of 2002 as the successor to the law enforcement arms of both the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and the U.S. Customs Service, ICE has been tasked "to more effectively enforce our immigration and customs laws and protect the United States against terrorist attacks." ICE does this, as its website explains, "by targeting illegal immigrants: the people, money and materials that support terrorism and other criminal activities."
Recruiters also do not tell their targets that citizenship can be denied for the very same past criminal offenses that the military may have overlooked when admitting them--such as being in the country illegally. Nor do they tell recruits that citizenship can be denied for any kind of dishonorable behavior, which includes refusing to participate in combat. The immigrant law that provides for the naturalization of illegal immigrants in the military clearly states, "No person who ... was a conscientious objector who performed no military, air, or naval duty ... or refused to wear the uniform, shall be regarded as having served honorably or having been separated under honorable conditions." This means, according to Stock and other military law experts, that while applying for conscientious objector status is not, by itself, grounds for a dishonorable discharge, attempting to act on one's beliefs by refusing to fight, wear a uniform or carry a weapon, constitutes disobeying an order, which is dishonorable behavior.
As the war in Iraq drags on and recruiters step up their efforts to enlist high school students--even demanding the right to come into classrooms--teachers, parents, and students themselves are doing what they can to slow the rate of enlistment of young immigrants who believe that military service is their path to citizenship. But as long as American citizenship remains a kind of salvation myth for the Latino community, military recruiters will be able to exploit their longing for it.
The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill (S 1639), which failed to pass the Senate in June, proposed to give legal permanent residency to any "alien who has served in the uniformed services for at least 2 years and, if discharged, has received an honorable discharge." In other words, illegal immigrants have been in the military all along, and the government was getting ready to admit it. Now, with the bill's defeat, they will be forced to remain hidden, and the sacrifices they have made for this country will continue to go unacknowledged.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I would like to thank Melida Arredondo for her assistance to this article.