New York State Marches for Peace

Friday was an amazing morning. We started out from Adams Center - started with a meeting about “Where do we go from here?” looking for ways to support the IVAW. We had a nonviolent training, and then sharing and appreciations, and we shared about the process of separating. Then we set up tents - at the campground - and came back and were about 60 strong. from Rochester, Vets for Peace more IVAW, high school studnets that met up yesterday, college students from Oswego. We walked through Watertown, respectfully, quietly. Very powerful. We got to the Different Drummer around 7 p.m. after about a 10-mile walk. Good food, music and hanging out, inside and out.  — Kathy Castania

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We started off about 1 pm in the afternoon and went and set up tents earlier in the day at the campgrounds - lots of discussion about the commander’s invitation to walk onto the base. Decided the vets would try to have a meeting with the commander and the rest of us would March into Watertown. The commander is out of town and the vets will have a meeting this morning (Saturday) to figure out next steps.

We walked into Watertown around  7 p.m. and it was a great Walk in…we had a majority of people honking and excited about seeing us. There was hardly any negative response that i saw. We wre about 60 people walking by that time, along with support vehicles and wer were joined by a bunch of IVAW and Vets for Peace and Vietnam Vets Against the War. Like a dream — can’t believe we are here!

Felt right and good and — this is the place where it is good to come and have this voice here and see how many are supportive.

“There’s not a lot of peace vigils that happen here,” said Jim Fulmer.

We got to the cafe and had a celebration - great food, a curry dish served and music and “Thank-you’s” and reflections.  — Ellen Grady

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There was one thing that was on a more personal level: we were walking along and Vicki was talking with a uniformed soldier. He was 19 years old. Maryanne Grady (hwo had joined the March fresh back from Palestine) walked up to him and put her hand on his soldier and said, “I have kids older than you.”  Everyone there could feel this very emotional moment.  He said, “I want you all to know that we are doing all this for you.”

I get a strong sense soldiers feel un-appreciated by us.

We have been received positively by our support of the troops.