Washblog

  Another person I look forward to hearing from tomorrow is another Washington Military Families Speak Out member, Stacy Bannerman.  Wife of National Guardsman deployed to Iraq in extended deployment, she is also on the Advisory Board of national Military Families Speak Out.  (A plug coming) She is quite busy now with her newly published book When the War Came Home' An Inside Account of Citizen Soldiers and The Families Left Behind' (Continuum Press, 2006) and I'm pleased she is still finding time to participate in our actions (Stacy was at the sit-in; the only woman there among the men, I might add) to help Senator Cantwell see her way clear to a more responsive and responsible leadership role on Iraq.

  Another military family,and veteran, Joe Colgan, whom was also quoted in the Seattle Times article today, (also see his guest op-ed "The Killing Has Got to Stop    Feb 2, 2006 in Seattle PI as result of the December 04 meeting with Sen. Cantwell)  will attend tomorrow's meeting.  He was at the sit-in and I look forward to hearing his thoughts again.  He has our best interests at heart in that his son, 1st Lt Benjamin Colgan, was killed in Iraq in Nov 2003, and he does not wish us to be forced to endure having our loved ones deploy to Iraq to not return.

   Returning Iraq veteran, Josh Farris, will also attend the meeting tomorrow, and was at the sit-in, and the Dec 04 meeting with the Senator. I look forward to hearing again his first-hand account of what he believes as result of his deployment in Iraq.

  Another Washington military family of Military Families Speak Out; the Gold Star Families Speak Out chapter who have the distinction of having a loved one die in Iraq, Elizabeth Falzone, may also be attending the meeting tomorrow. She attended the meeting with Sen. Cantwell in Dec. 04.  I look forward to hearing her thoughts again.  

   91 year old war veteran of Spanish War and WW II, Abe Osheroff, who was at the sit-in and the Dec 04 meeting with the Senator will attend tomorrow's meeting. I have heard only a hint of what Abe has to say from his own experiential and historical background, and look forward to hearing more fully from him tomorrow.

   This comprises the 'stakeholders' who, although unrecognized as such, have the largest stakes in policy decisions on the Iraq war (and the distant drums banging on Iran).  Not in any way to neglect calling attention to the other major stakeholders in this war - the Iraqi people themselves, but that is better left represented by the Iraqi people, who are able to directly articulate the enormity of the costs to their people.

   Others attending tomorrow's meeting include strong and diligent supporter, Dr. Howard Gale, who was at the sit-in, also at the Dec 04 meeing with Senator Cantwell and I need to take a moment of recognition here for Howard.  He has volunteered so much of his time and talents to serve as a kind of steering chairperson in keeping the continuity going for us all since these actions began back in November 04 with a letter to Senator Cantwell signed by most of us listed above.  

  Also attending tomorrow's meeting will be new on board, student activist at Seattle Central Community College, Adam Garcia.

   We don't know who will 'moderate' the meeting, and I hope it will be Alice Woldt as she served us all very well in the April 10 meeting with Senator Cantwell. Alice has talent in bringing together in collaboration diverse groups for mutual purpose.

   Maybe readers, you'd like to read the compelling account of one of our own Washingtonians, a returning Iraq veteran, double amputee, living in Chelan County with his wife and their three children.  A poignant account of daily life after Iraq, minus two limbs.  Recommending 'War Without End Series' which is permanently posted at my own blog Dying to Preserve the Lies .  

The war in Iraq arrives on America's shores by gurney. More than 16,000 U.S. soldiers have been wounded -- almost 400 have lost arms, legs, hands or feet. Each injury ripples through lives with its own pattern and force. And as two soldiers and their families are discovering, the war will be with them forever.

Follow the stories. Follow Sgt Michael Buyas, who became a Ranger with the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, out of Fort Lewis, Wash., and left for Iraq in October 2004. Follow his return to Central Washington, their personal family story of recovery as Michael Buyas and his wife, Carrie and their three children learn to live with the life-changing process of recovery. IED in Iraq took both of Michael's legs.

How the series was reported Chronicle reporter Joan Ryan and photographer Deanne Fitzmaurice began documenting "War Without End" during an April 2005 visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where they met Sgts. Michael Buyas and Brent Bretz.

In the subsequent months, Ryan and Fitzmaurice -- later joined by photographer Michael Macor -- followed the treatment and recovery of the soldiers. They visited with and interviewed them regularly, traveling to Washington state and Arizona to chronicle their first trips home from the hospital.