New Haven Independent

She was standing vigil outside the VA Medical Center in West Haven on Monday — Memorial Day — to call attention to the price being paid in the war in Iraq by just a small percent of the U.S. population.

While others were getting ready for picnics or perhaps finding a great deal at the mall, members of this group hoisted a Veterans for Peace banner, an American flag and an original oil painting completed just the night before.

Jerry Topitzer of New Haven (pictured) held his painting of a solitary soldier with the words below drawn by his granddaughter. He said vets’ care is often “shameful” and “incomplete.” Click here to hear more of the message he hoped his painting would convey.

Norma Trusiewicz (pictured at top with her American flag) of Middlebury said her dad was a disabled World War II veteran who received sub-standard care upon his return. She said care for current veterans also needs much improvement. Click here for more of her impassioned statement.

Every one of those who gathered was old enough to remember the Vietnam War, and several had participated in World War II — as combatants, medics or female Red Cross volunteers. Hubert Woodard of New Haven (holding the Veterans for Peace banner) was a medic in “the Good War.” He wondered if soldiers who don’t try to kill other human beings, but only try to bind the wounds of war, suffer less psychological damage than their comrades who engage in combat.

Kenny Foscue of North Haven said he was there supporting the troops, something he said anti-war forces neglected in the past. Click here for his thoughts on what needs to happen.

Several motorists driving past on Campbell Avenue honked their approval of the message.

There was a notable absence of younger adults and children accompanying their parents — demographic groups that have participated in many other anti-war actions around town. Some suggested the notice went out late for this event, and New Havener Stephen Kobasa — another regular at anti-war actions around town — joked, “You’ve never heard the connection between elders and wisdom, and youth and stupidity, right?”

He added that at the regular Sunday afternoon vigil on Broadway, activists holding peace banners got the usual supportive horn honks and thumbs up from passing motorists. But this time they also got a lot of positive comments from pedestrians passing by — mostly families of Yale graduates attending festivities over the weekend. They represented a much broader geographic cross-section than those normally downtown on a weekend.

Polls indicate that a significant majority of Americans favors withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq sooner rather than later, and that President Bush’s positive ratings are under 30 percent. Still, when it came time to make a public statement of those sentiments, the ones who showed up looked more like the lonely and the brave than the silent majority.