November, 11 2009, 10:37am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Aaron Hughes, IVAW Field Organizer, 1-217-898-9083, media@ivaw.org
Cynthia Thomas, Under the Hood Director, 1-254-449-8811
IVAW to Hold Candlelight Memorial at Fort Hood
KILLEEN, Texas
Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) will hold a
silent candlelight processional at Fort Hood on Wednesday, Veterans
Day, to remember the victims of the Nov. 5 shooting that killed 13 and
wounded 30 others.
WHO: Active-duty servicemembers and veterans
WHAT: Memorial and candlelight vigil
WHERE: Under the Hood Cafe; 17 S. College St.; Killeen, Texas
WHEN: Veterans Day, Nov. 11, Candlelight
vigil at 7 p.m. Memorial: Veterans Day Veteran Speak from 8-9 p.m.,
IVAW will also send a mental health professional to provide support to
the local military community in the wake of the killings.
"We have been dealing with post traumatic stress, including suicide,
on this base for too long. It's about time we get some true support,"
said Mike Kern, an active-duty soldier at Fort Hood and an IVAW member
organizing the event.
Aaron Hughes, an Iraq veteran and organizer with both the Warrior
Writers Project and Iraq Veterans Against the War, said he will be
spending time at Fort Hood "to build, to create, and to grow from this
destruction." He said veterans "know too well the violence and pain of
surviving our military experiences."
In collaboration with the Warrior Writers Project, participants of the
Veterans Day events will walk to the gates of Fort Hood to transform
the entrance gate sign into a memorial. Warrior Writers will hold a
writing workshop on Veterans Day for active-duty soldiers and
veterans.. The sessions will give military members a chance to express
themselves in an open, supportive environment.
"We will listen, heal and build support for active duty soldiers in
Killeen, where our country has seen the most recent results of what
the military occupations can do to our soldiers and our communities,"
said Lovella Calica, the director of the Warrior Writers Project.
The Warrior Writers Project and IVAW also ask the public to join in by
sending letters of solidarity to emotionally support Fort Hood
soldiers and veterans.
"We invite the community to stand beside us, get involved in the
reintegration process and work towards healing," Kern added.
Letters can be emailed to warriorwriters@gmail.com
Matt Howard, Communications Director 646.723.0989Media@ivaw.org
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