Veterans issues

Peoples Parade for Peace, Equality, Jobs, Social and Economic Justice

Sunday, March 18, 2012, 2pm - Broadway MBTA Station, South Boston - look for VfP Flags

Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was a man of peace. Saint Patrick’s Day should be a day to celebrate Saint Patrick and the Irish heritage of Boston and the contributions of the Irish throughout American history. In Boston the parade should be a day to celebrate the changes in our culture, the ethnic and religious diversity, all points of view and the lively politics of our great City of Boston. For on Saint Patrick’s Day we are all Irish.

Saint Patrick Day parades have been held in Boston since 1737 (unofficial parades). In 1901 Evacuation Day was declared a holiday in the City of Boston. Because of the coincidence of the proximity of the two holidays, and in order to save a little money Mayor Curley combined the celebrations and handed organization of the parade off to the Allied War Veterans Council. For the past forty years, one man, Wacko Hurley of the Allied War Veterans Council has been organizing the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, turning what should be the celebration of Saint Patrick, the Irish heritage and history into a military parade.

In 2011, the local chapter of Veterans For Peace, the Smedley Butler Brigade submitted an application to march in the traditional Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. Veterans For Peace is a national veterans organization with 130 chapters across the country. The Smedley Butler Brigade has over 200 members locally. Its members range from veterans from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf, Iraq and the Afghanistan War. All Veterans For Peace wanted to do was to march in the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and carry their flags and banners. Their application was denied by the Allied War Veterans Council. When the organizer of the parade, Phil Wuschke, was asked why their application was denied, he stated, “Because they did not want to have the word Peace associated with the word Veteran.” They were also told that they were too political, as if the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and other activities surrounding the parade are not political.