November 2008

Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers by Daniel Ellsberg



a book review by Rich Moniak

Vote for Peace Tags

PeaceTags is one of 18 organizations featured in SmartNow's holiday promotion "Give Something Back."

SmartNow visitors can read stories about these 18 organizations and their impact on communities around the world. They can then cast their votes for a winner. The winning organization will receive a $1,000 gift from SmartNow.

"The Heart Surgeon" by Brian Delate

Brian Delate served in the Vietnam War (1969) as a decorated non-commissioned officer and since 1980 has worked extensively in film, theatre and television as an actor. "Soldier’s Heart" represents his debut as a writer/director.

Patty Griffin - "Chief"



Chief had been out of the army
For 15 years or more
He was still marching up and down that street
Just like he was a-walking to war
They called him the chief because he was Indian
It was a name they said behind his back
In the summer he'd march without any shoes
Until the soles of his feet turned black

Panel Discussion: The Meaning of Honor

Seattle's Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) will recognize Veterans Day with a provocative panel discussion that will explore what it means to "honor" our nation's veterans.

When: Tuesday, November 11, 7pm
Where: MOHAI - McCurdy Park, 2700 24th Ave East, Seattle
Cost: Free

Our own Andy Himes will moderate. Here are the panelists:

Reader Submission: "November 11, 1918--The Day World War I Ended"

John Guzlowski submitted an essay on Veteran's Day to us.

Guzlowski's family spent six years in the refugee camps in Germany, and before that, his parents had been slave laborers in Nazi Germany. When they finally came to the U.S., one of the first places they lived was in a Chicago apartment owned by a World War I vet, a Polish immigrant named Ponchek. The following short essay is about Guzlowski's memories of Ponchek.

Here is an excerpt:

Open Letter to Barack Obama from Alice Walker

Nov. 5, 2008

Dear Brother Obama,

Yes We Can!

Survey: Who are you?

It's Election Day! Make sure to get out and cast your ballot-- and don't forget these 12 Tips on Safeguarding the Vote.

Civil War Veterans: An Investigative Study


This curricula module was written to accompany Charles Baker's essay on Veterans, Tramps, and the Economic Crisis of 1873.

Veterans, Tramps, and the Economic Crisis of 1873

This essay from our very own Charles Baker, examines the connections between Civil War veterans and the emergence of America’s first sizable homeless population.

Here's an excerpt that begins with a quote from an interview with Todd DePastino, author of Citizen Hobo: How a Century of Homelessness Shaped America:

The Good War, by Studs Terkel

The Good War is Stud Terkel's most exciting, most popular, and most moving work, an account of the lives of ordinary Americans, at home and abroad, during World War Two.