A
Reluctant Hero For Our Times
By Heather Wokusch
30 April, 2007
Countercurrents.org
"We still have a
choice today: nonviolent coexistence or violent co-annihilation . If
we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark and shameful
corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion,
might without morality, and strength without sight." -
Martin Luther King, Jr., 1967
Agustín
Aguayo might not be a household name, but his struggle pierces the core
of the US anti-war movement.
Aguayo, a 35-year-old Mexican-American
from Los Angeles, joined the Army in 2003 yet soon realized he couldn't
take part in violence. He applied for conscientious objector (CO) status
in February 2004 but was sent to Iraq anyway, where he refused to load
his weapon even while on guard duty and patrols.
In an exclusive interview
this week, Aguayo explained: "I was determined that I would not
hurt/injure others in any way, no matter what the consequences."
He added, "I actually believe that this action of not loading my
weapon kept me sane. It brought me great sadness to know some soldiers
I knew had shot at people, and some soldiers I knew were hurt by the
actions of others. It was so absurd."
The Army rejected Aguayo's bid for CO discharge during his year in Iraq,
so he filed a habeas corpus after returning to a base in Germany, stating:
"My conscientious objection applies to all forms and aspects of
the war. An Officer once explained to me how in his view the Army was
like a huge machine made of many parts that all work together to achieve
the desired outcome. I know this is true. If the desired outcome is
killing, I cannot be part of the 'machine.'"
Aguayo said he still carried
guilt from his 2004-2005 deployment, where he was expected to "patch-up,
treat and help countless soldiers for 'sick call' in order to facilitate
their prompt return to combatant duties." He maintains, "I
helped them get physically better and be able to go out and do the very
thing I am against - kill. This is something my conscience will not
allow me to do."
The habeas corpus was denied
in August 2006, and a week later, Aguayo was ordered back to Iraq.
Risking court martial and
imprisonment, Aguayo went AWOL (absent without leave) on Sept. 1, 2006,
surrendering to Military Police the next day. Rather than facing legal
action, however, Aguayo was told he would be sent to Iraq even if it
meant carrying him on the plane forcibly.
That's when Aguayo fled to
California. But less than a month later, he once again turned himself
in, stating, "I have come to believe that it is wrong to destroy
life, that it is wrong to use war, that it is immoral, and I can no
longer go down that path."
Aguayo was promptly sent
back to Germany and thrown in the brig.
The saga of Agustín
Aguayo has critical and wide-reaching implications. His change of heart
regarding military service is mirrored in a growing anti-war sentiment
across the US. And his legal woes set a precedent for other troops facing
similar conflicts about deployment.
As Aguayo's wife Helga observed
after his court martial, "Fear is what motivates the Army. Fear
was the prosecution's recurring theme. I know they fear others will
follow."
In early March 2007, Aguayo
was convicted of desertion and missing movement. He was reduced to the
lowest rank possible, stripped of pay and benefits and sentenced to
eight months.
With good conduct time, Aguayo
was released last week, but he's still not free. According to Helga,
who has tirelessly defended "Augie" during his ordeal, "He's
under the custody of his rear-detachment unit in Germany, the same people
that threatened using handcuffs and shackles to take him by force onto
the plane. The same people that told me in front of our daughters that
he could be put to death because he was a deserter. The circumstances
are not ideal, to say the least."
She adds, "We still
do not know when they will release him under administrative, voluntary,
or involuntary leave. We have to wait to see if the Commanding General
will approve it, and even if it is approved he will still be in the
military for the next 12-24 months active duty. Essentially, he is still
property of the Army and since he is still in the Army, he has to obey
Army Regulations. During this time he could potentially be charged with
anything else and I always fear they will try to redeploy him to Iraq."
As for Aguayo, he has no
regrets. He looks back on his imprisonment as "a special time of
reflection" and believes that in refusing to redeploy to Iraq,
"I was finally true to myself."
Aguayo insists, "It
would have been devastating for me to go against my conscience. There
comes a moment in one's life when one realizes which are the morals
one will do anything for, and nothing can change after this experience.
We all have a conscience, it is part of what makes us human, its a beautiful
gift. Unfortunately, over time we don't listen to this inner voice,
we abuse it and we lose our humanity."
From Baghdad to the brig,
Agustín Aguayo is a powerful symbol for the anti-war movement.
And his three-year fight against the war "machine" is a lesson
for us all.
Action ideas:
1. Read more about the Agustín
Aguayo's case and contribute to his Political and Legal Defense Fund
(www.aguayodefense.org).
2. Sponsor/coordinate a stop
in your city for Agustín's Victory Tour (www.aguayodefense.org/media.victory.htm)
3. Write Agustín a
letter of support at [email protected]
4,
Learn more about early discharge possibilities at the Military Counseling
Network (www.getting-out.de).
4.
Read more about Agustín and other war resisters at Courage to
Resist (www.couragetoresist.org). Check out the great links at http://aguayodefense.org/links.html.
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