Agustin Aguayo: Fighting for peace and saving lives, not for war and killing
author: Bette Lee
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Aguayo is a real hero because he refused to fight and kill when he was stationed in Iraq. During the entire year that he was in Iraq, he refused to load his weapon, even though his decision placed him in grave danger. The military responded to his CO application by court-martialing him and throwing him in the brig. His compelling story is an inspiration to anti-war activists and war resistors in the military.
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Agustin Aguayo is a true hero because he followed his conscience and fought for peace and saving lives, instead of war and killing. During his entire year in Iraq, he refused to load his weapon, even though his decision placed him in grave danger.
Aguayo, an immigrant from Mexico, enlisted in the US military in 2002 when he was 30 years old, believing that he would do positive things for his country. He was recently in Portland on a speaking tour. Supported by his wife Helga and their 12-year old twins Raquel and Rebecca, he told his compelling story to a well-attended forum at PSU on July 11, sponsored by Students United for Non-Violence, PDX Peace Coalition, Veterans for Peace, Intl. Socialist Organization, Education Without Borders, and others.
He said, "As an immigrant, it was very important to show my patriotism...and my way to give back." He described himself as being apolitical and naive at that time. He trusted what the government told him about the war in Iraq. By serving as a medic in Iraq, he believed at first that he would be helping people, not harming them.
But after a year in Iraq, he realized that he didn't help anyone. He was appalled at how the US army dehumanized the Iraqis. He experienced first-hand the killings and injuries of the Iraqis and US soldiers. He recounted one incident when he witnessed the death of a young soldier, whose legs had been blown apart. Another young soldier was already dead from a horrible injury. He was ordered to put them in body bags. "I felt so much pain," he said. "Life is so precious and fragile. I couldn't accept their deaths." Later, he emailed his wife that the incident left him "scarred for life."
A gentle and soft-spoken man, he was deeply troubled by the "unethical behavior of the army all the way up the ranks." He was shocked and dismayed when his platoon leader in Iraq told him, a medic, "If it moves, you fire at it." One of the doctors told him and the other medics that they have to "finish the job" if they use their weapons. What he saw made him even more determined not to take part in any of the "unethical" actions. He volunteered often to be the driver on patrols, and he kept his gun unloaded.
Asked if his actions put his fellow soldiers in harm's way, he replied, "We need to step back and see who is really responsible for putting them in harm's way."
While he was in Iraq, he read books about Iraq, which changed his beliefs about the war. He began to realize that the war was wrong and immoral, that it was motivated by profit and greed to benefit a few corporations, and had nothing to do with improving the lives and security of both the Iraqi and American peoples. He began to oppose the war after he experienced first hand how their lives had been shattered. He wrote in his statement to the US Court of Appeals that, "Many men came back with missing parts, and countless physical and emotional scars...I have personally seen my comrades come back to commit suicide, drink themselves to death, and develop a strong addiction to drugs." It was obvious to him that their lives had been destroyed by the war. He concluded that "all war is evil" and does not solve problems. Watching the movie, "Sir! No Sir!" about the GI resistance against the militaryand the war in Vietnam reinforced his determination to resist the war. He also wrote, "When you know better, you do better."
Aguayo had already applied for conscientious objector status in 2004 before his first deployment to Iraq, after he realized during his military training that he could not kill another human being. His application was denied by the Pentagon on the grounds that he was not convincing enough, even though his investigating officer recommended approval of his CO status. Aguayo challenged the ruling in a federal court, but his case was denied on August 24, 2006. Meanwhile, his wife Helga and their two daughters, and his mother started a grassroots campaign on his behalf.
One week later, he was ordered to a second deployment to Iraq with his unit in the 1st Infantry Division. He refused to deploy, and on Sept. 2, 2006, he turned himself in at the US military base in Germany. He told the Army officials that he was ready to be court-martialed and imprisoned. But the Army informed him that they planned to forcibly board him on a plane to Iraq even if they had to put him in shackles and handcuffs. Aguayo said he never intended to go AWOL, but he had no choice. With the help of the Mexican consulate (he holds dual citizenship), he returned to the U.S.
On Sept. 26, 2006, he held a press conference in Los Angeles, where he expressed his convictions against war and killing. Then he turned himself in, for the second time, at Fort Irwin, California. He was sent back to Germany, where he was confined in a brig. On March 6, 2007, he was court-martialed and convicted of desertion and missing movement. Facing a possible sentence of 7 years, he and his family wept with relief when the judge gave him a sentence of 8 months. Having already served 161 days in the brig, he was released on April 18, 2007.
Since his return to the U.S., he has been on a tour to speak out against war and about his experiences in Iraq. He sees that his mission is to tell the truth to high school students, especially those who are poor and "at risk" of being recruited. According to Helga, at one high school in Los Angeles, all of the students, who were thinking of enlisting, changed their minds after they heard his story.
Aguayo continues to fight to overturn the army's convictions against him. After his appeal was denied by the US Circuit Court in Washington, D.C., he and his family are contemplating taking his case to the Supreme Court.
His actions have inspired many soldiers in Iraq, who have sent him letters of support. He spoke of the growing resistance among the ranks; many have chosen to go AWOL, and some have fled to Canada.
The GI resistance against the American war in Vietnam was crucial in ending that horrific war, although we should never forget that in the end, it was the Vietnamese resistors who won the war . It is crucially important to support war resistors like Aguayo, and many more like him, who have the courage to speak out and take action against the war. Aguayo and his family were immensely grateful for the support they have received from the anti-war activists everywhere on their tour. "It's become bigger than us," Helga said.
For more information on how to support Aguayo, go to www.aguayodefense.org or www.couragetoresist.org.
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