Vets For Freedom

Template:Cleanupdate Vets For Freedom is a non-profit American organization whose stated purpose is to give voice to America's veterans and active duty troops who support the Global War on Terror, War in Afghanistan, and War in Iraq. The founders of the organization have all seen combat in Afghanistan or Iraq.

Organizational work

Spokesmen for VFF appear on televised news shows and write op-ed pieces for newspapers. The organization has also issued a number of press releases. One claiming recent military recruitment numbers. Two have criticized Representative John Murtha (D-PA), citing what VFF calls "irresponsible remarks" regarding alleged war crimes. The group has not issued any other press releases attacking politicians.

The VFF website contains a blog that describes the observations, thoughts and morale of the troops.[1] The blog has been extremely supportive of the Global War on Terror, but has been critical of the Bush Administartions's handling of it. [2] [3]

Vets for Freedom has also sponsored a full-page political ad in the Hartford Courant on August 14, 2006. [4] endorsing Democratic US Senator Joe Lieberman]. Vets for Freedom has also embarked on a televion advertsing campaign in Connecticut supportive of Joe Lieberman. [5] [6] [7] Additionally, they have been financing an ad campaign is Georgia to support embattled Deomcratic Congressman Jim Marshall. [8]

Founders

Executive Director Wade Zirkle is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and served two depoyments to Iraq with Marine infantry units. He fought in the First Battle of Fallujah as a platoon leader. Eight Marines under his command were killed in action. Zirkle was severely burned by a suicide car-bomb in Fallujah in 2004. [9]

Bellavia is a former Army Staff Sergeant who served in the First Infantry Division (Task Force 2-2). He was recommended for the Medal of Honor, nominated for the Distinguished Service Cross, and received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star (v), and the Conspicuous Service Cross. In 2006 he was invited to attend the President's State of the Union address as an honored guest. Bellavia has been the subject to some notoriety in the military for action he took on November 10th 2004, where he singlehandly stormed a house full on insurgents fighters at night, killing them all. Out of ammunition, Bellavia stabbed his last victim to death with his pocketknife in a hand to hand struggle [10] [11]

In 2004, Bellavia was the subject of a Time Magazine cover story titled "Into the Hot Zone" which won a Pulizter Prize. [12] According to Publishers Weekly, Bellavia has secured a book deal in the neighborhood of $500,000.00 [13]

Zirkle and cofounder David Bellavia, now a writer, returned to Iraq as civilian reporters in 2006 and embedded with the Iraqi Army in Ramadi. Their articles were published in The Philadelphia Enquirer (7/6/2006) and The Weekly Standard (7/14/2006).

Bellavia and Zirkle appear regularly on CNN and Fox News as representatives of Vets for Freedom to offer commentary on the Global War on Terror.

Cofounder Owen West is a Marine reservist who served in Force Reconnaissance during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. West is a graduate of Harvard College and Stanford Business School. His first novel won the Boyd Literary Award for best military novel. He has written several articles on the military and outdoor adventures and recently won the 2005 Marine Corps Essay Contest. [[14]] He lives in New York City and is planning to return to Iraq in 2006 [[15]]

Cofounder Joe Worley was badly injured in an ambush in Fallujah in 2004. He was struck by an EID and shot five times in a coordinated insurgent ambush. His left leg was blown off in the assault and he now is confined to a wheelchair because of a badly damaged right leg. [[16]] He is the recipient of a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for Valor [17]

Cofounder Mark Seavey spent one year as an infantry squad leader in Afghanistan and now works for a veterans organization in Washington. [[18]] In 2006, he was widely praised by the veteran community (and scorned by the anti-war community) for confronting Congressmen Moran and Murtha at a Townhall meeting. The exchange was recorded by C-span. Seavey is a graduate of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. [19]

Cofounder Knox Nunnally is a former Marine Infantry who served three deployments to Iraq. He is a Purple Heart and Bronze Star winner. [20]. Nunnally has been quoted in USA Today, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Stars and Stripes, and has written a peice on his experiences in Iraq for Per Contra Magazine. Nunnally is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis.[21]

Cofounder Chris Neizdiocha was a Marine Infantry Officer who was the recipient of a Silver Star for leading a counterattack that killed 23 talban fighter in 2004. [22]. He has written a tactical article for the Marine Corps Gazette titled CAAT and Mouse. A CAAT is a "Combined Anti-Armor Team." [[23]] Neizdiocha is a graduate of Penn State.[24]

Political connections

VFF political ties have been cited by those concerned about its political goals:

• The VFF website is hosted in a server owned by Campaign Solutions, a subsidiary of the Donatelli Group, a firm that previously worked for the 2004 Bush-Cheney re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee. One critic of the VFF said that VFF's privacy notice on its website included, at one point, the following: "We may from time to time share the information our visitors provide with other Republican candidates and other like-minded organizations."
• Zirkle was a regional field director for Republican Jerry Kilgore's unsuccessful 2005 campaign for governor of Virginia.
• "The Bull Moose" a blog sponsored by the Democratic Leadership Council, claims Zirkle as a "friend," in an April 2006 posting.
• A "key Vets for Freedom adviser is Bill Andresen, a Democrat and former chief of staff to embattled Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut." [25]

Funding

VFF has applied for status as a tax-exempt charity, but donations are not tax-deductible as of June 2006 because the application is pending. Zirkle said that "Initial funding came from family members and friends."

Vets for Freedom says on their homepage "We depend on small donations from our thousands of supporters across America."

References

Vets for Freedom A Rose By Another Name May 30, 2006

David Bellavia, American Hero Flopping Aces July 17, 2006

Army Staff Sergeant David Bellavia Cotillion June 13, 2006

Vets for Freedom Dean's World April 25, 2006

External links

• Vets For Freedom official site
• Vets For Freedom arrives on the scene Radio interview with Wade Zirkle, with audio and transcript.
• Mackubin Thomas Owens "Press-ing On Against The Military: Our Troops Deserve Better Than Vietnam-Era Journalism", National Review Online, July 5, 2006
• Congressman John Murtha Fires Back at Wade Zirkle on The Huffington Post Blog
• SourceWatch article on Vets for Freedom
• Kill The Messenger? Pro-War Advocates Should Blame Themselves for the Mess in Iraq PR Watch article by John Stauber.

Articles written by VFF cofounders

• The View from the Chow Hall Op-Ed by Wade Zirkle and Josh Clark in the Wall Street Journal.
• Victory in Fallujah Article by Bing and Owen West: Marines in Fallujah used new technology and old adaptations to win an incredible urban victory in Fallujah (Popular Mechanics).
• Birth of an Army Embedded Reporting from Iraq by David Bellavia, Owen West and Wade Zirkle (The Weekly Standard)
• In Ramadi, a Test of Iraqi Forces Embedded Reporting from Iraq by David Bellavia, Owen West and Wade Zirkle (Philadelpia Enquirer)
• Troops in Support Of the War op-ed piece by Wade Zirkle (Washington Post).
• The Troops Have Moved On op-ed piece by Owen West (New York Times).
• Celebrating Those Who Gave Chase to Evil, Safe Harbor to Liberty op-ed piece by Wade Zirkle (Contra Costa Times).
• When Media Pull Back, Coverage is a Casualty op-ed piece by Wade Zirkle (Philadelphia Enquirer)
• Our Soldiers Are Warriors Not Victims Op-Ed by Bing and Owen West (National Review)
• Postings by Zirkle and Bellavia to Small Wars Journal, June 2006.