About Face: Military Resisters Turn Against War

Description

How does a young person who volunteers to serve in the US military become a war resister who risks ostracism, humiliation and prison rather than fight? Although it is not well publicised, the long tradition of refusing to fight in unjust wars continues today within the US military. About Face gives voice to some of these resisters, who describe in their own words the process they went through - from raw recruits to brave refusers. Also featured are exclusive interviews with Noam Chomsky and Daniel Ellsberg.

Buff Whitman-Bradley is an author, an editor, and a social justice activist in the Courage to Resist organizing collective. He lives in Marin, California. Sarah Lazare is an independent journalist, an editor, and an organizer in the U.S. antiwar and GI resistance movement through the Civilian-Soldier Alliance and Courage to Resist. She lives in Urbana, Illinois. Cynthia Whitman-Bradley is a birth doula and an activist through Courage to Resist and !Presente! She lives in Marin, California.

"About Face gives us important insights into the consciences of women and men who volunteer for the military but find they cannot obey orders to fight in illegal wars. These are brave and loyal Americans who are willing to challenge the U.S. government and perhaps go to jail rather than betray their inner voices that say NO to these wars!" --Ann Wright, retired U.S. Army colonel and diplomat who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq, author of DISSENT: Voices of Conscience "About Face pulls down the veil of what honorable service in today's U.S. military really means. When new soldiers swear to support and defend the U.S. Constitution by following lawful orders, what are they to do when they are given unlawful orders? About Face provides raw examples of precisely what soldiers are doing who take their oath seriously." --Dahr Jamail, author of The Will to Resist: Soldiers Who Refuse to Fight in Iraq and Afghanistan/p> "During this time of war it is vital that every American take a moment to listen to the first-hand accounts of those who have served on the front lines and those who refuse to fight." --Aaron Glantz, author of The War Comes Home: Washington's Battle Against America's Veterans/p> "It was a privilege to read this book. As a veteran, it was especially meaningful to me because I know some of the participants personally. It certainly opened my eyes and heart to their struggle. I know that it will have the same impact to everyone who reads it. It is especially compelling because it gives a wonderful cross-section of veterans in their struggle with the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars." --Dennis Lane, executive director, Veterans for Peace "This book documents the resistance of American heroes--resistance to illegal wars, to immoral wars, and to government secrecy, that threaten the very foundation of our democracy. A must-read for every American." --Marjorie Cohn, co-author, Rules of Disengagement: The Politics and Honor of Military Dissent