Department of Virginia

Posted at 04:56 PM on Friday, June 1, 2007 by Virginia A/Q

WASHINGTON, June 1, 2007--The national commander of America’s oldest and largest organization of combat veterans is taking issue with an apparent attempt by the U.S. Marine Corps to bring administrative actions against three former Marines for their anti-war positions.

“This is about First Amendment rights and whether the military can discipline former servicemen who are in the inactive reserves,” said Gary Kurpius, who leads the 2.4 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and its Auxiliaries.

According to press reports, two former Marines wore their unmarked desert fatigues on a mock combat patrol in Washington in March to protest the fourth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq. One of them was also cited for making a disrespectful comment to a military officer investigating the incident. A third Marine was accused of making disparaging remarks about the president.

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