Five years ago today the first missiles fell on Baghdad. Today the war continues; many in New Hampshire have lost their lives, with many more injured or maimed. The war has also been said to influence our recent elections and divide our state along pro and anti-mission lines. We’ll talk with Granite State servicepeople, their families, VA workers, peace activists and political analysts about their reflections of five years of the Iraq war.
- Michael Hamilton, a Senior at Plymouth State University majoring in Communications and Intern for the Exchange. From March to June of 2003, Michael served in the Iraq war in An Nasiriyah.
- Sgt. Mike Dagle, Deputy Public Affairs Officer for the New Hampshire National Guard
- Maj. Andrew Anderson, Commander of the Officer Candidate School who also works for the Operation’s office at the New Hampshire National Guard. Andrew served in the Iraq War for 11 months from December 2004 to November 2005
- Nicole Dicenzo, a Plymouth based interior designer. Her husband, Doug Dicenzo, was killed in Iraq in May 2006. Nicole was featured in the 2007 NECN documentary “Remember Us”
- Ann Miller, Director of New Hampshire Peace Action and the New Hampshire Peace Action Education Fund
- Al Porsche, Readjustment Councilor for the Manchester Vet Center
- Dean Spiliotes, A New Hampshire-based political analyst who writes the NHPoliticalCapital blog
- Carol Shea-Porter, Democratic Congresswoman representing New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District
The first feeling I have is one of powerlessness. I participated in peace vigils for months before the war started. After it started, I wrote letters, marched in Washington, campaigned and will continue to do so. The lack of movement by our government to end this war, in spite of the national opposition to it, has strengthened my resolve to avoid just standing by and letting it continue.
My second feeling is hatred and disgust. I have never felt these feelings towards a president, and have been surprised to have these feelings for the person in the office I have always held in high respect. I feel that the current president is not the president of the people of the United States, he is the president of big corporate interests. I feel that our current economic woes are the results of the corporate excesses of the past couple of decades that he and his cronies created for themselves. Our history shows we use war to pump up our economy. We are living the military-industrial complex Einsenhower warned us about.