Anti-War Cadence: A Tribute To David Cline, VFP, RIP

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October, 2007, Volume 15 Nr. 2, Issue 233

Anti-War Cadence: A Tribute to VFP Brother David Cline, RIP

Jozef Hand-Boniakowski

"Sound off....1-2...Sound off...3.4, Bring it on down...Sound off 1-2-3-4....1-2...3-4! I've heard and participated in the Veterans For Peace (VFP) cadence many times. I heard it shouted through a bullhorn on the streets of Washington, D.C. as VFP led a million plus demonstrators against the Iraq occupation. I heard it in the streets of Manhattan, where one-and-a-half million people said "No to War!" months before the Iraq invasion began. This unprecedented display of people power marched through the Big Apple even though the city refused to issue a permit for it to take place. I heard the cadence in Alexandria VA, Albuquerque NM, Duluth MN, San Francisco CA, Boston MA, etc., where Veterans For Peace called it as they saw it, "Bush and Cheney talk that talk...but they're only chicken hawks." And each time I heard that cadence being called out by the hoarse and distinctive voice of the David Cline, the president (Jan 2002 - Feb 2007) of Veterans For Peace.

David Cline passed away on September 15, 2007 at home in his home town and that of my childhood, Jersey City, N.J. David's body was severely affected by Agent Orange, PTSD, the Vietnam War, and the rigors and stresses of fighting imperialism and war full-time for four decades. The anarcho-Judaism web site correctly states,

"They killed Dave forty years ago, the government of the United States killed Dave in Vietnam; but Dave had too much in him to die right away. Too much heart, too much soul, too much spirit, too much of a passion to fight for what is right and true and just; it took him 40 years to die."

photo credit: Mathieu Grandjean

I clearly remember standing with Dave Cline and a few dozen VFPers on Constitution Avenue in Washington D.C. as many hundreds of thousands of anti-war marchers filed by. The Vets For Peace were shouting their anti-war cadence. A skinny guy dressed in his traditional olive drab shirt decked with Vietnam, Peace, VFP and VVAW patches was mesmerizing the fast moving crowd by leading the cadence. As people came into view of the VFPers they broke out into wild cheering. As one performance of the cadence came to end a new group of marchers would see the VFPers for the very first time giving up a new cheer and thunderous roar. The VFPer then started the cadence over again with Dave Cline's voice booming. This went on for hours. David inspired tens of thousands that day and millions throughout his activist life to do something about the insanity of war and to stop the neo-liberal war machine from using bombing, killing, imprisonment, torture and war as foreign policy.

David Cline was my friend. I had my disagreements with him. But David showed me that disagreements between brothers working for peace was a desirable and healthy thing. David was the first who instilled in me a sense of what it means to be a brother for peace. Before David Cline and Veterans For Peace I had no desire nor inclination to being considered a veteran. David showed me that there was honor and respect given to being a veteran who opposes imperialism, militarism, war, and the illegal and criminal behavior of those in power that make it possible and profit from it.

I did not realize how much he affected my life until there was no more David Cline around to hug, no more David Cline to call me "Bro!", no more David Cline to chant... "Heh heh Uncle Sam. We remember Vietnam...."

In August 2003 during the National Veterans For Peace convention in San Francisco CA David Cline presented a tribute to Father Philip Berrigan, a life-long worker for peace. David presented Phil's daughter, Katie Berrigan, with an inscribed plaque. I wrote the tribute contained on that plaque. Now, I write and present a tribute to David Cline:

Whereas David Cline was an anti-war veteran, a lifelong activist for peace and justice, civil-rights advocate, an anti-imperialist, a partner, a fighter for freedom and social justice; and a brother, and

Whereas Veteran For Peace David Cline and thousands of like-minded friends are building a nonviolent movement based upon the imagery of beating guns and rifles into plowshares; and

Whereas Neighbor David Cline lived in a big city community where he served as the city's official liaison to local veterans, and,

Whereas David Cline was a persistent and reliable counselor for and on the G.I. Hotline, and,

Whereas Witness David Cline kept a consistent and persistent vigil against violence during his post Vietnam life; and

Whereas War Resister David Cline was a favorite target of the Right Wing and neo-conservative war mongers that he successfully rebutted, and

Whereas Seeker of Truth David Cline was an implacable inspector of the United States foreign policy calling national and international attention to its inherent evil nature; and

Whereas Activist David Cline symbolically confronted the nation's war machine by returning military honors and medals and,

Whereas Teacher David Cline was and remains an example to the younger generation coming of age to resist militarism and fascism; and,

Whereas David Cline, a long time Veteran For Peace and its president, is a hero, and an inspiration to those who follow in the cause of Peace; and

Whereas it is with sorrow, regret and gratitude, that we as Veterans For Peace, mourn the passing of our friend, David Cline, September 15, 2007,

Therefore let it be resolved that, in order to honor and commemorate his remarkable work and life we as Veterans For Peace, and as people committed to social justice, honor our Brother and Comrade, David Cline, who continues to Wage Peace!

David Cline Presente!

I have many lapel pins on a canvas bag that I carry with me. David Cline gave me one of them, the Vietnam Veterans Against the War pin. He also gave me the 25th anniversary Veterans For Peace pin which celebrated a quarter century of educating people against the atrocities, horror and costs of war. I wear the 25th anniversary pin on my old Green beret which another Veteran For Peace has given to me. A few months ago I saw a showing of the documentary film, "Sir! No Sir!" about the G.I. resistance movement during the Vietnam War. David was featured in the film as he was a big part of the G.I. resistance. Today, the Iraq occupation G.I. resistance is taking on another illegal war. In 2004 David Cline witnessed the founding of the anti-war veterans group, Iraq Veterans Against the War. David knew that Iraq occupation veterans would be instrumental in ending it. And to that end, David Cline's cadence continues:

HEY HEY DAVID CLINE DAVID WAS A FRIEND OF MINE
DAVID CLINE TALKED THE TALK DAVID CLINE WALKED THE WALK BUSH AND CHENEY'S WAR IS HELL PROFITS FOR EXXON AND FOR SHELL BUSH AND CHENEY LEADERS FAILED BUSH AND CHENEY BELONG IN JAIL DAVID'S BODY HAS PASSED ALONG BUT HE'S HERE TO SING THIS SONG WAR JUST MAKES THE CHILDREN DIE WAR JUST MAKES THE MOTHER'S CRY BUSH AND CHENEY STOMP AND SQUAWK THAT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE CHICKEN HAWKS SEND THEM BOTH TO A CELL PACK THEM OFF AWAY TO HELL HEH HEH DAVID CLINE DAVID WAS A FRIEND OF MINE DAVID'S BODY MAY BE GONE BUT HE SINGS THIS CADENCE SONG AM I RIGHT OR WRONG? AM I RIGHT OR WRONG? SOUND OFF...1..2...SOUND OFF...3..4 SOUND OFF...1..2..3..4 BRING IT ON DOWN! 1..2..3..4.... 1..2..3..4.

If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what a people will submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress. -- Frederick Douglas

Herein lies a riddle: How can a people so gifted by God become so seduced by naked power, so greedy for money, so addicted to violence, so slavish before mediocre and treacherous leadership, so paranoid, deluded, lunatic?

-- Philip Berrigan
I love you, Dave.