Watada’s mother and wife of another military resister to speak at the event.  

Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress (NCRR) and Asian American Vietnam Veterans Organization (AAVVO) will host an anti-war march in support of military resisters Saturday, Feb. 3 from 4 p.m. in Little Tokyo.

The march and program will call for an end to the Iraq War, oppose President Bush’s call for 21,500 additional troops and urge support for First Lt. Ehren Watada and other military resisters, such as Army Spc. Agustin Aguayo, both of whom face court-martial hearings in the coming weeks. The march will start on Second and San Pedro streets and wind its way through Little Tokyo, ending at Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple*, 505 E. Third St., for a program.

As the Feb. 5 court-martial trial of Watada approaches, he faces charges of (1) missing a troop movement for failing to deploy to Iraq with his Stryker Brigade last June and (2) conduct unbecoming an officer, for statements criticizing the Iraq War and President Bush. He faces up to six years in prison.

In January pre-trial hearings at Fort Lewis, Wash., presiding military judge Lt. Col. John Head ruled against Watada, stating that the legality of the war (Watada believes the Iraq war is illegal) is irrelevant to the charges at hand. Head also refused to recognize Watada’s First Amendment right to speak out against the war.

Featured at the program on Feb. 3 will be Watada’s mother, Carolyn Ho, who will fly in that day from speaking engagements in the mid-West. Ho will give an update about her son’s court-martial trial before heading for Olympia, Wash. for the first day of his trial.

One of Los Angeles’ most important and successful groups, Quetzal is expected to perform. Quetzal’s music is a mix of Mexican and Afro-Cuban rhythms, jazz, r&b and rock powered by the dynamic vocals of Martha Gonzalez. Nobuko Miyamoto, a well-known Asian American performer and artist, will also share her talents.

Helga Aguayo will report on her husband’s court-martial case in Germany. Army Spc. Agustin Aguayo, a decorated war veteran and Army medic, has been struggling for three years to be recognized as a conscientious objector. Aguayo sits in pre-trial confinement in Mannheim Prison in Germany for having gone AWOL for one day and missing his unit’s deployment to Iraq. His arraignment takes place Jan. 22 when he will be formally charged with desertion and missing movement and faces seven years in prison.

Mike Nakayama of AAVVO stated, “Over 70 percent of the American public are opposed to the Iraq War. We all now know that the invasion of Iraq went against U.S. and international laws and was based on lies and deceit. These lies and deceit have led to over 3,000 American soldiers and over 600,000 innocent Iraqis being needlessly killed. For any serviceperson to be punished for taking a stand against the war is just wrong. We must support the many men and women in uniform who are resisting and do all we can to help end this unjust war.”

If one wishes to support 1st Lt. Watada: 1. Contact General Dubik, the Ft. Lewis commander. The public is asked to write individual letters and solicit organizational letters requesting that the army accept Lt. Watada’s resignation and grant him an honorable or general discharge. Gen. Dubik’s address is:

Commanding General Fort Lewis
and I Corps
Lt. Gen. James M. Dubik
Bldg. 2025 Stop 1
Fort Lewis, WA 98433

With copies to:
The Hon. Francis J. Harvey
Secretary of the U.S. Army
101 Army Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20310-0101

The Hon. Dr. Robert Gates
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20301-1000

Supporters are also asked to contact their local city and county councils, elected officials, labor unions, churches and other civic groups to pass resolutions supporting Lt. Watada.
* Higashi Honganji is not a sponsor or endorser of this event.