MARBLEHEAD — Hundreds of veterans and civilians from the region gathered at Abbott Hall Monday to share stories of military experiences during the 10th annual Veterans Town Hall hosted by U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton.
But before the event inside got underway, peace activists from several organizations gathered outside the building to again call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, negotiations to return the hostages to Israel, and the U.S. ceasing to give anymore arms to Israel “to continue its war crimes against the Palestinian people.”
The protesters represented Veterans for Peace, Mass Peace Action, Beverly Ceasefire, Northshore for Palestine, and Witch City Action, in addition to individual activists from Salem, Ipswich, Beverly, and Gloucester. Many of the same groups conducted a similar protest outside last year’s event as well.
“Seth Moulton, as a veteran, should see how terribly wrong (this conflict) is going,” said Gloucester resident Susan Nicholson, of Massachusetts Peace Action. “This isn’t a war — it’s a genocide, and he has not recognized that, even though we have met in his office repeatedly and from day one have told him that Israel is intending a genocide here — and that’s exactly what they’ve done.”
“I was looking at a report from the U.N. from the other day, and it said that 44% of the people who have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7 (2023) have been children, and that’s just stunning,” said Paul Saint-Amand, an Ipswich resident and member of Veterans for Peace.
“All together we’re talking about maybe 200,000 people who have been killed or wounded, so it’s clear we really have to stop this heavy arming of Israel.”
Transgender activists were also there to speak out against Moulton’s recent remarks about transgender athletes, which he made to the New York Times in an interview in the wake of the presidential election. He told the paper people had real concerns over the issue that shouldn’t be brushed aside — he was concerned himself about the safety of Moulton’s two young daughters, possibly getting hurt on a playing field by athletes who were male or formerly male. “But as a Democrat I’m supposed to be afraid to say that.”
Salem City Councilor Kyle Davis, who protested outside Abbot Hall on Monday, said a public official shouldn’t use marginalized communities as scapegoats and blame them for election results.
“Especially after an election like this where the community is already in so much fear and pain, to pile on top of that is really cowardly and shameful,” he said.
Inside Abbot Hall, veterans of all branches of the military shared personal stories about life during and after service, touching on topics like PTSD, military families, the struggles of being a gay service member, and more.
“A common theme that I have heard over the years is (people saying), ‘We love and respect veterans, but we don’t know how to help them,’” Moulton said. “And often we don’t know how to connect with them because we don’t really understand what they’ve gone through. That’s the purpose of today’s event.”
Moulton, D-Salem, a former U.S. Marine officer and Iraq War veteran, and author Sebastian Junger conceived of the idea in 2015 to provide a forum for veterans to talk and for civilians to listen.
One speaker, Alan Weary, who plans to retire at the end of the year after 25 years of service with the U.S. Air Force, reflected on his long career and the lessons he’s committed to remembering as he transitions away from active duty.
“This is really therapeutic for me, and a good opportunity to really unpack the past 25 years, because I haven’t had the opportunity to slow down,” Weary said. “Whether our veterans have served one year, five years, or 20 years — our stories are all intertwined. … As I transition from active duty to veteran status, I’m reminded of a responsibility to support and uplift those who have served and continue to serve. We must ensure that their stories are heard, their needs are met, and their sacrifices are never forgotten.”
Deb Prudhomme, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, Air Force and Army National Guard, recounted her feelings of pride in tracking Soviet submarines during the Cold War and her love for the Navy, but also said her experience as a gay service member led to feelings of trepidation and unfair scrutiny.
“During my service, there were times of difficulty, and it wasn’t because of a war; I was lucky enough to serve during a time of relative peace,” she said. “The challenging part for me was that I was a gay service member.
“The NCIS conducted witch hunts on service members they suspected of being gay, and to be found guilty would bring swift disciplinary action with the court martial, possibly leading to jail time. We served in fear and silence, but my silence has finally come to an end.”
Michael McHugh can be contacted at mmchugh@northofboston.com or at 781-799-5202