MFSO Oregon is a chapter of Military Families Speak Out, a national organization of people who have relatives or loved ones in the military and are opposed to the continued occupation of Iraq.
MFSO was formed in November of 2002 and has contacts with military families throughout the United States, and in countries around the world. National membership currently includes over 2,000 military families, with new families joining daily.

MFSO Oregon started as it’s own organization in November 2004 as it was evident the war and occupation was continuing with no exit strategy and that Oregon families needed support and a way to speak out against the war in a safe and protected environment.
MFSO Goals:

• Provide support to families of soldiers.
• Speak out against the war and ensure the voices of families are heard.
• Educate the public on the impacts of war on soldiers and families.
• Engage in advocacy in the community and with elected officials for an exit strategy and proper care for troops returning from the occupation in Iraq.

May 31, Noon-4:15 — Seattle Town Hall
8th Ave. and Seneca St.

Hear Iraq and Afghanistan vets give their eyewitness accounts of the occupations. Also panels on military families, GI resistance and student and labor activism. Guest speaker Antonia Juhasz, author of “The Bush Agenda: Invading the World One Economy at a Time.”

March through Seattle following program

Click here for more information

For more information and directions, click here.
The Peace Memorial Park is dedicated to the memory of all people everywhere who have ever perished in warfare, in the hope that like-minded people will join with its sponsors and creators in the effort to put an end to war so that humankind can live in peace.

The Register-Guard recently ran an op-ed from Katie Dyer, the wife of an Oregon National Guardsman deployed to Iraq. (Click here to read the original op-ed.) She talked about how difficult and lonely it was for her to be separated from her husband. I understand her feelings, because I am the mother of a deployed son on his second deployment to Iraq. His deployment this time is for 15 months. I think about him constantly, and wonder about the danger that he is in. I also was appalled by the story that Katie told about the anti-war protesters in Ashland, one of whom said to her: “You’ll join us when your husband dies.” Fortunately, the majority of Americans who oppose the war do not behave in this way. Continue reading ‘How Can You Support the Troops but Hate the War?’

May 19th & 20th, University of Oregon — Eugene
May 21 Chemeketa Community College — Salem
July 12 — Grand Ronde
August 28 — Portland

The Eyes Wide Open boot display presented by the American Friends Service Committee is touring the state. This is a very moving memorial honoring American soldiers and Iraqis killed in the war. At each location there will be speeches and reading of the names of the fallen from Oregon. For details, click here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 17, 2008
CONTACT: ADELE KUBEIN (541-757-0323)

MILITARY FAMILIES SPEAK OUT – OREGON
Five Years and Counting
“Does Anyone Else But Military Families Care?”

Corvallis, OR – For members of MILITARY FAMILIES SPEAK OUT, March 19th marks an especially tragic event. It has been five full years since the United States began its illegal, immoral, and unjust invasion of Iraq. Nearly 4000 troops and perhaps over a million Iraqi children, women, and men have died in this war already. Continuing it for another year will mean the deaths of at least 350 U.S. troops and tens of thousands of Iraqis.

MFSO-OR Spokesperson Adele Kubein said, “We are five years into a war that should never have happened, and we cannot wait until January 2009 to begin to see a change in this horrific situation.”

“Four thousand of the best young men and women this country has to offer have died as a result of this catastrophic blunder. So many tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians have been killed that we stopped counting. The only solution offered by our leaders to this carnage is more misery and bloodshed. When are we going to wake up and demand a change in course?” said MFSO member Steve Weiss, father whose Marine son has recently returned from Iraq. Continue reading ‘Press Release: Five Years and Counting’

Thousands March in Portland March 15th

Across the country and around the world, MFSO members engaged in events and activities commemorating this tragic anniversary. Our voices were loud and clear in calling on Congress to use its “power of the purse” to end the funding that allows this war to continue, appropriate all funds needed to bring our troops home quickly and safely, and get them the care they need when they return.

Military Families Speak Out supports all our troops and their families, whether currently serving, returning veterans, or those who choose to resist or seek sanctuary.

Since the war in Iraq began, I’ve written many columns in support of people serving in the military. They are patriots. They make tremendous sacrifices in service to our country.

Most often, my stories have come from the parents of soldiers. I’ve quoted parents who strongly support the war in Iraq. I’ve interviewed more parents whose children have served, been injured or been killed — and most of those parents are against the war. But they never wanted to say so in the newspaper.

Suzi Sutherland-Martin is the first person who has contacted me and been willing to say, in print, that her son is serving in Iraq and she is opposed to the war. Suzi’s son is an officer in the Marines. She loves him very much; she worries about him constantly. She writes him letters and sends e-mails. She telephones and ships packages.

And every Saturday she heads for the Portland airport, sits at a table in front of a sign that says “Bring the Troops Home” and tries to talk to people about the war.

After months of this work, Suzi has come to a sad conclusion: Continue reading ‘Military Mother Opposes Iraq War’

Join Military Families at this Weekly Vigil in Beaverton

Fifth and Hall St.

Military families have been attending this, Oregon’s largest sustained vigil, for over two-and-a-half years. We welcome your support each Wednesday from 6:30-7:30.