Wenk Tries

This opinion piece appeared in the May 15, 2008 edition of the Townsman

The agenda for the Woodstock town board May 13 meeting included this item:

“Whereas the Woodstock chapter of Veterans for Peace, #058, holds an annual observance of Memorial Day on the Village Green, and

Whereas that ceremony is of great importance to Veterans and all the Town, and

“Whereas Chapter 058 is unable to afford the rental of a Public Address system for that Day, now

“Be it resolved that public funds in the amount of $250 be allocated for the rental for this event, annually.”

For many years there has been an annual Memorial Day parade through Woodstock beginning on Playhouse Lane and proceeding up Mill Hill to Rock City Road, thence to the graveyard and the site of the town’s modest memorial dedicated to the men and women who have given their service, and in some cases their limbs or their lives for our nation. Almost every recognized community organization, from Boys and Girls Scouts to school marching bands to the fire companies to little league teams, to name but a few, have been welcome to march in the parade to show their appreciation to those who have sacrificed. The local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is primarily responsible for the planning and execution of the parade.

Because Americans are an optimistic people this annual tribute hardly seems somber to many of us; in fact it can appear downright festive. The tunes played by the bands are lively, the cars and trucks shiny, the politicians are smiling, the trees have achieved their fullest hue of green and there is barely a trace of black or dour costume to be seen anywhere. Even Old Glory held in the hands of a proud veteran seems to wave with celebratory might.

The taxpayers of Woodstock have contributed to honoring the memory of our veterans, lately approximately $2000 a year to defray the costs of new flags and grave markers. Volunteers every year carefully do their best to make sure that each veteran’s grave is graced with this modest token of our appreciation for their sacrifice. There is also he cost of paying additional police to monitor the traffic while the parade is in progress.

Some years ago a local chapter of Veterans For Peace (VFP) was formed. If this tempts you to look for chapters of Veterans For War, or Veterans For Terror, or Veterans For Death, don’t. Such organizations do not exist. But while Americans are optimists we also too easily embrace stereotypes, and one such oversimplification is the belief that veteran organizations such as the VFW are partial to conflict and war.

For several years members of the VFP and the VFW marched in the annual Memorial Day Parade, if not exactly together or arm in arm, at least in the same continuum that included the other parade participants. The war in Iraq, however, tested the relationship of these respectful if separate veteran organizations.

Jay Wenk, long time VFP member and now Woodstock councilman, decided that it was appropriate to supplement the speeches that expressed appreciation to veterans living and dead with speeches denouncing George Bush and current American foreign policy. Terry Breitenstein, long time member of the VFW and for many years a principal organizer of the annual parade, while not taking issue necessarily with the content of Wenk’s denunciations, nevertheless maintained that such were not appropriate to the occasion set aside to honor our dead. Earlier this decade attendees of the memorial service were subject to the spectacle of hearing “Taps” played by a VFW bugler followed by VFP member Jay Wenk’s voice blasting political messages from a bullhorn.

Then the VFW and VFP came to a mutual agreement whereby the two groups would march in the same parade, but the VFP would stop at the village green to say whatever it was they thought important to say, and the VFW and those possessed with only the modest intent of thanking our veterans could proceed to the memorial and attend a ceremony unmolested by bull horns. This will be the third year of such accommodation by the two groups.

Now that Jay Wenk is on the town board he introduces the resolution noted above. Would it be wrong to think it would be a conflict of interest for Jay to divert tax dollars to an organization he belongs to?

One may answer that, if indeed the power of money is the soul of democracy, then Jay is absolutely correct to vote himself the money. The pleasure of being elected should be that one abandon his old bullhorn.

One may ask, if the “ceremony is of great importance to Veterans and all the Town,” why can’t the VFP raise the $250 to rent a sound system? Wait a minute, wasn’t it said the Town forks over $2000 to the VFW every year? Indeed. But those dollars buy flags and grave markers for deceased veterans. The $250 buys the amplification of sentiments that are too natural, especially in our community, to not be taken for granted.

I have had the solemn privilege to say a few words at annual Memorial Day services. I would like to think they were respectful, even stirring, but I know they were inadequate because we owe so much to those who have given us so much. This includes Jay Wenk and the VFP. One thing I do know about the words I chose: they did not render unto the dead sentiments that would offend the living. Our veterans deserve more than that.

On a final note, Jay offered and then withdrew his resolution.