By David Swanson

John Bruhns came back from Iraq strongly opposed to the occupation he'd been a part of, believing the Bush administration had misused his patriotism. He began speaking out, and after he won Moveon.org's Video Vets contest he was hired as the Legislative Representative of Americans Against Escalation in Iraq (AAEI). Bruhns met with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He spoke at events with them in the Capitol and lobbied for legislation.

By Craig M. Smith, www.ivaw.org

Looking out the passenger window of my truck, I had never seen such a mass of people before. Beads of sweat are dripping down my face, and fear is gripping my heart. I am clutching my M-16 rifle as if it is the savior of my life. A seeming ocean of faceless faces just look at me. They stare, as if they are contemplating my existence. In an instant, the faces vanish. Suddenly a terrifying explosion occurs in front of me. A fireball of the deepest orange soars through the sky. The smell of something burning is putrid, and now I am living in slow motion. Everything around me is burning, and I begin to prepare my soul so that I may face God. I want to cry, but I can't. I want to escape, but there is no end. Children begin shooting at me; I know that I am going to die. I start screaming.