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The No Kings protest Saturday in Fort Worth brought out dozens of veterans who said they are against people violating the Constitution for which they fought.
For the second time this year, hundreds of thousands of people attended similar protests across the country. In Fort Worth, some 6,500 people attended the march around downtown and speeches at Burk Burnett Park.
They came dressed in Army uniforms, veteran’s hats and pins to highlight their service and why they felt it was important to be seen protesting alongside their neighbors.
Harold Parkey, a U.S. Army veteran who served during the Vietnam War from 1969 to 1971, said he didn’t see his service at the time as a positive contribution to society.
“I believe in the struggle of peoples to self-direct their governments, and that’s what that was about, and the U.S. was on the wrong side in that struggle,” Parkey said.
He said that protests like Saturday’s are what the military is about and why his father fought in World War II. Parkey said he didn’t expect that at age 76 he would have to be at a protest fighting for the same thing.
“Fascism is something that has become real,” Parkey said. “It’s something that if we’re going to preserve our Constitution and our way of government, we’re now going to have to struggle for it.”
Brian Kimes, who served 21 years in the Army, said he came out to advocate for veterans’ healthcare, SNAP benefits and for soldiers to get paid during the government shutdown that started Oct. 1.
Kimes said he isn’t a fan of all the government services being cut and the impact on other Americans.
He served all over the world, including time in Europe, South Korea and two combat tours in Iraq. Kimes said he also feels there is a war looming with Venezuela, and he isn’t happy about that.
“I spent 21 years fighting for my country,” Kimes said. “To me right now, this is my best way to give back, instead of sitting at home watching it all unfold on my TV screen, so I get a chance to give back to my community.”
Brittany Underkofler, who was injured in Iraq 16 years ago when she was deployed as a military police officer, said she spent time there teaching riot control tactics to Iraqis so they could have safe elections.
“That was 16 years ago, and now I’m just seeing all these troops being misused against their own citizens,” Underkofler said. “We make an oath to the Constitution and to our citizens of this country, and that’s not what’s happening. We’re having our troops misused against us.”
Between chants of, “This is what democracy looks like,” Underkofler said she is disappointed because this is not the country she fought for and served.
“I don’t care what your citizenship status is, you’re entitled to due process,” Underkofler said. “When we’ve got a president that’s ending protections, constitutional rights for so many across the board, with what? A signing of an executive order. No, that’s not OK. We don’t have a (expletive) king.”
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Fousia Abdullahi
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