Camilo Mejia
“I fully stand behind David Airhart and behind his courageous action for peace. After experiencing combat first hand, it becomes our moral duty as soldiers and as members of humanity to oppose war and to prevent others from having to experience the hell we experienced. Finding ourselves in an environment where our existence may very well depend on our ability to kill others is perhaps one the most damaging things to the human soul. Soldiers like us know than even if the heart continues to beat the spirit may die in many important ways, and we know that we can leave a war zone, but the war never leaves us. Thank you, David, for your action. Hell may be within us, but so is our freedom, never let go of it.”
Camilo Mejia
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Staff Sgt. Camilo Mejía, Florida National Guard, became the first soldier to go public with his refusal to redeploy. He spent seven months in military confinement for his decision, and was released in mid-February, 2005. He is a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War – http://www.ivaw.net