Veterans for Bernie Sanders#Gettysburg Rally
{{Short description|Political organization}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Veterans for Bernie Sanders
| type = Grassroots Association
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| formation = 2015
| founder = Tyson Manker
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| purpose = Progressive US Politics
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| membership = 50,000–100,000
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| website = http://vetsforbernie.org
}}
Veterans for Bernie Sanders (also known as Vets for Bernie) was the national grassroots association of military veterans organized on behalf of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential campaign. Vets for Bernie was independent from the official campaign and largely organized via social media, with more than 50,000 military members and over 100,000 followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Founded by veterans of the Iraq war and Afghanistan war, Vets for Bernie became a key organizing force for progressives and military voters for the Sanders campaign. {{Cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/2015/10/24/vets_for_bernie_why_the_most_anti_war_candidate_has_many_military_supporters_partner/|title=Veterans for Bernie Sanders: Why the anti-war candidate is so beloved by former soldiers|date=October 24, 2015|website=Salon}}
Origins
Vets for Bernie was founded in June 2015 by former United States Marine Tyson Manker, a veteran of the 2003 Iraq invasion,{{Cite web|url=https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6651698|title=US Marine Corps (USMC) Corporal (CPL) Tyson Manker, during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM|date=March 24, 2003|website=archives.gov}} at Sanders' first town hall event at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/13/bernie-sanders-des-moines_n_7577210.html|title=Bernie Sanders Thrills Large Crowd At Iowa Town Hall|date=June 13, 2015|website=Huffington Post}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/sanders-longshot-campaign-drawing-big-crowds-1434447004|title=Bernie Sanders's Long-Shot Campaign Is Picking Up Speed|date=June 16, 2016|work=The Wall Street Journal}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-13/in-des-moines-bernie-sanders-supporters-nearly-steal-the-show|title=In Des Moines, Bernie Sanders' Supporters Nearly Steal the Show|date=June 15, 2015|website=Bloomberg}} After The Boston Globe indicated wider military support for the Senator,{{Cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2015/06/27/bernie-sanders-surge-partly-fueled-veterans/e1qNTpzFpIaoxIGKygKa9J/story.html|title=Bernie Sanders' surge is partly fueled by veterans|date=June 28, 2016|website=Boston Globe}} Manker and several other veterans began organizing themselves and working to identify other like-minded members of the United States Armed Forces.{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-gunlefinger/veterans-for-bernie-sanders_b_9292290.html|title=Vets for Bernie: Why Thousands of Veterans Are Rallying Behind an Unexpected Candidate|date=February 2, 2016|website=Huffington Post}} Air Force veteran Alexandra Ducatte joined VFB as National co-director, and membership eventually grew across all fifty states, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
Activities
= 2016 primary =
Bernie Sanders served as chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee,{{Cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/07/how-bernie-sanders-fought-for-our-veterans-119708|title=How Bernie Sanders Fought for Our Veterans|date=July 2, 2015|website=Politico}} and was the first 2016 candidate for President to fully embrace the U.S. military with a robust veterans platform.{{Cite web|url=https://berniesanders.com/issues/caring-for-our-veterans/|title=Caring for our Veterans|website=BernieSanders.com}} He faced criticisms, however, for not preventing the Veterans Health Administration Scandal of 2014 that occurred during his tenure as committee chair. Through their website, Vets for Bernie highlighted the various awards and honors given to Sanders for his career of veterans advocacy and handling of the 2014 scandal.{{Cite web|url=http://vetsforbernie.org/honors/|title=Honors|website=Veterans for Bernie Sanders}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.reformer.com/stories/sanders-receives-award-for-defending-veterans,351914|title=Sanders receives award for defending veterans|date=April 10, 2014|website=Brattleboro Reformer}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.legion.org/pressrelease/224420/sanders-miller-receive-legion’s-patriot-award|title=Sanders, Miller receive Legion's Patriot Award|date=August 28, 2014|website=Legion.org}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/03/09/sanders-support-veterans-senate-vermont/1974217/|title=Sanders seen as strong advocate for veterans|date=March 9, 2013|website=USA Today}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.vt-independent.com/features/vfw-recognizes-sen-bernie-sanders-with-award/|title=VFW Recognizes Sen. Bernie Sanders With Award|date=April 7, 2015}} VFB was credited for developing innovative "social media content based around endorsements from individual veterans."
On July 30, 2015, Manker promoted Vets for Bernie and military support for Sanders in a live interview with John Seigenthaler on Al Jazeera America.{{Cite web|url=http://wlds.com/news/local-resident-talks-about-getting-involved-in-presidential-election/|title=Local resident talks about getting involved in presidential election|date=August 19, 2015|website=WLDS News}}{{Cite web|url=https://me.me/i/america-votes-2016-crowds-for-bernie-sanders-have-grown-in-3372136|title=America Votes 2016|date=July 31, 2015}}
Vets for Bernie volunteers worked loosely with the Sanders campaign to organize veterans to attend local rallies. Early on, the Sanders campaign staged a military veterans press conference in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with assistance from Vets for Bernie.{{Cite web|url=https://berniesanders.com/press-release/sanders-hold-veterans-press-conference/|title=Sanders to Hold Veterans Press Conference in Cedar Rapids|website=BernieSanders.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://staging-www.usatoday.com/story/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2015/07/17/sanders-veterans-issues/30317899/|title=Sanders: Vets are our greatest national debt|date=July 17, 2015|website=USA Today}} VFB participated in Enough is Enough,{{Cite web|url=https://wn.com/enough_is_enough_san_francisco_civic_center,_part_3|title=Enough is Enough- San Francisco Civic Center|date=November 23, 2015|website=World News Network}} Netroots Nation, and People's Summit. Along with the larger People for Bernie group, VFB was credited with using effective mobilization techniques.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/bernie-sanders-builds-a-peoples-army|title=Bernie Sanders Builds a People's Army|date=July 29, 2015|website=The Daily Beast}}
On March 25, 2016, the Sanders campaign held a national conference call on Veterans' Issues with Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Manker and VFB Senior Advisor, Colonel Gordon Sumner, U.S. Army, ret.{{Cite web|url=https://go.berniesanders.com/page/event/detail/4gwst|title=National Conference Call on Veterans' Issues with Rep. Tulsi Gabbard|last=|first=|date=|website=BernieSanders.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801121906/https://go.berniesanders.com/page/event/detail/4gwst|archive-date=2017-08-01|access-date=}} Later, Vets for Bernie organized veterans to take part in a New York City photo session in support of Sanders' candidacy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/gallery/2016/apr/19/bernie-sanders-military-veterans-voters-clayton-cubitt-photographs-gallery|title=#Vets4Bernie: veterans speak out in support of Bernie Sanders – in pictures|date=April 19, 2016|website=The Guardian}}{{Cite web|url=http://claytoncubitt.com/microblog/2016/4/7/veterans-for-bernie-sanders|title=Veterans for Bernie Sanders|website=ClaytonCubitt.com}}
= Gettysburg rally =
On April 22, the Sanders campaign held a military rally for veterans at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, with help from Vets for Bernie.{{Cite web|url=http://gettysburgian.com/2016/04/bernie-speaks-for-veterans-at-gettysburg-college/|title=Bernie speaks for veterans at Gettysburg College|date=April 27, 2016|website=Gettysburgian}}{{Cite web|url=https://staging-www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/04/22/bernie-sanders-visits-gettysburg-college/83337362/|title=Sanders supporters feel the Bern in Gettysburg|date=April 22, 2016|website=USA Today}}
= VetsForBernie.org =
Through a website (now restored), Vets for Bernie published over one hundred original news-style blog posts, which were shared more than one million times on social media. Most popular posts included:
- Who Are Bernie Sanders’ Top Contributors? Active Duty Army, Navy, & Air Force, That’s Who
- Bernie Sanders Remains Top Choice of U.S. Troops
- The Lack of Military and Veteran Support for Hillary Clinton Should Concern You
Individual outreach blogs, including:
- 95 Year-Old WWII Vet Voted for Bernie Sanders Today in Mississippi
- Meet Mark Maxey, the Bearded Man at Bernie’s OKC Rally
- Meet Leslie Lee III – Writer, Teacher, Bernie Sanders Supporter
- Police Chief: Bernie Is the First Candidate to Ever Offer and Pay Police Overtime
And at least one instance of serious journalism in a blog that analyzed video and photographic evidence to effectively debunk false accusations being leveled at the time that the Sanders campaign shared photographs from the Civil Rights Movement that were not of Sanders, when in fact they were.{{Cite web|url=http://vetsforbernie.org/filmmaker-photographer-capture-same-moment-bernie-sanders-arrest/|title=AMAZING! Filmmaker and Photographer RECORD EACH OTHER During Bernie Sanders' Civil Rights Arrest! (Frame-by-Frame breakdown)|date=February 20, 2016|website=Veterans for Bernie Sanders}}
= Post-election and beyond =
Along with other grassroots associations, Vets for Bernie continues to organize military veterans across America.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/06/07/opinion/campaign-stops/life-after-bernie-sanders.html?_r=0|title=Life After Bernie|date=June 7, 2016|website=New York Times}} Democratic candidate Tim Canova earned the first official endorsement from VFB in his first unsuccessful bid to unseat Debbie Wasserman Schultz.{{Cite web|url=https://timcanova.com/tag/debbie-wasserman-schultz/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240528094431/https://www.webcitation.org/779WYCS2C?url=https://timcanova.com/tag/debbie-wasserman-schultz/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 28, 2024|title=We Endorse Tim Canova for Congress Over Debbie Wasserman Schultz|date=Mar 10, 2016|website=TimCanova.com}} Vets for Bernie advises progressive candidates for Congress on military issues, most recently in drafting the veterans platform for Stephen Jaffe, candidate for California's 12th Congressional District.{{Cite web|url=https://jaffe4congress.com/jaffe-congress-veterans-plan/|title=Jaffe for Congress Veterans Plan}}