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20161223

Documentary About Okinawa Featuring VFP Members

I found that Veterans for Peace introduced a TV documentary of Okinawa about former US soldiers rising up against the U.S. base construction at Okinawa on their site.
https://www.veteransforpeace.org/

Most of the interview scenes are spoken in English, so it is worth watching for the audience in the United States. Here is a roughly translated script with time stamps (though it needs a lot of correction ;-(). Hope it helps you until an official English subtitle would be released!


テロリストは僕だった~基地建設反対に立ち上がる... por tvpicup2016

[00:00:20] San Diego, California
Narration: San Diego, U.S. Navy's home town in the west coast.

[00:00:45] Mike Haynes, veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps

[00:01:15]
Narration: Mike got motivated to join the military when he was a high school student in Georgia.

[00:01:49]
Narration: He joined the Marine Corps right after the graduation because of patriotism to serve the nation.

[00:02:17] Camp Schwab in Henoko, Nago City

[00:02:45]
Narration: Why veterans are sitting-in in Okinawa?

[00:03:19] Title: I was terrorizing: Veterans stand against the military base construction in Okinawa

[00:03:25]
Narration: Mike was honored to be a superb sniper in Iraq War. He held a rifle for the first time as a recruit when he was eighteen.

[00:04:37] Eric Zilmer, Drexel University, professor of neuropsychology

[00:05:35] Recruit office at Times Square, New York
Narration: You can have an interview anytime you want. They appeal a bunch of benefits like medical care, housing, education, and so on.

[00:06:29]
Narration: There are the bread lines in the gap-widening society of America.

[00:07:12] 19-year-old woman aspiring to join the Navy

[00:07:39]
Narration: "Join the military and make your dream come true" is a myth.

[00:07:55] Wendy McClinton, Black Veterans for Social Justice

[00:08:22]
Narration: People come to the support office for help. It is difficult to return to a normal life once you become a soldier.

[00:09:04]
Narration: In fact, many are caught in homelessness after retired.

[00:09:12] an Army veteran, 34 years old

[00:09:31] an Army veteran, 40 years old

[00:10:07]
Narration: Never the less, military services are admired.

[00:10:16] A high school student

[00:10:40]
Narration: Soldiers are praised as heroes of their hometown. What kind of reason guides younger generations to go to the military?

[00:10:54] A Navy soldier, born in New York, 23-year-old.

[00:11:21] A Navy soldier, born in New York, 22 year old.

[00:12:06] Berkeley, California

[00:12:16] General meeting of the Veterans for Peace, August 2016.

[00:12:28] Barry Ladendorf, Board President of VFP

[00:12:51]
Narration: About 4500 members of Veterans from more than 120 chapters in the world are discussing for a peaceful society without arms.

[00:13:09]
Narration: A photo exhibition was set up for Henoko to explain about the construction of a new base.

[00:13:17]
Narration: Mike has once been stationed in Okinawa as a marine.

[00:13:56] New York, September 11, 2001

[00:14:33] Iraq War broke out, March 2003

[00:14:47] Prime Minister of Japan, Koizumi
Narration: Japan promptly sent Self Defense Forces to show their support of the U.S.

[00:15:04]
Narration: When Mike went to Iraq, though....
Mike: "We were essentially terrorizing people, even though we were supposed to fighting terrorism."

[00:16:30] Henoko, Nago City, December 2015
Narration: Mike was in the circle of sit-inners resisting the construction of a new military base.

[00:16:53]
Narration: Mike was not alone who wants to stop construction of military bases in Okinawa.

[00:17:15.106] A Vietnam veteran

[00:17:31] A Vietnam veteran

[00:18:04]
Many scholars in America also question about the new base construction plan in Henoko.

[00:18:14] John Feffer, expert of the foreign policy for Asia

[00:18:55] General meeting of VFP
Narration: Special Resolution opposing base construction at Henoko and Takae in Okinawa was submitted and accepted as an issue to work through.

[00:19:31]
Narration: There was a woman who hold a special sentiment to Okinawa.

[00:19:39] Monique Salhab, Board member of VFP, Army veteran

[00:20:21] Crime scene of the rape and murder case, Onna Village, Okinawa
Narration: In April 2016, 20-year-old woman was raped and murdered by the suspect of an ex-Marine male in Okinawa. It reminded her of her experience.

[00:21:26] Don Christensen, President of Protect the Civil Rights of Our Defenders

[00:23:38]
Narration: Enough is enough for mlitary as well as war. With a simple hope in his mind, Mike sits in with the people in Okinawa.

(end)