By Carol McCracken (Post # 425)

Veterans of the War in Iraq made their cases for this country to get off oil dependence quickly and put this country on the road to energy independence. It’s especially important in the state of Maine where so much of every budget is allocated to home heating oil costs – and the state has incredibly strong natural resources unlike so many other states in the country. This was the message delivered by the panel of Iraq veterans at the USM campus center just after noon today.

One of the three veterans on the panel was Mike Breen, a US Army Captain who served in Afghanistan. “We were always outnumbered by the enemy. They never seemed to run out of weapons,” he said. “We are supplying both sides of the war. We buy so much oil from the Middle East and that money all goes back into the war in the form of weapons.” (See Breen in above photo on the right. Beside him is Andrew Campbell.)

Long-time city councilor Cheryl Leeman who attended the panel discussion said she set-up the curbside recycling program years ago. “It took three years to get it done,” Leeman said. “It’s a personal commitment which is cumulative over time.” Breen responded that it’s not about self-deprivation and it’s not about sacrifice. It’s about a new direction. Breen is in law school in Connecticut.

Before resuming the bus trip north, the veterans were to meet with the editorial board of the “Portland Press Herald” late this afternoon.