When it comes to counseling and supporting veterans, Ray Parrish (3rd from the left) is one of the best in the nation. His three decades of experience were well received by an audience of over 200 mostly health care profesionals at a recent all day forum titled "War & Peace - A Public Health Perspective" sponsored by the University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing. Ray was part of a veterans' panel on the health consequences of war. Others on the panel included Ian Gatton, Corey Ringhisen and Sabrina Waller of IVAW.
Kathy Kelly of Voices for Creative Nonviolence set the stage with her opening remarks on the worldwide devistation caused by the U.S military. Dr. Martin Donohoe of Portland State University and member of Physicians for Social Responsibilty gave the Keynote address and filled the audience with fact after fact of the devistation caused by war. Part of VFP's mission is to increase public awareness of the costs of war. This forum served our mission.