Vets gather at Riverfront Park in support of Kerry

Bert Shaber flew 67 South Pacific combat missions in a B-25 bomber during World War II. He was a trustee at Eastern Washington University and former chairman of the Republican Party in Stevens County.

On Wednesday, Shaber joined a squad of area veterans who came to Riverfront Park to rally for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. The event was planned in anticipation of President Bush’s appearance in Spokane today.

“It seems to me, everything President Bush and his team does is the wrong thing,” Shaber said. “Most of the governments around the world are strongly against the United States.”

In the past few years, Shaber said, he’s evolved from a Republican into an independent.

“We say we have the best government in the world. I think we have the best bought government in the world,” Shaber said in reference to the $1,000-a-plate dinner planned for Bush’s visit.

About 35 veterans and their family members stood near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial overlooking the Lilac Bowl in Riverfront Park.

“I’m here because I’m an American and to pay homage to the brothers,” said George Drinkhall, 60, a Vietnam War veteran who wore his dog tags around his neck. Drinkhall had seen the sculpted image of a sitting soldier many times from a distance, but Wednesday he checked for familiar names of the fallen next to others who’ve also experienced war.

“Everyone wants to come back and check in with their past,” Drinkhall said.

Sharing his war stories with the crowd was Jim Rassman, a Vietnam soldier from Oregon, who’s raising support for Kerry by telling the story of how Kerry saved his life while they both were under fire.

“I owe John my life, but that’s not the only reason I’m here,” Rassman said. “I know he’ll do what’s right for veterans.”

Last month, the Washington Post printed excerpts from an internal White House budget office memo that discussed spending cuts for domestic program agencies including the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2006.

Kerry campaign workers handed out information attacking Bush’s record on helping veterans, including the near closure of the Walla Walla Veterans Hospital in March. According to their handouts, Kerry will “insist on mandatory funding for veterans’ health care for all veterans.”

As recent as January, Rassman said, he was a Republican.

“Now I’m gladly a Democrat,” Rassman said.