Fred Brancel's Statement

I am not ordained but, having worked with the church all of my working years (except for a two year ?break? directing a Peace Corps pilot-project), I have numerous clergy friends who say that the best sermons are in the form of the trinity. So I?ve a three part statement with an opening and a closing. In case it is not recognizable, this is the opening. I?ve heard that it is good to save the best ?til last but lest I forget it, or run out of time, I want to express my gratitude for being here with my devoted wife and a wonderfully supportive network of kindred-spirits. Also, I?m grateful for the privilege of sharing my life?s journey with you, though it is a challenge to condense 79+ years into five or ten minutes. I count on your patience. I?ll do my best.
Thank you!!

My three parts will be: l. growing-up, 2. work-years, and 3. travel-log.

1. I consider myself fortunate to have been born and raised on a Wisconsin dairy farm, in a land of milk and honey. I was blessed by devout parents who were never in the field, or in a store, on Sunday and who had an exceptional non-violent approach to problem solving which may have been a challenge with four sons in six years. I learned at an early age of turning swords into plow shares and spears into pruning hooks. I became an admirer during my teens of Gandhi?s non-violence based on the principle that ?the human spirit is more powerful than tanks and aircraft?. My commitment to this principle was nurtured and strengthened while a student at the University of Wisconsin.

2. I was privileged to work for twenty years as an agricultural/educational missionary in Angola, Zimbabwe and Zaire, Africa (with the 2 year Peace Corps break) during the independence movement which added to my admiration for Gandhi. It also brought me three months imprisonment and deportation from Angola. After returning to the U.S. in ?71, I was lay-associate at the University United Methodist Church where I was able to walk or bike to work and we raised our eight teen-agers at one time never owning more than one four-wheeled vehicle. Martin Luther King Jr. became a role-model of non-violence. After six years in Madison, I became director-manager of our church camp in NW Wisconsin for eleven years, until retiring. An important experience while at camp was hosting refugees from El Salvador and Guatemala en route to Canada. This increased our awareness of, and information about, our government?s involvement in Central and South America, and the atrocities the SOA graduates committed there.

3. In retirement, we have made numerous Volunteer in Mission trips around the U.S. and one to Montserrat, West Indies and one to Zimbabwe. We?ve also been privileged to visit St. Lucia, Haiti, Cuba and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and El Salvador in Central America, Brazil, Chile and Argentina in South America, Israel, Egypt, Spain, Portugal and Morocco, all with different educational organizations. In 1990, my late-wife and I tent-camped around the world for eight months and two days with one of my sons and his family. Nelson Mandela became another role model of non-violence as he was released from 37 years of prison. In April ?04 I went to Iraq with a Christian Peacemakers Team. Last September I attended the Bring-our-troops-home rally in D.C. and in November I attended my third SOA Watch at Fort Benning. Each of these experiences brought me information and insight not commonly available in our corporate controlled U.S. media.

Inspired by a book study at church and remembering President Eisenhower?s cautioning about the impact of our military-industrial complex, I decided to commit civil-disobedience at Fort Benning because of the growing deficit, growing disparity, growing distrust and growing discord/animosity and the need I see to ?change the direction of the wind?. I am fully aware of the possible consequences and stand before you without regret.