‘Our oath hasn't expired’: Tempe veterans protest Trump military policies, VA cuts

Former U.S. service members from across Arizona stood shoulder to shoulder on Cole Park bridge in Tempe on Veterans Day, joining Vets Say No, a nationwide movement protesting President Donald Trump’s administration.

Dozens of veterans gripped their signs and waved American flags against strong winds from cars passing along Route 60 — a reflection of their determination to continue a legacy of service defined by standing up for democracy. 

With signs reading “No Faux King Way" and “Not My President,” Tempe community members joined national grassroots organization Common Defense to denounce Trump’s administration policies on military deployment and social assistance. In doing so, veterans emphasized that their oath is to the democratic values they once risked their lives to defend.

“This sense of community amongst veterans is pretty incredible,” said Chris Hill, an organizing fellow at Common Defense, who served in the Army for 20 years. “Knowing and understanding that our oath hasn't expired and that we're continuing to honor our oath to the Constitution to support and defend it.”

‘Fighting against fascism’

The Vets Say No rally was part of the weekly demonstrations led by Tempe Rising Indivisible at Cole Park — home to one of five signs commemorating Tempe as an American World War II Heritage City for its residents’ patriotic contributions.

For Michael Marr, an eight-year U.S. Army veteran, protesting alongside his sister, Michelle Marr-Firl, is part of a “proud tradition” in their family to fight for democracy and freedom. 

“Our grandfather and our great-grandfather were veterans in World War I and World War II. And I think if they were still alive — since they were fighting against fascism — they'd be out here protesting with us,” Marr said. 

Protesting the administration’s use of the military against civilians and the staff cuts in the Department of Veterans Affairs is their way of honoring their family’s legacy of service. 

“It's an emotional day, and we’re out here. Standing up for America with my brother means the world. I'm seeing veterans' benefits and staff being cut. And I just, I have to strongly speak out (about) what's going on also with troops in our cities,” Marr-Firl said, while holding a sign that read “No Oaths to Trump.”

Trump’s unprecedented use of military personnel has been a controversial sticking point of his administration among veterans, and a judge even ruled it unconstitutional in one circumstance. After Trump deployed the National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles to shut down citywide protests against immigration raids, a federal judge in California ruled the administration’s decision as illegal, noting that the U.S. military can’t be used to enforce domestic laws.

A broken promise

As ceremonies and parades commemorating veterans were held across the country on Nov. 11, in Tempe, they chose protest over celebration. 

“What I love about this event, and today specifically, is that we are using our First Amendment rights,” said Joanna “Jojo” Sweatt, the national organizing director at Common Defense, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 10 years. 

To veterans like Sweatt, the government that vowed to take care of them after combat has broken its promise, with the Trump administration continuing to deal staffing cuts at the VA — the agency veterans depend on for disability benefits, specialized medical care, mental health support and employment assistance.

In Arizona, a planned 800-employee reduction at the Phoenix VA has raised alarm over potential job losses and delays in care, which could significantly impact the state’s veterans.

“It's more important for folks to actually think about what it really means to be a veteran, right?" Sweatt said. “Not just to say ‘thank you,’ but to think about how they may have been affected from serving in a military that's been called to war for 20 plus years now. And then, not giving them what they deserve when they come home and making them fight again against their own government.”

But veterans' frustrations with President Trump go beyond politics. 

Some see a hypocrisy in Trump’s own avoidance of service, noting his five deferments while publicly mocking those who served. At a 2015 forum in Iowa, Trump called former Arizona Sen. John McCain — a Vietnam prisoner of war who endured years of torture — “not a war hero” because he was captured.

As the flags were folded away and signs were put down, veterans left with the same conviction they had arrived with: to honor their oath by continuing to serve their country, even when that meant protesting the very government they had once served. For them, this wasn’t just another demonstration at Cole Park bridge, but part of an ongoing effort to ensure the values and promises they fought for are upheld at home.

Nicole Macias Garibay is a transborder storyteller and bilingual journalist from the U.S.-Mexico border. Her upbringing crossing the border on the daily fuels her drive to report on migration, Latino culture and the Hispanic community. She wrote for La Voz-The Arizona Republic, interned at Telemundo Arizona and launched VOCES, a bilingual magazine dedicated to telling stories para la comunidad, por la comunidad.