Chapter 132, Corvallis, Oregon

3 April 2009

MARINE VET TO REFUSE REACTIVATION

BEGINS SPEAKING TOUR ACROSS OREGON

Benjamin (Benji) Lewis was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps in March 2007 after serving two tours of combat duty in Iraq during his four years on active duty. After he was discharged he moved to Corvallis, enrolled at Linn-Benton Community College and got a part-time job at a local restaurant.

In October 2008, Benji received notification that he was being involuntarily recalled to active duty. On 18 May 2009, Benji is supposed to report to Camp Pendleton—instead, he will be holding a press conference in Corvallis to publicly resist reactivation.

“I am a direct witness to the horrors of this war, having experienced its atrocities at their source, and I have decided that I can no longer carry out these illegal and immoral policies,” said Lewis in a Veterans’ Day 2008 article published on the Alternet and Courage to Resist websites.

Benji is seeking speaking opportunities across Oregon at which he will tell the story of his experiences as a Marine in Iraq, and how he came to the decision to refuse to return. To schedule Benji to speak in your town, please contact Leah Bolger, leahbolger@comcast.net.