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thedrifter
02-21-06, 06:12 PM
Air Force Files Police Report Against Anti-War Grandmothers
WJXT News4Jax.com

On Valentines Day, six grandmothers from a group called Grandmothers Against the War walked into a military recruiting office in St. Augustine, Fla. asking to enlist in the Air Force.

The group was turned down, and a recruiting officer filed a police report with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.

The grandmothers called it an act of love. However, others thought of it as an act of protest, and it may land the grandmothers in trouble with the law.

"I can't imagine. Somebody else told me about that and I just couldn't believe it," said 95-year-old group member Peg McIntire.

A police incident report was filed against McIntire and her group by the United States Air Force.

"Why would he do it? What was he afraid of?" McIntire said.

The trouble began last week, when the Grandmothers Against the War walked into a military recruitment office and asked to sign up.

"Our theme was take us instead, that we were all old, we'd lived our lives and we wanted somebody else to be saved -- somebody else to come home," McIntire said.

It seemed like a harmless and rather humorous protest. McIntire said that all the recruiters inside agreed and were very kind and courteous.

However, after the group left one of the recruiters called the superiors and was told to file a report.

The police incident report stated:

"An organization called Grandmothers Against the War entered the office and demanded to enlist in the Air Force ? Their reasoning for wanting to enlist was to take the place of their grandsons overseas.

"He explained to the group the age limitation for enlistment, requested the group not take photos, and to please exit the office."

We went to the Army, to the Navy, and to the Air Force. The Marines didn't want anything to do with us," McInire said.

The grandmothers' protest was heard around the country. Even director Michael Moore wrote about it on his Web site.

McIntire said she would not change a thing about the group's actions.

"Oh, we had a good time. Some people think we were out of line, other people said we were very brave. Everybody giggled and we're happy we did it," McIntire said.

Ellie