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thedrifter
05-31-07, 07:25 AM
Anti-war protest shadows Bush visit
Thursday, May 31, 2007

By HEATHER HADDON
HERALD NEWS

TEANECK -- Steve Koblick managed to tolerate the death and destruction he witnessed as a soldier during the Vietnam War. But he can hardly stomach the debilitating physical and emotional damage he sees among today's troops.

"This is even more chaotic than Vietnam," Koblick, 62, a North Haledon resident and social worker who works with returning soldiers at the Brooklyn VA hospital, said Wednesday. "We've never seen the likes of this before."

Koblick was among the dozens of North Jersey residents who channeled their anger over the Iraq war during a demonstration Wednesday afternoon in front of the Teaneck Armory. Protesters of all ages circled the massive structure with a 3,100-foot banner listing the more than 3,450 U.S. troops who have died in the war since March 2003, along with Iraqis who also have perished.

"I feel we had no business there in the first place," said Lydia Balk, 77, of Clifton, as she propped up one of the banner's cardboard posts.

Next to her, Mary Shoiket hoisted the banner from a little red lawn chair. When asked about why she protests, Shoiket said she considers her future great-grandchildren.

"They will have to ... pay for this," said Shoiket, 92, of Rutherford, whose 89-year-old husband, Henry, also attended. "Who could be happy about something like this? It just leaves you speechless."

Local reaction to the anti-war demonstrators was overwhelmingly favorable, with passing semi-trucks blaring their horns in support. The honking was so prevalent, that local police started writing traffic tickets to motorists.

As he passed by the protest, Daniel Flatley of Englewood said he thought the war had dragged on far too long. But he noted that the troops couldn't just be yanked out as some in Congress have suggested.

"It's not that simple, said Flatley, whose brother just returned from active duty in Iraq.

Several Bergen County peace groups organized the event in honor of Decoration Day, the original Memorial Day. The holiday honoring fallen soldiers took place annually on May 30 until 1971, when Congress shifted the holiday to Monday to create a long weekend.

Paula Rogovin, of Teaneck, has thrown herself into peace work as a distraction from her son 1st Lt. Eric Rogovin, 24, being shipped out to Iraq with the Marines in March. Since then, she has had to subsist on pithy, periodic e-mails from him.

"He says, 'Hi. It's 117 degrees. Very dusty. Got to go,'" said Rogovin, 59. "I know he's in Iraq. But I don't know where he is."

On Tuesday, Rogovin completed updating the white paper banner with the latest 10 American soldiers who died. May was the deadliest month for U.S. forces this year, with at least 113 soldiers reported killed.

The banner included Capt. Michael Tarlavsky, formerly of Clifton, who served in the Army's elite Special Forces Group, and was on his second Iraq tour of duty when he died in August 2004. On May 10, he would have turned 34.

For Rimma Tarlavsky, the loss of her son has caused inexplicable pain. On Memorial Day, the Latvian immigrant laid a wreath on a war memorial in Clifton, where her son's name is engraved.

"I felt very emotional," said Rimma Tarlavsky, 58, during a telephone interview. "It's been very difficult."

Ellie