U.S. Army doctor convicted of desertion for opposing Gulf war

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SOCIALIST ACTION SEPTEMBER 1991 5 KANSAS CITY—On Aug. 8, Captain Yolanda Huet-Vaughn was convicted on charges of desertion in court-martial proceedings at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., for her refusal to participate in Operation Desert Storm. The next day, she was sentenced to 30 months in prison and dismissed from the army with loss of all pay and benefits.

Capt. Huet-Vaughn is a 40-year-old medical doctor and mother of three children (ages two through eight). She was called to active duty on Dec. 26 and sent to Fort Riley, Kan., to her medical unit—one of many reserve units mustered for the war against Iraq. She left the unit several days later and issued a press statement condemning the U.S drive towards war and warning of the horrible consequences in terms of casualties and medical unpreparedness.

Not only was Capt. Huet-Vaughn one of the highest-ranking war resisters, she also was one of the most highly visible. She addressed the quarter-million anti-war protesters in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 26 and was seen by millions on the Sally Jessy Raphael talk show. Publications such as The New York Times and People magazine reported her defiance.

When Capt. Huet-Vaughn returned to the Kansas City area on Feb. 2 to turn herself in to federal authorities, 200 supporters protected her at St. Mark's Church until she spoke to her welcome-home rally. DurCapt. Yolanda Huet-Vaughn ing the days leading up to her return, county sheriffs, city police, and federal marshals took turns harassing her husband David and their children. On the day of the rally, at least two Kansas City police detectives infiltrated the event, posing as news reporters.

Army proceedings were geared towards limiting the scope of Capt. Huet-Vaughn's defense. Arguments that the war itself was illegal were ruled out of order, attempts to summon as witnesses personalities such as President Bush and Desert Storm commander General Norman Schwarzkopf were denied.

The court-martial addressed only the charge that Capt. Huet-Vaughn had refused hazardous and important duty-not why. Defense lawyers objected to the fact that the seven-member jury contained no Hispanics, females, or doctors.

Upon receiving her sentence (half of the possible five years she faced), Dr. HuetVaughn stated, "I don't regret the [anti-war] position I took. It was an avoidable war, and there are children in Iraq that cannot VOICE (continued from page 20) clients are utilizing their services, and pro-choice forces are assembling • in clinic-defense efforts and at rallies.

For instance, after OR spokesperson Mahoney predicted that only "10 to 12" people would tum out for a pro-choice rally on July 21, over 1500 demonstrated in support for a woman's legal right to choose.

An Aug. 11 poll of 483 Wichita adults, commissioned by The Wichita Eagle and TV station KAKE, found that 78 percent disapproved of Operation Rescue's tactics. And 77 percent said that OR has had no effect on their personal views about abortion.

Despite Operation Rescue's claim to have "God's franchise" on the issue of abortion, Catholics for Choice and members of many other denominations have thrown in their support at the picket lines protecting the clinics.

"We'll stick it out"

A special target of Operation Rescue in Wichita has been Dr. George Tiller and his clinic, Women's Health Care Services. Tiller is one of the few physicians in the nation who specializes in third-trimester abortions, of which he performs a few dozen annually.

One of Tiller's patients, who identified herself only as Sylvia, appeared at a press conference, tearfully explaining that her fetus was not expected to live, and that it was her choice to abort, not Operation Rescue's.

Following a July 23 attempt to be treated at Dr. Tiller's clinic, a 16-year old woman and her boyfriend talked to a reporter. Referring to the right-wingers who had successfully blocked the entrance, she said, "They got my name and address, and they've been hollering that at me. I've been here since 8 a.m, and I was hoping to get out by noon. But we'll stick it out all night if we have to." She described her decision to abort as extremely painful and too personal to discuss.

It is the health, emotions, and constiturejoin their families in 30 months." (Greenpeace estimates Iraqi deaths at nearly 200,000.)

Prior to her taking an active anti-war stance, Dr. Huet-Vaughn had devoted her career to providing health care to the poorer sector of society. In 1980, Dr. HuetVaughn entered a residency at Truman Medical Center, Kansas City's public hospital. For several years, she served mostly lower-income Hispanics in Kansas City's Rosedale community.

Friend and colleague Dr. Frank Vaughters told The Kansas City Star, "(Yolanda) lived an extremely modest lifestyle. She is completely free of the stigma that many doctors suffer, of being in the business for the money."

In 1981, Dr. Huet-Vaughn was a founder of the Kansas City-area chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility. Among her many defense and character witnesses were former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark and actress Margot Kidder.

Despite her humanitarian motivations about preserving life, Dr. Huet Vaughn also faces possible revocation of her license to practice medicine in Kansas and Missouri as a result of her felony conviction.

Although an appeal process is underway, Dr. Huet-Vaughn has been placed nearly incommunicado from her husband at the Army Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Protest letters demanding her release may be sent to: General Daniel Christman, Commander, U.S. Army Corps 5000 Dr. Huet-Vaughn's husband requests that copies of letters and legal-defense donations be sent to: David Huet-Vaughn, 4002 Booth, Kansas City, KA 66103. Please make donations out to Citizen Soldier for Yolanda Huet-Vaughn.

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