Dropkick Murphys enthralls Veterans' Rally attendees
On Friday thousands gathered on the National Mall to show their support for veterans. With dozens of speakers already lined up, the event was already certain inspire those in attendance. But why settle for good when you add great music?
Dropkick Murphys have a long history of supporting US veterans, supporting the rights of unions and working class Americans, and a firey attitude that refuses to be silenced. All were on display Friday during the band’s hour long mid-rally set, which perfectly complimented the assembly. Along with their classic favorite Rose Tattoo and a rendition of the oft covered What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding, the group played a selection of protest themed songs. They also premiered the first ever performance of a new song, the name of which they didn’t mention.
Prior to the band taking the stage the event opened with an enemble of empassioned speakers. A constant theme through the afternoon was the frequent invocation of veterans’ issues by politicians for electoral expedience, paired with apathy otherwise. US Army veteran and National President of the American Federation of Government Employees Everett Kelly perhaps said it best, declaring “Veterans are tired of being celebrated on Veterans Day, remembered on Memorial Day, and forgotten on after election day.”
The strong overlap between veterans and working class Americans was eloquently emphasized by Cecil Roberts, Vietnam veteran and President of United Mine Workers of America. Roberts noted that when he met a lot of different people during his deployment, but none of them were millionaires.
Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois spoke about her experience as a combat pilot in the Army and her time in the hospital immediately after her Blackhawk helicopter was shot down. She noted that she first met her own senator, Sen. Dick Durban, who encouraged her to run for public office to advocate for veterans needs.
A particularly powerful speech was delivered by Tim Hauser, a.k.a. The Gulf War Advocate. Hauser, who was part of the Fire Watch protest in 2022 that secured passage of the PACT Act, noted that President Trump’s so called “Big, Beautiful, Bill” defunds the provisions of the law.
The nonpartisan rally heavily emphasized the values instilled in the veterans’ community as a result of their service, which public policy are often lacking in public policy. A frequent refrain by several speakers was the committment never to leave behind or abandon a comrade. This principle was contrasted with the federal government’s failure to evacuate Afghan allies, and recent actions to rescind the refugee status of those who did make it to the US.