Oliver North in Modesto

Subject: Oliver North at Sept. 11 conmemoration

The Nicaragua Network has been informed that Oliver North, who ran an enterprise out the White House basement in the 1980s that sent arms to the contras trying to overthrow the Nicaraguan government in violation of law passed by Congress, will be speaking at a September 11 event in Modesto, California. It is expected that there will be protesters at the event. Here is the announcement followed by an article from the Modesto Bee newspaper.

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Event: "Shoulder to Shoulder" -- a thank-you to local law
enforcement, emergency personnel and the military
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Keynote speaker: Retired Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North
Where: John Thurman Field, Modesto, California
Admission: Free
Local military and emergency responders are invited to
wear their uniforms. Parking is free; arrive at 6-6:15
p.m. for seating. Refreshments will be for sale at stadium
concession stands.
Highlights
* Community choir and orchestra performs "Salute to the Armed Forces," a medley of U.S. armed forces anthems.
* Beyer High School Patriot Marching Band performs "Each Time You Tell Their Story," a Sept. 11 commemorative composition.
* Flyover of local emergency-services helicopters and
Black Hawk military helicopter; emergency vehicles
displayed
* Color guard of Modesto Police, Stanislaus County
Sheriff's and Modesto Fire departments, and Marine Corps
* Time of silence and prayer

'Shoulder To Shoulder' Lt. Col. Oliver North will deliver
the keynote speech at Thurman Field on Sept. 11. The event
honors local law enforcement, emergency workers and the
military.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Oliver North returns to Modesto for
a Sept. 11 speech. He was in Turlock for a sold-out crowd
in 2001.
JOAN BARNETT LEE/THE BEE
By AMY WHITE
BEE STAFF WRITER
Published: September 6, 2003, 09:56:59 AM PDT

Modesto will mark the second anniversary of the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks with patriotic music, moments of silence
and a speech from retired Lt. Col. Oliver North.
The event, "Shoulder to Shoulder," will honor local law
enforcement, emergency personnel and the military. Held at
John Thurman Field, the free gathering is sponsored by
local businesses and religious and charitable
organizations.
North, a decorated Marine, speaks around the country on
the importance of patriotism, unity against terrorism and
gratitude for the sacrifices of military, police and
emergency personnel.
"North is coming to reinforce that (message)," said event
organizer Michael Douglass of Modesto. "He's been through
a lot in terms of public service. His message is basically
a very positive one."
But not everyone in the community agrees that North is the
best person to deliver that message.
While some herald North as a military hero, an author and
recent Iraq war correspondent, others can't forget his
role in the Iran-Contra affair of the 1980s, when he first
came into the public eye.
The event is not about North, though, organizers said. It
is about giving thanks to those who "put their lives on
the line every day."
"The focus is saying thank you to the first responders,
the police, fire, medical personnel and the military, for
being there 24-7 for us," said Douglass, head of Advancing
Vibrant Communities, a Modesto-based interdenominational
ministry.
The pastor and former police officer and deputy fire chief
knows "what it is like to go out on a shift, to be away
from your family for days on end, to rescue a body out of
the rubble," he said. "(The first responders) need some
encouragement. They need a thank-you from the community."
The terrorist attacks were an emotional and sobering
reminder of what people often take for granted, added
organizer Darrell Cummings, a pastor at Modesto's Big
Valley Grace Community Church.
"This is something we should be practicing all year
round," he said. "When they clock in for their 10-hour
shift, they have no idea what they will encounter. ...
They put their lives on the line every day."
A controversial figure
Event organizers say North -- though controversial -- has
a positive message to share with the community. "Col.
Oliver North will bring a message of thanks and hope,"
Douglass said. "Thanks to all who serve in emergency
services and the military, and hope rising from the
positives of the Modesto community and Central Valley."
Some organizers hope that bringing the combat-decorated
veteran to Modesto for Sept. 11 will counteract negative
perceptions of the community -- perceptions that are the
result of mass-media exposure from the cases of Laci
Peterson, Chandra Levy, Gary Condit and slain Yosemite
hikers Carole and Julie Sund and Silvina Pelosso, they
said.
North will meet with several hundred local emergency and
law-enforcement personnel, as well as sponsors, at a
private dinner before Thursday's event. He also is
expected to sign copies of his latest novel, "The Jericho
Sanction," at the dinner.
Today, North is a syndicated columnist, radio commentator,
author and host of the "War Stories" program on Fox News.
As a reporter for the network, he was embedded with U.S.
troops in Iraq, where his helicopter was struck by enemy
fire and he witnessed some of the first American
casualties of the war.
"Oliver North has become a highly sought-after speaker and
commentator," said Michael V. Cummins, president of
Cummins Contracting and Supply, a sponsor of the event.
North spoke at Big Valley Grace Community Church and a
Republican fund-raiser in Modesto in 1992 and at the
Mayor's Prayer Breakfast in Turlock in 2001.
Not everyone was excited to hear North would be the
keynote speaker at the Sept. 11 event.
"North is a scoundrel, masquerading in patriotic
clothing," said James Costello of Ceres, a member of the
Modesto Peace-Life Center. "Some people think he is a
patriot, but he is a lawbreaker. ... (The Iran-Contra
affair) was like a repeat of Watergate, except maybe not
as dramatic."
North, a White House national security aide during the
Reagan administration, played a key role in arranging
covert weapons sales to Iran and diverting profits to the
anti-Communist Nicaraguan rebels after Congress had made
such funding illegal.
He was convicted in 1989 of felonies for destroying
documents about the Iran-Contra deal, accepting an illegal
gratuity and obstruction of Congress. The convictions were
overturned on appeal in 1990 because his trial was tainted
by congressional testimony he gave under immunity.
Dawn Gulick, a Modesto quality assurance analyst, thinks
North's appearance is "a slap in the face" to those who
serve and defend America.
"Even though it was 20-some years ago, he still did some
pretty serious stuff," she said. "He's got some really
nasty baggage."
Modesto High School history teacher Christopher Peterson
considers North "a war criminal," he said, and doesn't
feel his activities should be celebrated.
"It seems highly ironic that he would be on the same
platform with police officers and firefighters," Peterson
said. "I can't believe he is the best person for this. ...
Isn't the point to unify the community behind our common
values? This person would be more of a division."
Some residents said they would prefer a local police
officer, firefighter or political figure, witness to the
terrorist attacks, "unsung hero," religious leader or
former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani to speak.
Others support North as speaker.
John Kee -- a Korean War veteran and Purple Heart
recipient who participated in a Sept. 11 event last year
at Graceada Park -- said he has "no qualms" about North.
"I think he was a fall guy for a lot of people higher up,"
Kee said. "I've always felt that. I think he was a good
American."
Kee said it is important to come together at this time.
"We've got our boys in Iraq, and all those other countries
over there, (and) Liberia," he said. "I think they need
all the support they can get."
North speaks out
North said it is the media that paint him as a
controversial figure.
"I just got back from Iraq, and it may surprise you, but
not one of (the troops) asked me about being a polarizing
figure," he said. "Not one of them asked about any of that
ancient history."
North sees himself as a husband, father and grandfather
and a devout Christian who follows "in the footpath of an
itinerant Jewish carpenter," he said.
Thursday, he plans to talk about terrorism, the heroism of
first responders, courage, patriotism and faith.
"It is what governs my life," he said of his Christian
faith. "It is what gives me hope to get up the following
morning and absolute assurance of salvation."
Organizers of Thursday's event and opponents of North's
role as speaker said they hope controversy and celebrity
will not overshadow the main purpose of "Shoulder to
Shoulder."
"It is not a Mr. North concert," Cummins said. "It is a
first-responder 'Shoulder to Shoulder' event. ... It is
not to celebrate one person's opinion over another. It is
to thank the military, police officers and firemen who
risk their lives every day."
Bee staff writer Amy White can be reached at 578-2318 or
awhite [at] modbee.com.



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