A press conference was held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Norfolk on January 15, 2007 (Martin Luther King Day) to formally announce a military "Appeal for Redress" in connection with the conduct of the Iraq War. Members of active duty military and National Guard, Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), Veterans for Peace (VFP), Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) and the Virginia Antiwar Network (VAWN) were among those who spoke to the public and press.

Jonathan Hutto (USN-Norfolk), co-founder of Appeal for Redress along with Liam Madden, moderated the conference. At the time of the Press Conference, over 1000 military personnel had signed the Appeal for Redress which reads ...

"As a patriotic American proud to serve the nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to support the prompt withdrawal of all American military forces and bases from Iraq. Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for the U.S. troops to come home."

In addition to nine speakers from various organizations, passages were read from Dr. King's speach given at Riverside Church in NYC on April 4, 1967, titled "A Time to Break Silence". The entire group followed with a reading of the Appeal for Redress statement.

The Appeal, along with the 1000+ signatures, were subsequently delivered to Congressmen Kucinich and McGovern in DC the following day. For more information on the Appeal for Redress, go to Appeal for Redress or Veterans for Peace.