Army Officer Josephine Guilbeau and Green Beret Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Aguilar Detained

"When the United States Congress comes after veterans they will come after you"
Army intelligence officer Josephine Guilbeau and Green Beret lieutenant colonel Anthony Aguilar were detained. The charges are a protest against Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip.

Abilene, Kan. - The public is invited to join the September Lunch & Learn program on Thursday, September 26, at 12 p.m. noon central time at the Eisenhower Presidential Library. The hybrid program will be held in the Library building indoor courtyard and online via YouTube Livestream. Guests are encouraged to arrive by 11:45 a.m. A light box-lunch will be provided on a first come, first served basis.

Dr. Benjamin Greene will join us virtually as we take an in-depth look at Ike's Farewell Address. Ike's caution about the influence of a “military-industrial complex” remains a compelling and controversial aspect of his efforts at waging peace. Historians and commentators continue to debate the origins of the term, Eisenhower’s purpose for including it in his speech, and the lessons it holds for us today. Curiously, few note that his most famous presidential address included a second warning. Eisenhower also cautioned Americans that the growing influence of government-sponsored scientific research risked making public policy the “captive of a scientific-technological elite.” This Lunch and Learn discussion of his speech centers on Eisenhower’s profound disappointment at his administration’s lack of progress on disarmament and the forces that he believed frustrated his final efforts at waging peace.

Dr. Greene is a retired Army officer and currently a historian at the U.S. Department of State. He holds a Ph.D. in History from Stanford University and taught the history of American foreign relations at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, and Bowling Green State University in Ohio where he recently retired as Associate Professor, Emeritus. He is the author of Eisenhower, Science Advice, and the Nuclear Test-Ban Debate, 1945-1963, the editor of Oxford University Press’s bibliography of Dwight D. Eisenhower and has published numerous articles and chapters on a range of topics related to America’s interactions with the world.

The 2024 Waging Peace program series is made possible courtesy of the Eisenhower Foundation with generous support from the Jeffcoat Memorial Foundation.

About the Eisenhower Presidential Library
The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum is one of 16 Presidential Libraries operated by the National Archives and Records Administration. Through archives, museums and public programs, Presidential Libraries continue to preserve the documents and artifacts of our Presidents, helping learn about our nation and democracy. They hold the raw materials of history: evidence of democracy at work and of the continuing relevance of the Presidents' past decisions. Public programs and exhibits at the Eisenhower Presidential Library are made possible in part through the generous support of The Eisenhower Foundation. To learn more, visit eisenhowerlibrary.gov

January 17, 1961 farewell address
Eisenhower Presidential Library (.gov)
https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov › files › research
PDF
In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.
4 pages

Farewell Radio and Television Address to the American ...
Eisenhower Presidential Library (.gov)
https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov › files › file
PDF
Three days from now, after half a century in the service of our country, I shall lay down the responsibilities of office as, in traditional and solemn ...
4 pages

Eisenhower Farewell Address (Reading Copy)
Eisenhower Presidential Library (.gov)
https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov › files › research
PDF
after half a century in the service of our country, I shall lay down the responsibilities of office as, in traditional and solemn ceremony, the authority of ...

A dramatic protest shook Washington, DC, as retired US Army officer Lt. Col. Anthony Aguilar, a former Green Beret, disrupted a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, accusing lawmakers of complicity in genocide in Gaza. Aguilar, alongside former intelligence officer Captain Josephine Guilbeau, was escorted out by Capitol Police after condemning US support for Israel.

Aguilar, now a whistleblower, previously exposed abuses at US-funded Gaza aid distribution sites operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) under Israeli military oversight. He described the sites as “designed death traps,” alleging Israeli forces deliberately targeted starving civilians. Aguilar recounted the killing of a Palestinian child, Amir, whom he says was shot moments after receiving food aid. dawn.com

Google AI Overview

The search phrase "When the United States Congress comes after veterans" appears to be a direct quote from a protest that occurred in early September 2025. Retired Green Beret Anthony Aguilar used the phrase during a Senate Foreign Relations hearing to protest U.S. involvement in the Gaza genocide.

The phrase can be interpreted more broadly to refer to several issues of concern to veterans that have recently been addressed, or could be addressed, by Congress:

The Veterans First Act of 2025 seeks to redirect $2 billion in funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for the repair and renovation of State Veteran Homes.

Disabled veterans' benefits are a point of contention. Some proposals, like those in Project 2025, suggest making it more difficult to obtain disability benefits and could automate claims, potentially leading to higher denial rates. Conversely, Congress is considering the bipartisan Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025 to ensure benefits keep pace with the cost of living.

Healthcare access and privatization are ongoing concerns. The Veterans' ACCESS Act of 2025 is intended to codify access standards for veterans seeking care outside the VA system, while some proposals, including parts of Project 2025, suggest privatizing veterans' medical care, which opponents say could lead to higher costs and longer wait times.

Reductions in benefits for certain veterans are also being considered. The Review Every Veterans Claim Act of 2025 prohibits the VA from denying a claim for benefits solely because a veteran failed to attend a medical examination. Additionally, a bill with bipartisan support has been introduced to end the "wounded veterans tax," which prevents some disabled veterans from receiving both their full retirement and disability benefits.

Support for veterans in crisis, including those experiencing homelessness, is also on the congressional agenda. In June 2025, the House passed a spending bill for fiscal year 2026 that includes funding to combat veteran homelessness through programs like the Bridging Rental Assistance for Veteran Empowerment (BRAVE) program.

The various issues and proposals highlight that while Congress continues to address veterans' issues, there are differing viewpoints on how to best serve veterans, as demonstrated by the contrasting objectives of different pieces of legislation.

Army Veterans Disrupt Senate Hearing to Accuse Members ...
Democracy Now!
democracynow.org
4 days ago — Josephine Guilbeau: “We are being arrested right now for interrupting a foreign affairs hearing on nominations because the U.S. is complicit ...

Video shows US Army veterans Anthony Aguilar and ...
Eisenhower Media Network
eisenhowermedianetwork.org
Josephine Guilbeau is a former US Army All-Source Intel Analyst. Her mobilizations include Operation Enduring Freedom, where she supported cyberspace

This is were it all began:
Sam Schulman, last surviving US crew member on ...

The Times of Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com › sam-schulman-last-surv...
Jul 5, 2019 — Samuel Schulman, the last surviving American crew member of the celebrated ship “Exodus 1947,” which attempted to bring thousands of Holocaust survivors from ...

Exodus 1947: History in the Making
The Israel Forever Foundation
https://israelforever.org › history › exodus_1947_history...
The Exodus 1947 that carried Jewish emigrants from France to British Mandatory Palestine in July 1947. The war with Germany was over.

The Real Story: Exodus
Yad Vashem – The World Holocaust Remembrance Center
https://www.yadvashem.org › blog › the-real-story-exodus
Mar 21, 2022 — In the novel, Holocaust survivors held at the Karaolos detention camp set up by the British in Cyprus, boarded the Exodus. The plan, at the helm ...

Captain of famed Exodus refugee ship dies
NBC News
https://www.nbcnews.com › wbna34575026
Dec 23, 2009 — Yitzhak "Ike" Ahronovitch, the captain of the Exodus ship whose attempt to take Holocaust survivors to Palestine built support for Israel's founding, has died. ...

Google AI Overview

There isn't a definitive "last survivor" of the Exodus, but Samuel Schulman was the last known American crew member of the Exodus 1947, dying in 2019. Captain Ike Aronowicz and his 4,500 passengers, mostly Holocaust survivors, were intercepted by the British. While many survivors eventually reached Palestine, the situation makes identifying a single "last" survivor difficult, as others may have lived longer but were not publicly known or documented as such.

About the Exodus

The Exodus 1947 was an immigrant ship that attempted to bring nearly 4,500 Holocaust survivors to Palestine.

The ship was intercepted by British authorities in 1947 and forced back to Europe.

The incident became a major international symbol for the desire for a Jewish state and the plight of Jewish refugees.

Notable Individuals

Samuel Schulman

: A member of the Exodus crew and the last known American crew member to pass away.

Ike Aronowicz

: The captain of the Exodus, who later became a prominent figure in Israel.

Turning Back the Ship: The True Story of Exodus 1947
Jewish Renaissance
https://www.jewishrenaissance.org.uk › events › true-st...
Jul 18, 2022 — Jewish Renaissance ... Plus, we'll share exclusive footage of an interview with Naomi Pope, one of the last survivors of the Exodus, recorded by ...

This week in Jewish history | Exodus 1947: “The Ship that ...
World Jewish Congress
https://www.worldjewishcongress.org › news › this-wee...
On 11 July 1947, over 4,500 Holocaust survivors boarded a worn-out passenger ship, Exodus 1947, with the goal of breaching a naval blockade of British ...

The Exodus film with Paul Newman
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUPZvBw5WXs
'Exodus,' the immigrant ship on which over 4 thousand courageous and determined Holocaust survivors reached the Promised Land only to be forced back to Germany by the British army before they could disembark

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