Steps: International Peace Walk USSR/USA, Walking Together, Leningrad to Moscow, 1987

7/27/2019 Steps: International Peace Walk USSR/USA, Walking Together, Leningrad to Moscow, 1987

1/4

STEPSINTERNATIONAL PEACE WALKUSSR/USA, WALKING TOGETHER ,LENINGRAD to MOSCOW, 1987

St ep- -. W are warmly welcomed in ever y sta te and city by localSovie t off ic ia ls and ci t izens . Food and accomo da t i on s areadequate t o excellent . Our arr i va l to wa lk fo r friend s hi pand peace 1s met with fr iend shi p and peace equa l to our own.

Step , s tep, s t ep--The huge, magnificen t s ta t ue of Mother Rus s1 a looksdown on the beaut i fu l well - cared f or grounds . Sovie tc i t i zens join us in our walk, in the r ain, t o th i s solemnplace.A Sovi e t lady wa lked over to me , s i l ently shar i ng he rumbre l l a . The ta lks we re l ong, i n t wo languages , as Il earned that the defenders of Leningrad are bur ie d here ina mass grave. For 900 days t hey were under se i ge - - s hot - bombed--frozen and starved. 600 , 000 of t h e m ~The s i len t lady with the umbre l la wept , and s o di dI . The ta lks over, we forced a smi le a t each othe r , thenhugged each other , and parted.

We must stop forever th is needless inhuman waste !Step, s tep , s tep --

On the walk to Peter the Great 's palace I was askedto carry a s tudent ' s homemade peace s i gn - -wld c h I d id .The s t uden t kept pace over close to the curb , in f ormi ngthe people along the s t ree t about the Americ an carryi nghis Russian Peace sign. They were pleased and c l apped,and I could fee l the warmth of fr iendship growing.

s tep, s tep , s tep--We look a lo t l ike them. They look a lo t l ikeus. Neither of us look, or ac t , l ike en1mies.All Humankind are re la t ives , f r iends , neighbors ,partners and customers.


2/4

step, s tep, step - -A f iery young r edhead, in Russian costume, grabbed mywrist and pulled me into the dancers ' square, indicat ing thatI was to dance wit h he r and the group. I 'm shaking my head-_ ,She is nodding her head - - yes l She is smiling, l a u g h i n g , e a s 1 ~ Q and her feet are f l ying to the fas t beat of the music. She w o ~ Lle t go of my wristf I can ' t just stand here forever. The la r e Gcrowd is laughing and cheer ing--her? Or me ? Her graceful ~ a rand i r res i s t ib le manne r unl imbered thi s r eluctant old peace mmar che r , who then did a Nebraska Stomp wi t h t hem, unt i l 'I usedup my quota of ava i lable a ir and energy , and had to scoot 1ntot he s t anding crowd to s i t down so she can ' t find me : I ' m gulpinhuge amounts of a ir , and the crowd i s shout ing and poi nt ing to gwhere T Rm h ::tdi ng 8 0 she could CO Ule to get me !Rested , I stood up and took a picture of her as I le f t . Shesmiled, waved and danced a cheery good-by . You lovely creature :

Ste p , s tep, step - -TODAY, I HAVE MET THE EVIL EMPIRE- THE MYTH , AND THE VICIOUS LIE .THESE PEOPLE ARE NO MORE EVILTHAN YOU OR I .(They want peace more than we dol)

s tep , s tep, s tep - -An old lady s tares in disbe l ie f as this old Ameri can peacemarcher advanced toward her- - I open my arms as i f to embrace-and I do. She i s surpr ised and res i s t s for a moment, then shere turns the embrace. Her tears begin to flow (mine, too). Shespeaks rapidly in her native tongue , pouring out her despera teneed for peace. Then she l e t s go of me, tears running down i ntoher wrinkled smile, as she turns and walks away. I am a herowho came to helo ~ e t the Peace. She i s as human and peaceful- ~as my mother.These old women have l ived through three terr ible des t r uct ive wars-- thei r ent i re l i fe fu l l of suffering --loSS , andrebUilding. Their men, long dead--or they didn ' t have one.They are desperate for P e a c e - - N O W ~ For the Young, t he g e ~ r at iona to c o m e ~ They won't le t go of my hand, as they jab rfuriously in t he i r st range language that I can ' t understana.But I DO understand, and they know I understand .The evolving human sp i r i t wil l overcome t h i s madnesS.

Step, step, s tep- -School children l ine the s t reets waving peace SlOgan;heythey bad made 1n school, welcoming the friendship W ~ i ~ Olderare unafraid, wholesome, curious, fr iendly and beau ~ i t 1 o n sgroups are l ively and awake, giVing the i r splendid renof singing and dancing in the i r nat1ve c O B t u ~ e s .Tbank you, much, for caring and sharing.

.


3/4


4/4

The fol lowin g l e t t e r was r e c e i v e d on Apri l 14, 1986 , by Dalek f rom his s on, Ron, whi l e Dale, age 69, was parti ci pa t i ngMall e c G t Peac e Ma r c h f or Gl o b a l Nuclear Disarmament acro ssi n t h e reat he U. s. A ."He l l o , Dad!

M l l e d l a s t n i g h t a t 11:30 p. m. t o s a y s he llad J un t t a l k edto m b ; was she e x c i t e d ~ I coul d n ' t t e l l if she w ~ s goi ng t odance--or c r y - - o r both! She s a i d if I wr i t e r i gh t away , t il i s shouldt h i l l L 3 S Vea a s . \'10 a ll have wonde red '1.' 11.'1 t I s .zo l n a llca e Y0 II 0 ' -: - ' Afte r Mom hung up, I La Ld i n bed t m nk i ng e nd pr a y l.ng fo r yo u- -d i t occ urred to me t h a t f o r c en t u r i es f a t h e r s have s en t thei r: ~ n of f t o wa r . I have a f a t he r t h a t goes o f f t o "wa r !3.l)ai n s twar " to save his s ons. I i mag i ned t h i s r o l e r e v e r s a l i n gre a t de t a i l , compar ing it wi t h o t h e r p a s t wars

I s mv fa t h e r s afe?I s he i n b a t t l e now?Where i s my f a t he r now?Li ke "fa t h e r s " of t he pas t , I he a r only b I t s a nd piec es a bou tyo ur "re g i men t" . I he a r on l y f r a g me n t s :I hear 10 c o l l a ps ed f r om expos ur e my fa the r was not amongt hem. I hear of those t h a t we r e br-oken and d e f e a t e d a t Ba r s t ow. . my fa ther was not amons t h em.I hear of t hose t h a t s acr i f i c ed thems e l ve s s o my f a t h er ando t hers c ould go on.I hear of yo ur re g i me n t ' s de t e r mi na t i on on TV, s a y i ng , " \Ie ' r egoi ng even i f we have to ea t g r a s s a l ong the r oad a nd dr i nk waterfrom the creeks!"I he ar how yo ur su pply l1ne wa s cu t . . . h ow c an I he l p my f ath e rn ow ? Wi t - a new address! But i s it r i ght?I pra y t ha t my fa the r i s sa f e . I pray t ha t lye a l l wi n .

- z z -

In the morning I l ook a ro und fo r news t h ll t my t'a t he r wou l d en j oy ,His Y0W18es t gra nd - dEl ug ht e r- 1 s Le a r-rn ng t o mare 1'1 t oo, a ver ae;l Ilg 1 /2mile a day--four f e e t a t a tim e . In be tw e e n , ehe pa t -a - ca kes , waVBSbye-bye, and be ar huss the c a t . His e ld es t ~ r d d a u 3 h t e r i s s t i l lchallenging, s t i l l t e s t i n s , Bnd do i ng wond e r fu l l y i n Itinderga r t s n.She col lects the spr ing f lowers, whethe r th e y be orc hi c1 f3 or dande-l ions , and tapes them lo vingly to the headbo ards above ea c ll of oura My f a t h e r ' s daughter-in-law ge t s mo r e bea u t i f u l eo ch d n y- -

Bl a.-.naflce, i n love, and in s e r v i c e . Today her "gi f t " i s horns a ~ b ~ e a d fo r b re ak fa st! She runs the f ami l y muc h now,e s R i a werking more now and going to col l ege t oo.

I ' V E GOHE TO HELPTHE KID3 CHASE BUTTERFLI ES !

Love you,Ron"

Documents

Steps: International Peace Walk USSR/USA, Walking Together, Leningrad to Moscow, 1987