Four Veterans Say Other Efforts Will Go On : Fast Over Central America Policy to End

Encouraged by the public response to their protest of U.S. policies in Central America, the four military veterans who have been fasting on the steps of the U.S. Capitol for weeks said Thursday that they will end their water-only diet at midnight today.

“Our fast continues--we are merely changing the mode,” they said in a statement read to reporters by Duncan Murphy, 66, the group’s oldest member and a World War II veteran from Sulphur Springs, Ark. “Rather than deny ourselves nutrients, we will deny ourselves ‘life as usual’ in our efforts to stop the killing in our name.”

The four men vowed to continue their protest through a variety of other actions, including sit-ins at congressional offices, efforts to block airport runways and sea lanes through which arms are being shipped to supply the U.S.-backed contra rebels in Nicaragua and creation of an unarmed group who will go to the region to act as peace-keeping observers.

Lost Total of 149 Pounds

Since their so-called “Fast for Life” began, the four men have lost a total of 149 pounds--ranging from 23 pounds to 46 pounds each. Murphy and Charles Liteky, 55, a former priest from San Francisco who returned his Medal of Honor from Vietnam in protest, began fasting 46 days ago. They were joined Sept. 15 by two other Vietnam veterans, S. Brian Willson, 45, of Chelsea, Vt., and George Mizo, 40, of Trenton, N.J.

Physically weak but mentally strong, they said they will halt their hunger strike today at the end of a nationwide “Day of Fast” that has been planned by a coalition of groups supporting the veterans’ action.

A variety of factors led to their decision to end the fast. For Willson, it was the response from young people to continue the protest efforts; for Liteky, it was letters from schoolchildren who said they were giving up their lunches.

On the eve of their strike’s conclusion, the four men stood, obviously thinner, with their arms over each other’s shoulders in the yard of the house where they are staying. Before them were sacks of mail and 13 crosses bearing the names of Nicaraguan civilians who they said were killed by contra forces.

Response ‘Incredible’

Mizo called the public response to their protest “incredible,” saying that his group has received 7,000 to 10,000 pieces of mail and thousands of phone calls.

Less than six weeks ago, he said, only he and Liteky sat on the east steps of the Capitol during their daily vigils from 3 p.m to 7 p.m., often with no one to talk to but themselves. Now, they are joined daily by hundreds of people and a steady stream of reporters and television cameras. The men have traveled the country making speeches, and this week they appeared on the Phil Donahue television show.

Although weak, the men are still in fairly good physical condition and would not suffer any serious health problems for at least another week, said Dr. Jack Bresette, a local physician who checked them daily.

Although the veterans have maintained that they were prepared to die, they said their fast was a day-to-day proposition. “It was not a fast for death, but for life,” Mizo said.

Nevertheless, Liteky said, “I believe we were prepared to die gracefully with joy.” Wearing an armband and button supporting the fast, he said the strike gave him “a mental acuteness and a spiritual closeness with God and myself that I never experienced before.”

Liteky, the only married member of the group, said the fast was also difficult for his wife, Judy, a former nun who joined him from San Francisco several weeks ago. “Each of us had a guardian angel to look after us,” he said. “Judy was mine.”