Coffee, music, computers, poetry readings, movie nights — it may seem like a rather innocuous gathering place for soldiers stationed at Fort Lewis. This coffeehouse, however, would cater to soldiers who are against the war in Iraq and seeking refuge from what organizers are touting as an unlawful occupation in the Middle East.



Tully's founder and Chairman Tom O'Keefe has pledged $15,000 worth of coffeehouse supplies to the organizations behind the java joint — GI Voice Inc. and the local chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War. Tully's spokesman Roger van Oosten of the Fearey Group did not respond to media inquiries about the donation. O'Keefe did tell other media outlets that while he doesn't necessarily agree with some of the political positions of the backing organizations, he does, however, respect members' rights to have a differing opinion. There is no word on whether O'Keefe expects any type of fallout from military consumers because of his support.



Organizers are looking to post the antiwar coffee shop on the Tillicum strip right outside the Madigan Gate to Fort Lewis. Provided the group gains all funding to get off the ground, the coffee shop is slated to open next month. Seth Manzel, co-director of GI Voice Inc. and chief proponent of the antiwar joe store, was unreachable at press time. Manzel served as a sergeant in the Army and recently returned from a tour in Iraq. He's modeling the coffeehouse after several joints that popped up during the Vietnam War. In 1968, Fort Lewis' version of such a coffee shop was called Shelter Half. In its later years the Tacoma coffee shop was deemed off-limits by the U.S. Army. Local Army officials have said the process to proclaim an area off-limits is quite lengthy. It remains unclear if such a move will be made against this new incarnation.



Fort Lewis spokesman Joe Piek said it's premature and inappropriate to even ask if military officials will pursue off-limits restrictions of an antiwar coffee shop — despite history indicating government officials have responded in such a fashion in the past. Such a determination would be made by the Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board, governed by AR 190-24, and typically is a lengthy process designed to protect the health and welfare of soldiers.



Piek said, traditionally, off-limits determinations are made due to reports of illegal activity such as prostitution or disorderly conduct.



Manzel maintains the coffee shop will have an antiwar presence but not in an in-your-face kind of manner. The somewhat neutral location, he said, will feature desks for the Iraq Veterans Against the War and The GI Rights Hotline. Ideally, referrals will be available to receive therapy from Seattle-area mental health professionals.

Jonathan Parkinson, a veteran of the first Iraq War, said he can understand using the coffeehouse as a resource for soldiers, but it might be better to market it as that instead of as an antiwar coffeehouse.



"I couldn't agree more that soldiers need to have access to mental health services and often don't feel comfortable pursuing it through the military system," he said. "I also think that soldiers need to be educated about their rights and responsibilities. That being said, I think labeling it as an antiwar establishment will make it difficult for soldiers to feel comfortable about accessing such a service."



Wade Johnson Jr., a Vietnam veteran, said he thinks it's a bad idea to bring the Seattle antiwar scene here to the South Sound.



"I think this area is very supportive of our troops whether they agree with the war or not," he said. "We're setting up soldiers for trouble. I would hate to see a young kid get in trouble for hanging out in an antiwar establishment. They can't even say 'boo' about President Bush. Why would they be allowed to openly protest a war by frequenting such an establishment?"



While feelings about such an establishment are mixed, time will indicate whether such an incarnation will be supported by soldiers.