FOF History
Families of the Fallen for Change was founded on November 22, 2005 by Rosemary Palmer and Paul Schroeder, parents of Marine Lance Corporal Edward "Augie" Schroeder, who was killed near Haditha, Iraq on August 3, 2005.
The organization's initial goal was to raise awareness of the high cost in blood and treasure of the Iraq war. In doing so, Families of the Fallen for Change encouraged Americans who opposed the war to speak up and to engage their local Congressional representatives to push for an end to American involvement in Iraq.
The results of the Nov. 7 election repudiates the Bush Administration's handling of the Iraq War and prompts a national debate on how to best to end it. The election results have shifted our chief goal from calling for a debate on Iraq to keeping pressure on Congress and the Administration to come up with and implement a plan for withdrawal.
While members of Congress have begun serious discussions on how best to end the war, the job is not yet finished.
The Bush Administration remains reluctant to change its policy. It has ignored the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group and refuses to negotiate a political settlement with Iraqi parties and other nations in the Middle East. Instead, the President is pursuing an escalation of the war by sending 21,500 additional U.S. troops to secure Baghdad and An Bar Province.
To most knowledgeable observers, this is too little and too late.
The time has come to withdraw American troops as soon as possible. Families of the Fallen for Change welcomes any plan that would take the troops out of harm’s way.
With an average 2.35 American troops are killed each day, the price of delay is unacceptable.