No, 40,000 US Soldiers Who Fought In Iraq, Afghanistan Did Not Resign

A 2012 video showing United States veterans discarding their war medals by hurling them down the street in protest against the US led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq is being shared with the false claim that 40,000 American soldiers resigned and threw away their medals.

The video is being shared in the backdrop of the recent US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan ending their two decade long presence in Afghanistan, which was the longest war in American history.

In the video, we can spot US war veterans state that they had severed in Afghanistan and Iraq and condemn the US invasion in both countries, after which they toss away the war medals in their hands.

The video is being shared with the caption, "40,000 US soldiers who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, resigned and threw away their war medals in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan and Iraq. The accepted that "the war on terror" was a fake war. They are apologizing from the people of Afghanistan and Iraq."

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Viral on Facebook

On searching with the same caption on Facebook, we found that the video is being shared with the false claim.

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FACT-CHECK

BOOM found that the viral video is from 2012 when nearly 50 US veterans discarded their war medals by hurling them down the street in the direction of the NATO summit in protest against the US led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

On running a search with the relevant keywords on YouTube, we found that the same visuals in a video report by Democracy Now!. Democracy Now! had reported that on May 20, 2012, Iraq Veterans Against the War had held a ceremony where nearly 50 veterans discarded their war medals by hurling them down the street in the direction of the NATO summit.

The title of the video states, ""No NATO, No War": U.S. Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan Return War Medals at NATO Summit"

From the 10.45 minutes mark, we can see the same sequence of events as in the viral video.

The video caption quotes what we hear the veterans say in the video, "..."I am giving back my global war on terror service medal in solidarity with the people of Iraq and Afghanistan," said Jason Heard, a former combat medic who spent 10 years in the U.S. Army. "I am deeply sorry for the destruction that we have caused in these countries and around the globe.".."

Nearly 50 U.S. military veterans at an anti-NATO rally in Chicago threw their service medals into the street on May 20, 2012, an action they said symbolized their rejection of the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan reported Reuters on May 21, 2012.