‘A true American hero’: Tributes paid as senator, presidential candidate & anti-war activist Mike Gravel dies at 91
Tributes have poured in for former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel, who died aged 91 after spending his political career opposing America’s foreign wars, military spending and surveillance state.
Gravel died at his home in Seaside, California, on Saturday. According to an AP report, he had been in poor health for some time beforehand.
We are sad to announce that Senator Mike Gravel passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, at his home in Seaside, California. He was 91, and had lived the fullest live anyone could have ever wanted. We will miss him every day. pic.twitter.com/wLXLzMbgZT
— Gravel Institute (@GravelInstitute) June 27, 2021
Gravel, who served in the Senate from 1968 until 1981, persistently opposed the US’ foreign military adventures. In 1971 he launched a one-man filibuster to read into the public record more than 4,000 pages of the so-called ‘Pentagon Papers’ – leaked Defense Department documents that revealed how the US secretly expanded the scope of the Vietnam War, and lied about Vietnamese ships firing first during the ‘Gulf of Tonkin’ incident.
I love this clip of Mike Gravel recounting reading the Pentagon Papers into the Senate record, because of what it teaches about courage. He was not excited, not confident; he was “frightened to death”, scared of going to prison; he was overcome with emotion. And *that* is bravery pic.twitter.com/hLPovl7xrq
— Ben Phillips (@benphillips76) June 27, 2021
Though representing Alaska as a Democrat, Gravel later broke with the party during a run for the presidency in 2008, after he took to the debate stage a year earlier to accuse Barack Obama and Joe Biden of being warmongers, keen to use nuclear weapons against Iran.
Gravel’s passing was lamented by anti-war politicians and commenters, some of whom referenced his fiery performance in the 2007 debate.
Rest in power Mike Gravel. What a loss of a true American hero. https://t.co/zC25e7p7OZ
— Krystal Ball (@krystalball) June 27, 2021
Sen. Mike Gravel, who served 2 terms from Alaska, died today at 91. He was unique & heroic: working to end the draft that fed the Vietnam War, and using his Senate immunity when nobody else would to read the Pentagon Papers aloud to show Americans their Government had lied. #RIP
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 27, 2021
Senator Mike Gravel gave us one of the best 2 minutes in debate history. Thank you for your service. Rest in power. pic.twitter.com/hGhn4rZ7L0
— Brett "Unions 2021" Banditelli (@banditelli) June 27, 2021
Gravel then switched to the Libertarian Party, telling his supporters that the Democratic Party “is a party that continues to sustain war, the military-industrial complex and imperialism – all of which I find anathema to my views.”
Mike Gravel, one of the few anti-war US politicians, has tragically passed away. RIP.This is from our interview with him in 2019, condemning bipartisan warmongers:"Kill one person and it's murder; kill a million and that's foreign policy"Full video: https://t.co/bbkPCdjlqKpic.twitter.com/9JRiVApFqu
— Moderate Rebels (@Moderate_Rebels) June 27, 2021
Gravel ran again as a Democrat in 2020, aiming to bring the issues of war and military spending to the table once more. When he failed to qualify for the debates, he dropped out and endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard instead. He “was dedicated to ending forever wars and bringing more Americans into the political process,” Sanders tweeted on Sunday. “His courage will be deeply missed. Our thoughts are with his loved ones.”
Gravel is survived by his wife Whitney, and two children, Martin Anthony and Lynne Denise, from his first marriage to Rita Martin.
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