Peace Poles, presented by Fred Ptucha of Veterans For Peace
Our speaker for August 7, 2025 was Fred Ptucha, a member of Veterans for Peace, a national organization with 5,000 members headquartered in St. Louis. Fred grew up in New England and joined the Navy right after high school. He served 4 tours of duty in Vietnam from 1969-1970. Although he got through the conflict without a scratch, he suffered injuries to his spirit and soul. He’s worked for many years to help people understand the horrors and consequences of war. Fred was joined by his “wingman,” Terry McNeill.
The Veterans for Peace Statement of Purpose affirms its members’ responsibilities to serve the cause of world peace, both nationally and internationally. The Statement includes increasing public awareness of the causes and costs of war, restraining governments from intervening in the internal affairs of other nations, resisting racism and repression in the veterans’ home countries, seeking justice for veterans and victims of war, and abolishing war as an instrument of national policy. Fred is also a co-founder and current president of the Sister Cities program between Cherkassy, Ukraine, and Santa Rosa.
Peace poles were first created by a survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bomb. They are now in towns and cities throughout Japan. Peace poles traditionally contain the statement “May Peace Prevail on Earth,” usually in different languages. Over 300,000 peace poles have now been planted in more than 120 countries. In Sonoma County, Veterans for Peace is working to install peace polls in schools throughout Sonoma County. The idea is to help instill a moral compass in young students. Student groups are asked to decide where to put the poles and what languages to include with the “May Peace Prevail on Earth” statement. English, Spanish, Filipino, and Pomo are some of the most common languages. Student groups often plant the poles inside the school grounds rather than on the outside so that kids can see them throughout the day. The goal is to install a pole in every school in the county. (Note that Chops has its own peace pole, sometimes used as a gathering place for random Sunrise club members).
Fred asks that Santa Rosa Sunrise make the installation of peace poles a club objective. Financial help and volunteers are needed to expand the program. The benefits to a club include helping students build a moral compass, helping clubs develop relationships with schools, and having the poles include the Rotary logo. Fred also mentioned that we should consider becoming a Peacebuilder Club and joining the Rotary Action Group for Peace (RAGFP).
Many thanks to Fred for the insightful presentation and for all his work with Veterans for Peace and on the peace pole project.
Click HERE to view a limited time recording of Fred's presentation.
