A woman who asked to remain unidentified holds a flag Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, in Washington during a rally by and for veterans near Union Station. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)

WASHINGTON — Judson Wager, an Air Force veteran, said he was sitting at his home in rural North Carolina watching the news and growing angry over President Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to the nation’s capital and cities across the U.S.

But when his daughter suggested he take a break and browse social media, Wager said he spotted right away a post from Remember Your Oath, a veteran-led group protesting the Trump administration in downtown Washington.

Supporters listen to speakers Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, in Washington during a rally by and for veterans near Union Station. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)

“That was all the encouragement I needed. I joined them that same week,” said Wager, who arrived in September at the group’s tent on Columbus Circle across from Union Station, where the organizers plan protests and mobilize veterans.

Wager and other veterans from Remember Your Oath joined several activist groups on Tuesday — including FLARE USA, About Face and May Day Strong — to rally against the Trump administration on Veterans Day.

Called “Vets Say No,” the D.C. rally was part of a nationwide protest by veterans across several major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Portland, Chicago, Boston and Memphis, Tenn.

The protests were held as a counterpoint to commemorations at war memorials in honor of Veterans Day. Organizers said many of the rallies were staged in locations where Trump has deployed or threatened to send troops.

About 500 people showed up at the D.C. gathering to wave signs and object to what organizers described as the “militarization of our communities.” They also cited the administration’s cuts to food stamps and Medicaid, the mass deportation of immigrants and the military’s recent ban on transgender individuals.

“We are veterans who are against what’s happening in this country,” said Russell “Jolly” Ellis, founder of Remember Your Oath. The organization has been running its operations for several months from the white tent on Columbus Circle, which stays open continuously.

Rob Cheng, right, with the organization About Face, speaks Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, in Washington during a rally by and for veterans near Union Station. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)

“We are not going to sit idly by while this administration dismantles our democracy,” said Ellis, an Army veteran who spoke from a small stage to cheers from the crowd.

Other veterans shared similar concerns. “The National Guard is patrolling our streets because of one man — Donald Trump — who wants to be king,” said William Kelly, of Maryland, an Iraq combat veteran who served in the Army infantry from 2007 to 2011.

Kelly compared Trump’s deployment of the military in U.S. cities to British troops clashing with the American colonial militia in 1775. He said the U.S. needs another large protest similar to the civil rights movement in the 1960s.

Vince Berardini, a 67-year-old retired Army lieutenant colonel, and his wife, Karen, from Arlington, Va., stood at the back of the crowd.

Vince Berardini said he is participating in protests for the first time in his life. Tuesday’s rally was the third one he has attended this year.

Berardini, who served in the military for more than 20 years, said he is shocked by the presence of forces on U.S. streets and the use of troops as a fear tactic against civilians.

“Something I could not have dreamed of happening in this country is occurring,” Berardini said.

“My husband spent his career in the military working to help other governments prevent what is happening in our country now,” said Karen Berardini.

Retired Army Lt. Col. Vince Berardini and his wife, Karen, listen to speakers Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, in Washington during a rally by and for veterans near Union Station. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)

Wager, who served in the Air Force from 2003 to 2012, said he believes the Trump administration is trying to seize control of the country.

“We are in the middle of an authoritarian takeover of our government. People are getting worried, but they don’t fully realize what’s going on,” Wager said.

Wager recently returned briefly to his North Carolina hometown to see his wife and daughter before heading back to Washington to continue his activism.

But Wager said he noticed right away that the red political posters and placards supporting Trump that were common around town have all been taken down.

“I didn’t see a single sign for Trump, and they used to be everywhere,” Wager said. “Now I see anti-Trump signs. That’s unheard of around here.”