Posted on 05/16/2004 8:54:38 PM PDT by Neil E. Wright
I left Lake Havasu City HQ at approximately 1600 on Wednesday, May 12, enroute to the convention in Las Vegas with the materials and electronic equipment for our booth. I arrived in Las Vegas approximately 1900. After driving around the same 4 blocks looking for the parking garage for the hotel I would be staying at, I finally found it and checked into the Lady Luck Hotel Casino about 1930.
After getting myself checked in and getting my suitcase and briefcase to the room, I called Rodger. We agreed to meet at Bally's Pacific Ballroom, where the exhibitors were supposed to be setting up at 0800 Thursday.
I arrived at Bally's at approximately 0750 and hooked up with Rodger and his BETTER half outside the Pacific Ballroom. We entered the Ballroom and located our booth space and commenced setting up. This required returning to VetsCoR 1 to get the supplies from the trunk. After spending about 15 minutes searching 4 levels of the Self Park garage we found VetsCoR 1 (right where I left it) and unloaded the TV, VCR, Pocket Constitutions, VetsCoR brochures and desk flag set from the vehicle
While Rodger and his better half were putting the Pocket Constitutions and brochures on the table, I set about trying to get the CD player to work with the older VCR and even older TV set. Unfortunately, they didn't want to work together, and later in the afternoon, Rodger took the key to VetsCoR 1 and departed to find a Radio Shack to get an RF Modulator that would at least allow the CD player to send the signal to the TV set.
We finally got the "With Love and Appreciation" CD running, and played it almost continuously for the rest of the time we were set up.
The rest of Thursday, we handed out Pocket Constitutions and VetsCoR brochures. During the afternoon, Rodger took a handful of Pocket Constitutions and brochures and went around to the other Vendor booths that were set up and introduced VetsCoR to the other organizations. Thursday was a pretty slow day, since not all of the vendors were there, and only about half of the pre-registered attendees had arrived.
We turned off the TV and CD player at approximately 1800 and left out about 60 Pocket Constitutions on the table. After dinner with Rodger and his BETTER half at the Sidewalk Cafe at Bally's, I departed the area and returned to my quarters at the Lady Luck Hotel Casino.
I arrived back at the convention at approximately 0755 Friday and returned to the VetsCoR booth. When I arrived at our booth, I noticed that almost half of the Pocket Constitutions we had left out the night before were gone. I immediately got out more Pocket Constitutions and brochures, and started up the CD. During the morning Friday, we handed out Pocket Constitutions and brochures, and had several conversations with attendees who were wandering around the vendor area while the speakers were talking.
During this time several people came up to our booth, specifically seeking us out, after hearing others talking about us. It was reported to me by one person who looked up our booth, that he came looking for us after hearing some others talking about VetsCoR in the elevator. Throughout the day on Friday, Rodger and I had many conversations with other vendors, and discussed various projects that VetsCoR wanted to do, in particular we discussed with, and got great information on creating our educational CD for schools/home-schools, and providing Veterans to go into schools to conduct seminars on the Founding Documents, the History of the Founding, and the type of Republic this was SUPPOSED to be. Several people told both Rodger and myself that they were glad to see Veterans stepping up and actually honoring the oath we took, and how glad they were that we were doing what we were doing, and expressing support for our future plans. We also received from some vendors books and information to use in the curriculum we were planning, all at NO CHARGE to us.
One vendor, Mark Selzer, gave us a lot of good info on how to go about creating our educational CDs, and how to get people to work with us on it. Mark was at a booth marketing his own CDs, VHS tapes and books. Another vendor, David Theroux, President of The Independent Institute, took my card and promised to email me sources of information to use in our CDs.
Fred Weinberg, Publisher of the Penny Press, the conservative paper covering the event, and one of the Sponsoring organizations, spent a lot of time with Rodger and I at our booth, and promised to forward pictures of our booth that his photogs took, along with the story on the event when it was published. He also promised to keep us appraised of any future events in Las Vegas that might be appropriate venues for us to have a booth at.
Howard Blitz, President of The Freedom Library, promised to help us hook up with other organizations upon his return to his home in Yuma, AZ. The Freedom Library has a similar program going in Yuma where they send people into schools to discuss the origins of the Republic.
We also spent a lot of time with Gene McDonald of 0cents.com, who had the booth next to us.
Our thanks also the the Heritage Foundation, for giving us a rather LARGE pile of material to take with us, and to the representatives of Hillsdale College, who were just downright pleasant people to talk to.
There were a couple of unpleasant episodes during our stay at FreedomFest, including one where I got a little loud with some IDIOT who came up to our booth and started badmouthing Vietnam Vets. I must confess I sorta lost my temper with him and sorta verbally beat up on him, but he left the area and things went back to normal.
Just before we started packing up, a gentleman approached me at the booth and stated his uncle was a retired Colonel, and asked it that was a close enough relationship to allow him to join as a non-voting member. When I assured him it was, he handed me his already completed application for membership and paid his years dues on the spot.
While we were packing up at about 1630, the lady running the booth next to us came up and gave both Rodger and me a $10 silver piece, in thanks for our educating her and correcting her misconceptions on things military, in general, and regarding the Vietnam Era, in particular, over the course of the two days we were there. She asked us lotsa questions when things were slow in the room and we had many good conversations with her during that period.
After loading up VetsCoR 1, I returned to the convention area to listen to the debate between Dinesh D'Souza and Harry Browne. Ol' Harry had his butt handed to him during the debate. Dinesh D'Souza did an OUTSTANDING job during the debate, and IMO won hands down. After the debate, Dinesh D'Souza approached Harry Browne and offered to shake hands. Ol' Harry just turned his back and walked away.
After the debate ended, I returned to VetsCoR 1 and left Las Vegas, arriving home at approximately 2100 Friday. Rodger and his BETTER half remained in Las Vegas Friday night and returned home Saturday.
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"The Era of Osama lasted about an hour, from the time the first plane hit the tower to the moment the General Militia of Flight 93 reported for duty." 
Toward FREEDOM
Great job, Neil!!
Support our troops bump!
Proud to have helped out, Neil. Outstanding that it went so well.
Thanks!
Thanks for the ping!
Outstanding report Neil. Thanks for giving the IDIOT a verbal beating and for educating as many folks as possible about how things were meant to be.
So Rodger has a better half huh? Sure it isn't 3/4? ;-)
Doesn't get much better, bump.
Well, some people just don't like being educated. Thank you very much for the ping.
It is so good to know there are still true patriots out there. Thank you!
Okay, who was the stupid photographer that didn't straighten out the VetsCoR banner before shooting? Oh yeah, that was me...oops.
He was also trying to say that if we REALLY support our Troops, we would be more effective protesting the Bush administrations WOT policies. I tried to make him understand that our sons and daughters just follow orders. He just didn't get it. I was reminded on that graphic from some anti-war protest that has masked cowards holding a sign, "We Support Our Troops Who Shoot Their Officers."
When I saw your hat come off and you moved into his face, I figured that was the time to try and diffuse things. Gotta play nice, Neil...:)
More like 7/8.
....some IDIOT who came up to our booth and started badmouthing Vietnam Vets. I must confess I sorta lost my temper with him and sorta verbally beat up on him...
Good for you! I hope you verbally punched him a few times for the rest of us. How could anyone badmouth our Vietnam Veterans???
BUMP!!
Thanks for the ping
LOL. That's why you're a Navy Vet. ;-)
Mega ping...
WHY?
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"The Era of Osama lasted about an hour, from the time the first plane hit the tower to the moment the General Militia of Flight 93 reported for duty." Toward FREEDOM
Thanks for the ping!
Great job, Mr. Wright...MUD
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