Pro-troop, anti-war rallies draw hundredsCrowd shows support for soldiers from overpass of I-5
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| SCOTT GUTIERREZ THE OLYMPIAN CAMP MURRAY -- It was hard to tell what was louder at Saturday's massive rally in support of the troops: the wind rippling hundreds of American flags or the cars honking as they passed underneath. One year after American forces began the war that would topple the regime of Saddam Hussein, hundreds of people came out to wave flags and show their resolve in standing behind their loved ones in uniform. Two dense lines of red, white and blue filled both sides of the overpass above Interstate 5. "This is the America I know," said John Kilwanis, 45, of Tacoma as he waved a flag at the traffic below and cheered. The rally was organized by Operation Support Our Troops, the grass-roots group that has staged numerous similar events since American tanks first rolled into the Iraqi deserts last March. It drew participation from a few state legislators, and Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi. Some, like Kilwanis, said they came because they wanted to counter the anti-war movement. Accomplishments made in Iraq are being overlooked by the news media, which have focused too heavily on bombings and the insurgency, they said. Others came because they had family members and friends in harm's way. "We're proud to be Americans, we're proud to support our country and, most of all, we're proud to support our troops," said Sheryl Sheaffer, a co-founder of Operation Support Our Troops, whose two sons, Scott and Adam, are both in the military. Monika Wilder, 57, of Olympia said she could still remember how soldiers such as her husband felt when they came home from Vietnam. She recalled seeing demonstrators outside the front gates at Fort Lewis as she headed there to wait for wounded troops being flown into Madigan Army Hospital. Her husband, Richard, had been wounded three times, she said. "I hope our troops are watching what we do, so it gives them more confidence -- the confidence we didn't have when my husband came back," she said. Theresa Mesiab, 24, of Tacoma said she came to show support for her fiance, Spc. Steven McCurdy, who deployed with the 81st Armored Brigade in February. They were engaged in December after a little more than a year together. "I was mad at the whole situation," she said. "But I support him, and I love him. I support all the troops." Nine-year-old Kymberly Green said she's looking forward to when her father, Army Sgt. James Green, comes home. "He's planning on taking the kids fishing," she said, while holding a "Support Our Troops" sign for traffic crossing the overpass to see. Her mother, Kathy, said Kymberly's father has been in the military for 20 years. "Mom's not doing so well," she said, explaining how her husband deployed in November. "I think they're doing the right thing, but I want them to hurry up so he can come home and retire." Scott Gutierrez can be reached at 360-754-5465 or sgutierr@olympia.gannett.com |
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Source: TheOlympian: Top Stories -The Olympian |
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