Posted on 10/11/2005 9:35:19 PM PDT by LibertyRocks
CHELSEA - People who knew Army Staff Sgt. John Doles and many who didn't took up U.S. flags Tuesday in his hometown to honor his sacrifice and defy an outside group that sought to turn the slain soldier's funeral into a stage for its message of hate. As Doles' funeral procession rolled past the brick buildings of the small town where he grew up, men, women and children stood with tears in their eyes and hands on their hearts.
"Respect," said 73-year-old Betty Benson, explaining why she waved a flag for the 29-year-old she never knew. "I think he deserves that."
Doles died Sept. 30 in an ambush in southern Afghanistan. He was squad leader in B Company 1-508th Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza Italy, where he lived with his wife, Heather, and their 12-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter.
He had previously served in Iraq, parachuting into the country in the opening days of the war in the largest combat jump since World War II.
Those who knew Doles described him as an outgoing friend, devoted father and a soldier eager to serve.
"John knew his stuff," said Sgt. Brian Waterman, Doles' friend and platoon sergeant when they served together at Fort Polk, La.
"I believe all of us here know how big a heart John had," Waterman told the more than 200 people crammed into the First Christian Church. "When we were all in Iraq with no e-mail, no phones, John still made sure Heather got flowers on her birthday."
Doles' death made the far off wars far more personal for the people of his hometown. And many brimmed with anger when a half-dozen members of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., showed up shortly before his funeral.
The church members, who have protested soldiers' funerals in Oklahoma and elsewhere, say God is punishing U.S. soldiers for defending a country that harbors gays.
They stood on a street corner in sight of the church and waved signs with messages such as "God Hates the USA" and "Don't Worship the Dead."
But even as they unfolded their signs, their protest was met with a counter protest that erupted in a full-throttle roar.
About 70 members of the leather-clad American Legion Riders from Kansas and Oklahoma revved their motorcycles for about 30 minutes, drowning out anything the church members tried to say.
Cregg Hansen, a Vietnam-era veteran who helped lead the counter protest, said Doles' family had wanted to hear the engines' roar.
The riders said they plan to do the same if the group attempts to disrupt other soldiers' funerals within riding distance.
"It ain't right to protest a sacred thing like this," said Ron Scrivner, a rider whose father is a veteran. "He (Doles) died for his country. They ought to show him the respect he deserves."
About 40 law officers were on hand during the protest, which ended peacefully when the church group left. The motorcyclists clutched flags and joined local residents in solemn tribute as the funeral procession passed through town.
No one mentioned the disruption during Doles' service.
His wife, son Logan and daughter Breanna sat inches away from the flag-covered casket. At the back of the sanctuary, Doles' war medals - which included a Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal - sat amid flickering candles.
The Rev. Richard Billings, who officiated at the Doles' wedding and Doles' baptism, said dying in Afghanistan "was not the last thing he ever did."
"His ministry is right now. Johnny Doles is a hero," Billings said. "We enjoy the freedom he worked for and gave his life for."
Because little old ladies in fur coats aren't toting huge knives [and God knows what else] in their boots?....LOL!
Awww....I bet he was cute before somebody let all the air outta him....:)
"It makes me sick that the Westboro gang continues to do this. I don't know if I could maintain composure at one of these funerals if they showed up."
When the Phelps flunkies show up, someone may get the idea to find some tar and some feathers, along with some rails.
That's always been my gripe about "conservatives".
They're usually very polite and civilized and don't engage in such confrontational actions.
We need to put aside etiquette occasionally and start scaring the crap outta liberals.
Going a little "Mad Max" now and then is a good thing.
[it's hubby's second favorite hobby]...:)
Nah. He's just clinically stupid!
It would be so funny to watch them as a hot tar trailer drove slowly past.
Gore and Wife Tipper Headlined Fundraiser at Phelps' Topeka Home; Phelps Family Reportedly Invited to Clinton-Gore Inaugurations in 93 and 97
Fred Phelps (left) and Al Gore (center) Fundraiser at Phelps Home Topeka, Kansas
Left to right: Fred Phelps, Tipper Gore, Betty Phelps, Al Gore
How much of his rhetoric is just wolf in sheep's clothing Christian bashing?
You will want to read this article.
Well like other hate filled politicians (Dean, Sharpton, Byrd, LaRouche and even Duke) he was a Democrat.
http://gaytoday.badpuppy.com/garchive/events/102600ev.htm
Though Westboro Baptist Church was incorporated in 1967, the group did not stage its first anti-gay protest until 1991. According to their Web site, they have staged "20,000" protests across the nation and around the world since then. At the funeral of gay murder victim Matthew Shepard, they held up signs reading "No Fags in Heaven" and "God Hates Fags."Anyone familiar with Democratic politics in Kansas knows that Fred Phelps Sr. was a political operative in the state and ran for governor in 1990, 1994 and as recently as 1998.
In 1998, he received 15 percent of the vote in the primary. He also ran for U.S. Senate in 1992. As a result, Phelps' name would likely be on all Democratic mailing lists for Kansas.
[snip]
Human Rights Campaign research indicates, say its officials, that the Vice President has had no interaction with this hate group since it began its anti-gay hysteria. “Everything the Vice President has said in support of equality for members of the gay and lesbian community stands in direct contrast to the Rev. Phelps' hate-filled messages.”
So did he "suddenly" flip? I even disregarded this pro-Dem-pro-gay website's claim that Phelps is also anti-black and anti-Jew. Such hatreds are unlikely to have spawned overnight.
If Phelps ran as a Democrat for office, why did it not receive the same headlines as David Duke's run?
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This puts a black mark on the Baptist Church. Time for the upper echelon to come out with a statement condemming this action. In this case silence is not golden but condoning.
Army Staff Sgt. John G. Doles, 29, of Claremore, Okla.
Warms my heart. Cheers for the Legion. Proud member. Jeers for the whackos.
Never underestimate little old ladies, either....besides, if those are decent, well used, riding boots, they are heavy, steel toed, and can unload a world of whupass just sitting empty... at least mine can!
Even better than Times Square was outside City Hall and over at Pace College after Kent State. I even remember Wall Streeters mixing it up with the pinkos at Wall and Nassau.
yee HAW!
There isn't a Baptist Pope, so to speak, to do that. SBC is the largest and most conservative denominational alliance using the name Baptist, and the Phugs would not touch even them with a ten mile pole.
Here's from a google search. Thought folks wouldn't mind if I posted it hear. To think that this hero saw and felt the same things. God bless him.
TRANSPORTING HISTORY
A Silverdale Air Force reservist was part of the largest U.S. air drop since World War II.
'A WHIFF OF IRAQI AIR'
Chris Barron
Sun Staff
April 21, 2003
Looking out over the frozen midnight air in northern Iraq, Derek Bryant stuck his head out the back of a mighty Air Force C-17 Globemaster III.
With night-vision goggles strapped on his helmet, he looked out into the distance and down at the ground.
"I kind of hung out and took a whiff of Iraqi air," said the master sergeant from Silverdale, a 16-year Air Force reservist. "We were kind of looking out there to see what's going on and spot for those guys as well."
Those guys were 102 paratroopers from the Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade, preparing for the biggest airdrop since World War II. The date was March 26 and the place Bashur Airfield, a must-have location for the United States to control in order to mount any sort of northern ground attack.
Bryant, 37, an 11-year Kitsap resident, is a C-17 loadmaster, in charge of all cargo and personnel being transported by the enormous jets.
A civil service employee at McChord Air Force Base just outside of Tacoma, Bryant was called up to active duty in mid-February. He performs basically the same job as a civilian as he does as a reservist. In the past three years, he's logged about 2,400 hours in a C-17.
The day he was informed of his activation, Bryant knew he would be a part of the massive 1,000-paratrooper air drop. Although he expected to be activated, he was surprised at the four-day notice.
"I went out to fly a local (mission) and I came back to the office and he said, 'You're leaving Saturday,' " Bryant recalled. "I said, 'Wait a minute, for what?' And he said, 'You're on the air drop crew.' "
His reserve unit, the 728th Airlift Squadron, was activated as a part of the 446th Airlift Wing, a 2,400-person unit at McChord that provides worldwide transportation of personnel and equipment. Reservists in the 446th fly about 25 percent of the more than 700 missions flown out of McChord each year.
Prior to arriving in Aviano Air Base in Italy a week before the historic air drop, Bryant's C-17 unit practiced for the air drop in Charleston, S.C. After moving to Frankfurt, Germany, they flew missions to Kuwait and other European bases to transport personnel and equipment.
A week before the drop date, the call came for the C-17s to head to Italy, the base of operation for the transport planes.
With high winds blowing through northern Iraq, the mission go-ahead wasn't given until 24 hours prior. Although most picture Iraq as a desert country, the northern region where the airfield was located had a light dusting of snow.
As the string of C-17s took off from Italy about 8 p.m., Air Force and Navy strike fighters led the way for the transport planes. The strike fighters bombed Iraqi troops and artillery to clear the way for defenseless C-17s.
"We were ready for everything," he said. "As an air crew member, we had our gear on, expecting to get shot down."
With Bryant's C-17 and all other aircraft entirely blacked out, the 30-minute call came from the pilots just before reaching the northern Iraq mountains. In just a half-hour's time, the air drop would begin.
Bryant, with night-vision goggles on, prepared the plane, completed the safety checks and finally opened the back door with 10 minutes remaining.
With one minute left and the inside combat lights turned on, Bryant looked outside to see if he could spot any ground fire, but only saw some far away -- and not aimed at the caravan of C-17s. Just then, the red jumper light came on, before turning amber and then green.
"Right then, you're in that zone to get those guys out," Bryant said. "I'm back there yelling, 'Go, go, go! Move, move, move!' "
With 51 soldiers attached to two cables, the air crew had 58 seconds to get the 102 paratroopers out of the plane. Being most soldiers' first time jumping in combat, some hesitated a bit as their turn came.
"I remember one kid stalling at the door, and another kid coming up behind him and kind of pushed him out because the line was flowing fast," Bryant said. "I saw the kid kind of roll along the platform. He didn't go off normal."
If the C-17s were taking on light fire, Bryant said they were told the air drop would continue. However, it would've been aborted if they were engaged with heavy ground fire.
Instead, the entire drop went as smoothly as planned. No paratroopers were lost and the heavy equipment, mostly Humvees, dropped intact, although many were stuck in heavy mud.
As the final paratroopers left the plane, Bryant got the 15-second call to pull in the straps and secure the door as the plane would quickly be leaving the region.
In the next few days, Bryant's C-17 went into Iraq twice more, this time landing at the secure airfield to unload personnel and about 80,000 pounds of equipment. Those missions, he said, felt even riskier than the air drop.
After the C-17 landed and stopped, the air crew had 10 to 20 minutes to unload the equipment before take-off. Even in the rush to unload everything, Bryant took a moment to gaze the scenery with his green-colored night vision.
"I got to looking around to see what was out there, and then you realize, 'I'm in Iraq,' " he said. "It's even more dangerous being on the ground. I prefer to keep on flying."
At his Silverdale home, Bryant pulled out an American flag that he said he'll eventually pass down to his 15-month-old son, Colby. He purchased it at the start of Operation Enduring Freedom and has taken with him on every mission he's flown.
On the night of the air drops, he hung the flag in the back of the plane.
"It was the first thing the troops saw coming on to the aircraft," Bryant said. "And during the air drop, we turned it around and hooked it up behind them so it would be the last thing they saw before they jumped out of the plane.
"That was pretty cool."
Staff photo by Larry Steagall
Air Force Reserve Master Sgt. Derek Bryant and two of his most valuable items -- his night-vision goggles and the American flag which he flew inside his C-17 aircraft. The flag has been with him in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The American Legion Riders are members of the American Legion who are also motorcycle enthusiasts. They can be found participating in parades, partaking in motorcycling events, and supporting the communities in which they live, work, and play. Members of the ALR come from the Legion, the Legion Auxilliary, and the Sons of the American Legion. The American Legion Riders were formed...
...to participate in parades and other ceremonies that are in keeping with the Aims and Purposes of the American Legion.
...to promote motorcycle safety programs and to provide a social atmosphere for American Legion members who share the same interest.
...to use our Association to promote and support programs of the American Legion.
The American Legion Riders is not a M/C, and does not practice M/C rules or regulations. The American Legion Riders is family-oriented, just as is its parent organization: the American Legion.
- American Legion Riders member: "Post 84 South Jersey" Oaklyn NJ
(If interested in joining Google American Legion Riders for a chapter near you)
Gotta love them bikers!
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