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FReep 50 at Walter Reed, March 31 (Heavy graphics, Join us April 7!)
DC Chapter ^ | April 7, 2006 | BillF with photos by iMacMan and zoomie81

Posted on 04/07/2006 5:11:36 AM PDT by BillF

Two Year Background

This was FReep #50 as FReepers have countered the anti-troop hate group Code Pink at their weekly obscene anti-war blood dance outside Walter Reed Army Medical Center for over a year and this FReep occurred more than two years after DC Chapter FReepers first countered leftist anti-troop demonstrators at Walter Reed.

On March 15, 2004, there was a preliminary skirmish, more than a year before the regular dueling protests between FReepers and Pinkos started. The leftists, including many Pinkos, protested at Walter Reed as they traveled in a mock funeral procession from Dover Air Force Base, Delaware to Walter Reed Army Medical Center to the White House. Doctor Raoul solo FReeped Chief Code Pinko Medea Benjamin and her allies at Dover AFB, whereas other DC Chapter members FReeped the leftists at Walter Reed and at the White House per below:

After-Action: DC Chapter FReeps Left for Exploiting War Dead and Wounded (March 15, 2004)

A few hours after the leftists' first blood dance outside Walter Reed, the FReep of leftists at the White House occurred and included a direct FReep of Chief Pinko Medea Benjamin near the White House

More than a year after that skirmish at Walter Reed, the leftists returned to Walter Reed for a week straight in late March of 2005.

We FReeped them on Wednesday, March 30, 2005 per the following link LIVE ACTION REPORT: Code Pink's Gail Murphy sends thugs into peaceful DC Chapter counterprotest.

Then the Pinkos decided to try their psych-op against our war-wounded heroes every Friday at Walter Reed. When we found out, we started counter-protesting them every Friday beginning on April 15, 2005. FReepers have been at Walter Reed peacefully counter-protesting the Pinkos every Friday since then, except that we missed one Friday in May due to exigent circumstances. Heat and humidity in summer, rain, snow, and cold haven't stopped us.

March 31 and Beyond

On March 31, we past the one year mark for our Walter Reed FReeps against Code Pink's anti-troop hate group. We FReeped on all four corners of the main gate at Walter Reed for the eleventh week in a row.  That followed the Pinkos' retreat as explained in the thread relative to January 20: Code Pink Retreats from Walter Reed-Freepers Win! (Week 40 Report at #1352).

We had a great turnout of FReepers from the DC Chapter and beyond including numerous other patriots as well as numerous Walter Reed patients. The night was warm, a nice change from the cool weather that we had been experiencing. Unfortunately, it was so windy that we could not deploy tgslTakoma's MOAB, Mother-Of-All-Banners.

The Pinkos have now been relegated to an area about a block away such that the wounded and their relatives do NOT have to pass close by them to enter or leave Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Indeed, the Pinkos' presence is easy to overlook such that many troops and relatives may not even be aware of the Pinkos.  (Plus, the Pinkos are at least a little closer to their beloved Castro in Cuba.) Since the Pinkos are completely gone from the gate, we continue to have many more wounded troops join us or stop by to thank us for being there.  Those troops who waved a flag or non-political sign (e.g. "Support Our Troops and Their Mission") or who spent extended time thanking us are being counted as being at the FReep.

We are winning our psych-op against the Pinkos and have almost demolished their heartless psych-op against our war-wounded troops, but we continue to need more FReepers and other patriots to attend. Please join us this Friday, April 7, at 6:30 pm per details below. Help us peacefully destroy the Pinkos evil scheme. Please also bump this thread to keep it on top. Stand up against the Pinkos who've endorsed "the Iraqi resistance" (as they call our enemy, see here and here), given money to the other side in Fallujah, and called our troops "killers."  Then, the Pinkos demonstrate at the hospital and pretend that they support our troops.

Lifting the spirits of our war-wounded heroes is what we aim to do. If you live in the area, please join us. If you really can't join us due to work, family, or medical reasons or you don't live in the area, you can help in other ways by contacting PleaDeal by FReepmail for ideas.

The honor roll of those in attendance (lurkers are marked with an asterisk*):

Albion Wilde, AlwaysFree, Bill (WR), Bill from Md*, BufordP, Carol* (sister of Sisku Hanne), Chckhawk, Damarcus (WR), Daniel (T) & his wife, Elizabeth (WR), Fraxinus, Garret (WR) & wife & mother-in-law, GunsareOK , iMacMan, Jerry (WR), Jimmy Valentine�s brother, kristinn, Laura*, Lauren*, Linda*, Livy, Marcy*, Sisku Hanne, Son of TGSL, tgslTakoma, Tom the Redhunter, trooprally (Mr. & Mrs.), zoomie81 & husband (Kieran) & 2 kids (from NJ!), and BillF.  (Walter Reed patients are noted by "WR" after their names. Non-WR troops labeled with a "T" after their names. Lurkers marked with an asterisk.)

We had pizza delivered so that those who didn't have time to eat before the FReep could get some food.

The event was so large that I can only present that part of the story that I saw. If you were there, please describe your own experiences at the FReep. Also, let me know if I publish your photo without your name or, worse, I mislabel you in a photo.

[CLICK ON A PHOTO TO OPEN A LARGER VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW if it has a border around it. If a photo doesn't have a border, it is not hyperlinked to a larger version.  Click on another hyperlinked photo and its larger version should open in the same window that the first enlarged photo did. Or you can simply close the window with the enlarged photo and click on another photo in the report to open a new window with an enlarged photo. Note that some of the wider photos may open in a window wider than your screen and you can use a horizontal scroll bar to see parts. Photos will be interspersed in the report.

Most of the photos are from iMacMan, but the hyperlinked photos were taken by zoomie81 and me. You can see who took a hyperlinked photo (i.e., borders at edge) by running your mouse over it. On other photos, right click on the photo and click properties. The key is this: photos taken by iMacMan begin with "IMG," photos taken by zoomie81 begin with "IMG" and also have "zoom" in their name,  and photos of mine begin with "DSCN." I have cropped some of the photos of others and edited for red-eye.]

Opposed to our 36 patriots, I counted 9 America-hating traitors and their dupes in the Pinko contingent at 8 pm, halfway through their event. The Pinkos might have gained a few more after that, but they continue to be dwarfed by our numbers, even in the liberal bastion of Washington, DC.

There was a little interaction when some FReepers went down a block across the street from the Pinkos. The FReepers rebuffed Pinko demands that FReepers could not stand on an empty sidewalk across the six-lane Georgia Ave from them, this being described in more detail on the outstanding blog (click here) of Tom the Redhunter. Some further interaction with the Pinkos will be described below.

There is a very small, but very vocal group, of FReepers who say that we should not bother to counter-demonstrate peacefully against the Pinkos at Walter Reed. That, despite the fact that, over the last year, hundreds of troops and relatives have thanked us for being there (and we always say, "no, we are thanking you for your service) and NO troops or relatives have ever suggested that we stay away. The following photo and description should establish completely that those very few FReepers (you know who you are) are completely misguided when they suggest that it would better for us to not counter the Pinkos.(I don't question the motives of most of that small group of FReepers, but they really don't understand the situation.)

With BufordP in the background, the back row is Garret, tgslTakoma, Jimmy Valentine's brother, and Garret's wife.
Daniel and his wife Elizabeth are in the foreground.

Daniel (above photo), a veteran of Iraq and still a soldier (albeit on extended leave), was not a patient at Walter Reed. His wife, Elizabeth, also a soldier, is a Walter Reed patient for a serious, non-combat, medical problem. Daniel was taking food up to his wife and walked around to talk with us. He asked how long we were going to be there. We told him and he brought his ailing wife out to greet us. Apparently, he thought that it might boost her spirits to meet with us. Please add Elizabeth and her husband to your prayer lists as they face difficulties. God bless them and all our troops and their families.

Garret (above photo), who lost his right arm in combat, came out to greet us along with his wife and his mother-in-law (she's not in above photo). He and his relatives told us how much they appreciated us supporting them.

When I greeted Garret, I extended my right hand towards his left hand. Instead of extending his left hand, he put out his prosthesis and I shook it. I thanked him for his service and for my freedom.

I did not mention to Garret an eerie recollection that I was having. Two years back, an Iraqi man whose right hand had been chopped off by "doctors" employed by the butcher of Baghdad, Saddam Hussein, was visiting the U.S. to get a prosthesis. Upon meeting the Iraqi, I reached out to towards the left hand of the man, but instead, he put out his right handless forearm and I shook it.

The meeting with Garret underlined that the sacrifice of Garret and thousands like him, including those of our brave troops who gave the last full measure of devotion, was what allowed the Iraqi man to get a prosthesis. More than that, the sacrifices of Garret and our other troops are what prevent Saddam and his allies from butchering more people. Ultimately, those sacrifices keep us free. Our troops go into harm's way to keep us safe. We can never thank them enough.

One of the soldiers, Sisku Hanne, and her sister, Carol.

Unidentified patriot, trooprally (Mr.), and BufordP

zoomie81 behind her twins, Michael and Haley, and next to husband, Kieran.

We were pleased to have zoomie81 (photo above), her husband, Kieran, and her kids join us all the way from a northern place in NJ. She's former Air Force and her husband is an ex-Marine.

If you're outside the DC area, we would gladly welcome you to FReep with us. Come to DC, which is now beautiful in spring, visit the tourist sites, and FReep with us on Friday night. Smithsonian's vast array of Museums (Air and Space Museum is most popular and now has an extensive and amazing annex in nearby Virginia close to Dulles Airport), the Iwo Jima Memorial, Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln Monuments, the Vietnam and WWII Memorials, Arlington National Cemetery, and the International Spy Museum are among the more popular places to visit.

BillF (rarely seen), iMacMan, Zoomie81's son, Michael, and Linda.

Zoomie81's amazingly well-behaved twins, Haley and Michael, chcknhawk, Tom the Redhunter, and Albion Wilde.
BufordP is behind the sign, one of his great, giant ones.

trooprally (Mrs.) and tgslTakoma.

Lauren, Marcy, Livy, and Laura.


chcknhawk
, an Iraqi war veteran, stands just to the
right of the Pink shirted Pinko to discuss things with
them

 

chcknhawk between Perry Guitar Guy and Pink shirt

chcknhawk, a soldier who served in Iraq, went down to discuss matters with the Pinkos as shown in the above photos. Allison Yorra of Code Pink told him that the insurgents (as she calls the Iraq branch of Al Qaeda) were "justified in attacking Americans." Surprise, surprise, that the America-hating traitors support the organization that killed 3000 of our fellow citizens on September 11, 2001. The details of the discussion are on chcknhawk's great blog A Soldier's Perspective.

A view of the main FReeper corner from across the street.

Another view from across the street.

Another across-street view.

Still another across-street view.

BufordP talks to two leftists who came
to one of our corners.

This is the graphic from one of BufordP's
giant signs.

Two leftists, apparently mother and daughter, came to our Southwest corner position very late in the FReep. They were looking for the Code Pinkos, but debated Tom the Redhunter, BufordP, and chcknhawk. Buford probably opened the daughter's mind to the possibility that the leftists are wrong. chcknhawk had the mother verbally tied in knots as he explained the Iraq War from his experience as having served there and using his great command of facts. By the time, the two of them left, the Pinkos a block away were packing it in for the night.

As shown below, a couple Howard University students wanted to document the dueling protests between us and Code Pink. I didn't get a chance to talk with them, but others told me that they seemed quite fair, nice, and professional.

Howard Univ. camera woman.

Howard U. reporter/student.
 

Laura, who has to get the award as most energetic at a FReep, was jumping for joy as she cheered our troops and waved at the passsing cars. She led young Michael and Haley to similar exuberance. It was great!

The waving and the enthusiasm really does make a difference as will be seen in the photos below. 

Laura leads Michael and Haley in cheering.

Albion Wilde, Damarcus, Sisku Hanne, and Carol

Without captioning, below are presented some photos of positive responses from passing motorists. iMacMan, who took these amazing photos, added arrows to some to highlight the expression of support. Although some of the cars were entering or leaving Walter Reed, others were just driving by.


 


 


 


 


 


 

The bus carrying wounded back from dinner.

The bus carrying wounded troops back from a free meal at Fran O'Brien's, a fancy DC restaurant, came back quite early tonight. We all started chanting "U.S.A! U.S.A!" and waving to the troops inside as they waved back.

Let's help our wounded heroes maintain a positive attitude.  We absolutely must keep the pressure on Code Pink and keep showing the wounded troops at Walter Reed that Code Pink doesn't speak for the nation. If you live in the DC area and haven't yet come out for one of these FReeps, please do so this next Friday. Injured Walter Reed patients, including amputees, and their families have repeatedly told us how important it is for us to be there to counter Code Pink and their ugly anti-troops agenda.

f we can sufficiently outnumber the leftists often enough, embarrassment may cause the leftists to stop these outrageous morale-damaging ("Maimed for a lie" was one of their commonly-used signs) demonstrations at the hospital. If some are immune to embarrassment, and, at the very least, we can hinder their psychological warfare operation against the wounded troops. What about you? Can you spare a few hours on a Friday night? 

Can you give up next Friday night at the movies to support troops who've given up limbs for your freedoms? Will you?

This FReep is rewarding, fun, and important for our troops and our nation.


TOPICS: Activism/Chapters; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: aar; antiwar; codepink; codepinkdc; dcchapter; freepcodepink; infinitefreep; rally; supportourtroops; troopsupport; walterreed
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For those of you in the DC area, we need some additional FReepers to join us for FReeping Code Pink every Friday night, until further notice, starting at 6:30 pm and until about 9:30 pm. How about coming out this Friday? You can join us in progress if you can't make the beginning of the event.

Can you sacrifice an evening to honor the much greater sacrifice that the troops are making for our freedom?

We shall continue FReeping the Code Pinkos every Friday night until they stop their obscene blood dance outside the hospital of our war-wounded. If you agree with me that it is outrageous for Code Pinkos to protest a war at a hospital with war-wounded troops inside, please come out and join us in a peaceful counter-protest.

One of the amputees told me months ago that he doesn't want other wounded troops coming into Walter Reed and seeing only the Code Pinkos at the gates. He explained that the FReeper presence there was extremely important to counter the Pinkos. Please join us and be a part of our peaceful counter-protest to Code Pink.

Keeping the Pinkos away from the desirable locations at the gate of Walter Reed requires us to have enough people to occupy each of four corners.

Please don't let the troops think that regular Americans are too busy with TV, ballgames, movies and other recreation to peacefully counter America-hating leftists.

Being there with us in spirit is great, but we need people to hold the MOAB (Mother of all banners), other signs, and flags. Maybe you can't come every week, but please make it your patriotic duty to join us at least once in the near future.

As always, the DC Chapter's rules for protesting will be in effect.

Briefly, they are: No violence. No profanity. No racism. No provocations. Obey the law. Treat all law enforcement officers with respect.

Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 7200 Georgia Ave., at Elder St., NW

We've been setting up on all four corners at Walter Reed's entrance gate per our permits, whereas the Pinkos are barely visible about a block away (and out of any good location).

On street parking is usually easy to find. Location is about 6 or 7 blocks from Takoma metro station and is walkable, but it is best if you get a ride. If you want a ride, FReepmail me, preferably with your cell phone number as far in advance as possible. If you wait until Friday afternoon, I may be away from the computer.

1 posted on 04/07/2006 5:11:44 AM PDT by BillF
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To: BillF; BufordP
Figures Buford would be working the babes! ;-) Way to take one for the team, buddy!

Great job as always, Bill. Keep up the good fight!

2 posted on 04/07/2006 5:21:56 AM PDT by Coop (Proud founding member of GCA - Gruntled Conservatives of America)
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To: 1 Olgoat; 103198; 10Ring; 11Bush; 1stbn27; 2ndClassCitizen; 2SterlingConservatives; 2yearlurker; ...
DC Chapter ping! Please bump this thread to keep this on top of the latest posts.

FReepmail me to get on or off the list.

Injured Walter Reed patients, including amputees, have repeatedly told us how important it is for us to be there to counter Code Pink.

If we can sufficiently outnumber the leftists often enough, embarrassment may cause some leftists to stop these outrageous morale-damaging ("Maimed for a lie" was one of their signs) demonstrations at the hospital. At the very least, we can peacefully and lawfully minimize the effect of their psych-ops against the troops.

Our troops are bold enough to face bullets, mortars, IEDs, and suicide bombers. Are you bold enough to get out from behind the keyboard, FReep in person, and stand up for the wounded troops at Walter Reed?

If you're in the DC area and don't have family, work or medical considerations that keep you from FReeping, can you spare a few hours on a Friday night? Will you?

3 posted on 04/07/2006 5:28:37 AM PDT by BillF (Fight terrorists in Iraq & elsewhere, instead of waiting for them to come to America!)
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To: Coop
Figures Buford would be working the babes! ;-)

LOL from your great comment, even though neither would qualify as a "babe."

4 posted on 04/07/2006 5:33:25 AM PDT by BillF (Fight terrorists in Iraq & elsewhere, instead of waiting for them to come to America!)
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To: BillF; BufordP

Oh, I dunno. Without lowering myself any further into the gutter, the one on the left seems to make a nice impression as she's departing.


5 posted on 04/07/2006 5:35:30 AM PDT by Coop (Proud founding member of GCA - Gruntled Conservatives of America)
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To: BillF
Excellent Report - Thanks for you time putting it together.

[Mr] T
6 posted on 04/07/2006 5:38:40 AM PDT by trooprally (Never Give Up - Never Give In - Remember Our Troops)
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To: Coop

After they left, I was guessing that she was 19 or 20, but someone else (Buford or Tom the Redhunter?) told me that he thought she was probably more like 15.


7 posted on 04/07/2006 5:38:54 AM PDT by BillF (Fight terrorists in Iraq & elsewhere, instead of waiting for them to come to America!)
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To: BillF

Excuse me. I need to go to confession now.


8 posted on 04/07/2006 5:39:59 AM PDT by Coop (Proud founding member of GCA - Gruntled Conservatives of America)
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To: Tom the Redhunter; BufordP; chcknhawk
Excitement again on the SOUTHWEST corner, after we [Mr] & [Mrs]had to leave?? I keep telling FReepers, after the MOAB corner, this is the next best corner to be on. I assume we won't be seeing those two again.

[Mr] T
9 posted on 04/07/2006 5:42:35 AM PDT by trooprally (Never Give Up - Never Give In - Remember Our Troops)
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To: trooprally; Tom the Redhunter
It's possible we may see them again. Mom and daughter duette. They were headed for the Code Stinkos. The mom asked me if our corner was for the peace vigil. I said, "Yes, we're 'peace vigiling'. You don't need candles to vigil do ya? We're for peace ... through strength!"

That's when she realized we weren't the peoples she was looking for.

We talked with them for awhile until Tom said something to set off mom and they left.

10 posted on 04/07/2006 6:07:14 AM PDT by BufordP ("I am stuck on Al Franken 'cause Al Franken's stuck on me!" -- Stupid)
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To: BufordP; Tom the Redhunter

That *&#$@% Tom! Why can't he be more laid back like you 'n me?


11 posted on 04/07/2006 6:08:37 AM PDT by Coop (Proud founding member of GCA - Gruntled Conservatives of America)
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To: trooprally

It doesn't get exciting until you guys leave ( :), or the leftists wait until you two have left before they start their mischief, or a coincidence.

What do you think? :)


12 posted on 04/07/2006 6:09:46 AM PDT by BillF (Fight terrorists in Iraq & elsewhere, instead of waiting for them to come to America!)
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To: BillF

morning bump


13 posted on 04/07/2006 6:16:42 AM PDT by nina0113
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To: BillF

Great job, BillF!!!


14 posted on 04/07/2006 6:18:53 AM PDT by PleaDeal (Concretebob for Pres. in '08)
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To: BufordP; Tom the Redhunter; Coop
Buford said: until Tom said something to set off mom and they left.

It didn't happen that way.

The mother was talking to Tom, the daughter was talking to you. The mother did get mad at something Tom said and she threatened to leave or said that she was leaving. However, she simply moved 8 or 10 feet (as Tom ceased talking to her) and she started discussing issues with chcknhawk for a good five or ten minutes. Tom had broken away from the talks as chcknhawk (politely) tied the mother into verbal knots.

The mother and daughter didn't leave because of anything Tom said. (And what he had said to the mother was hardly anything really objectionable.)

15 posted on 04/07/2006 6:24:19 AM PDT by BillF (Fight terrorists in Iraq & elsewhere, instead of waiting for them to come to America!)
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To: BillF; BufordP

I like Buford's version much better. :-)


16 posted on 04/07/2006 6:29:28 AM PDT by Coop (Proud founding member of GCA - Gruntled Conservatives of America)
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To: BillF

Probably both

But we'll be there all night tonight.

[Mr] T


17 posted on 04/07/2006 6:41:15 AM PDT by trooprally (Never Give Up - Never Give In - Remember Our Troops)
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To: BillF

I wish I lived there, or at least closer, for I would be there in not just soul but body, too.

Keep up the good work.


18 posted on 04/07/2006 6:48:53 AM PDT by synbad600
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To: BillF

Waiot a minute, where the picture of me and my adoring blondes?

Zoomie81 is fighting the good fight in her leftist home town. It was great that she was able to make the WRAMC scene. BTW BillF, I don't know how many times that I have to remind you there is no such thing as an ex-Marine. They're just no longer on active duty.


19 posted on 04/07/2006 6:51:13 AM PDT by Jimmy Valentine's brother (Crush Code Pink, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of the womyn)
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To: BillF

Great AAR as always. My thanks to all the folks who showed the troops the real support they have. (And to those who attempted to pry open the eyes and minds of the clueless moonbats and moonbats-in-training.)


20 posted on 04/07/2006 6:54:43 AM PDT by JoyjoyfromNJ (IJN, sDg)
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