Posted on 09/29/2006 7:32:58 AM PDT by Albion Wilde
Washington, DC, September 22, 2006-- It's a balmy Indian summer evening, and all four corners of the entrance to Walter Reed Army Medical Center are swarming with nearly 70 FReepers and a Freeping dog. A man in a red "Free Republic 10 Year Anniversary" ball cap takes in the scene from his vantage point near the Mother of All Banners on the northeast corner. It is Jim Robinson, Free Republic's founder, who flew in from California for this special Free Republic weekend in the nation's capital for honoring the troops.
Since JimRob was here last year, the Code Pink demonstrators have been pushed away from the main gate by DC Chapter ingenuity, so his view across the street is of the main gates of Walter Reed completely surrounded by FReepers with troop-honoring flags, signs and banners, large and small. This Friday-evening FReep, now in its 75th week, has moved decisively away from countering Code Pink to its present focus on cheering the military and their family members who come and go from the gates. And the number of young people has been steadily growing. Tonight, there are dozens.
One of the college men commented, "We support out troops in spite of being from a very liberal campus. Many of our professors try to indoctrinate the students every day. For example, in my Logic class, virtually every example of logical fallacies given by the professor is about President Bush or the Iraq War. Another professor advertised an Iraq war protest in class. Academia is supposed to be a forum for many ideas, but it has become a platform only for the left."
Attendance at this week's FReep has only been surpassed once, in August of last year when Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity provided publicity. Tonight, FReepers from around the country flocked into the Capital for Support the Troops Weekend, for a total of 68 FReepers and one canine patriot.
FReepers present were: Albion Wilde, AllRightAlltheTime, ArmyMarineDad, ArmyMarineMom, BlueBlade, BufordP, ConcreteBob, Danang68, DoozerDude from Ohio, Exit 148 from New Jersey, Fraxinus, Freeping_In_Silence, Gretchen15, GunsAreOK, I Love W, Jimmy Valentine's Brother, Jim Robinson from California, JoyJoyfromNJ, Justanobody, Kristinn, Leofl from Texas, Pasquale from New York, whose son is with the Army in Afghanistan, Sasha123, Sensei Ern, Snoopy (canine FReeper from South Carolina), Syncro from California, Taco Mamma, TFroatz, tgslTakoma, 3D-Joy, Tom the Redhunter, Trooprally (Mr. & Mrs), and Upchuck from South Carolina.
GW students included: Alexis, Bill, Brand, Brandon, Chris, Claire, Dan, Gary, John, John H., Keith, Laura, Luke, Peter, Sergio, Stephanie, Tom and Will.
Lurkers and friends included: Barbara, Bill from Maryland, Brittany, Brynne, Cordelia, Ethel & George, Eva, Jerry from Ohio, Tierra, Tony from Ohio, Tyler, Olga, Protest Warriors Matthew and Russell & Joyce from Pennsylvania, and Korean War veteran Tim.
Protest Warriors were out in force:
WRAMC Garrison Commander Puts In a Good Word
TgslTakoma reports that as she was standing on the southwest corner with JoyJoyfromNJ, a car with an officer in it emerged from the gates and sat for a moment at the traffic light. "I waved," she continued, "and said, 'Thank you for keeping us safe.' He rolled the window down and said, 'I want to thank you for being here. I'm the Garrison Commander. It means a lot.' "
As the FReep began to wind down, Jim Robinson, asked to comment, added, "How grateful I am for all the servicemen who work so hard to preserve our freedom. They sacrifice so much. God bless 'em!"
But no FReep would be complete without a little good-natured prank or two at the Pinko's expense. This night, as the Pinkos huddled to confer at their prompt nine p.m. quittin' time (well before the buses arrive back at the gate containing soldiers they say they support), about 20 of the young people descended as a group to stand at the perimeter of the Pinko area. The students just stood there, at about fifteen yards, and gazed at the Pinkos, who were bunched together with their backs turned. Suddenly aware that they were under scrutiny, the Pinkos began to look over their shoulders at the students, who spontaneously set up a chant:
Again, no problem for the Pinkos.
The FReepers stayed around to wait for the buses and cheer our brave men and women of the U.S. military!
For a complete library of former Walter Reed FReeps maintained by BufordP, click here.
I totally agree; however, the FReeps in which George Washington participates are also worth noting: Click here.
Thanks for the link to your awesome essay about why journalism is inherently leftist. Over a thousand replies -- amazing! Everybody, go read that essay linked in Post 158!
Oh, you betcha! We have some very talented FReeper lenspersons....
God bless them!
Awesome, great job. My next vacation...
Thank you so much for being there to represent all of us FReepers. Sounds like a great freep!
Thank you for your service.
BTW, my wife and I are raising 7 little home-schooled patriots.
&&
Excellent! We need more good citizens.
Wonderful job, Albion! I'm sorry I missed all the fun.
Thanks for the bump.
Mr. Robinson,
You continue to impress me. You, and the good folks that pull this stuff together, make a difference in the lives of others.
Your efforts give many of us strength, focus, determination and hope for the future.
Thank you....
Thanks for serving.
It's the least we can do. You are are our heroes!!!
God bless and take care.
TNT
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