Posted on 09/21/2007 11:13:26 AM PDT by Albion Wilde
Edited on 09/21/2007 8:26:05 PM PDT by Lead Moderator. [history]
WASHINGTON, DC, September 14, 2007— This week, thousands of veterans, civilian supporters and military family members came to the Nation's Capital to lobby Congress to support the troop surge in Iraq, witness General Petraeus's report, or attend Saturday's Gathering of Eagles III. Many also chose to spend Friday with the DC Chapter of Free Republic cheering the wounded at Walter Reed. Some 157 patriots, representing 24 states and DC, surrounded the gates — the most ever in the 126 weeks the DC Chapter has been rallying outside Walter Reed every Friday night to counter anti-war demonstrators. By more than 10 to 1, we outnumbered the dozen or so decency-deprived moonbats who showed up down the street.
We were buoyed by the presence not only of military families and Gathering of Eagles (GoE) leaders, but also by renowned journalists Melanie Morgan, who published a series of accounts on the Move America Forward (MAF) site, and Michelle Malkin, who posted a video on her news site HotAir (and also here). Ms Malkin's article mentions an early count of 109 for our side, but our Honor Roll below lists 157 — and there would have been more if it hadn't rained!
Since all the the radical leftists George Soros could afford were scheduled to show up in DC the following day for their advertised "die-in" on the Capitol lawn, you'd think a few more would have come to CodePink's weekly Walter Reed "vigil." Two obvious conclusions must be drawn: One: bad-mouthing the military while facing the disapproval of a large group of real veterans is a knee-knocking dose of reality. And Two: it's just too inherently disgusting to protest the war at a military hospital, even for Marxist die-hards. That should tell you something about the paid agitators who do persist.
The DC Chapter rules for FReeping in public prohibit violence, profanity or unlawful behavior. Ever since we chased the Pinkos away from the main gates 19 months ago, we stay clear of them unless they start something, as CodePink leaders like to do from time to time. But with so many other organizations on "our" corners for this FReep, several veterans decided on their own that they've earned the right to stand where they want on the public sidewalk outside Walter Reed, even if it meant getting into the lefties' faces:
Most of the evening, however, focused as usual on four hours of cheering everyone who came and went from Walter Reed, answering with hoots and hollers the non-stop whistles, shouts, beeps, arm signals and airhorns of passing traffic, and dancing in the streets with flags when the bus arrived to return wounded troops to Walter Reed after dinner in town:
National GoE Leaders and Media:
Capt. Larry Bailey, Chairman, Gathering of Eagles (GoE)
Colonel Harry Riley, Chairman, EaglesUP
(with his son Brad and grandson Ryan)
Chris Hill, GoE National Director of Operations
Ernie "Smiling Hawk" Tucker, co-Chaplain, GoE; Chaplain, Military Order of the Purple Heart
Melanie Morgan, journalist, radio host; Chairman, Move America Forward
Michelle Malkin, Bryan Preston, journalists, HotAir.com
Kit Lange, GoE webmistress
Gold Star family members and Speakers for GoE rally:
Debbie Lee, Gold Star Mother
Deborah Johns, Blue Star mother
Gary Qualls Gold Star Father
Gary's sister, Angel, Gold Star Mother and Blue Star Mother
Deb May, Gold Star Wife
Laura Youngblood, Gold Star Wife
FReepers, from DC Chapter and many other states: 3-DJoy, AConservativeRealist, Albion Wilde, BillF, chcknhawk, Cindy-True-Supporter, concretebob, Danang68, Deputy Dawg, Doctor Raoul, do the dhue, EaglesUpFlorida (FL GoE & EaglesUp Coordinator), Fraxinus, GodBlessUSA, GunsAreOK, HonestConservative, Jimmy Valentine's brother, JoyJoyfromNJ, kristinn (DC Chapter co-leader), Little Bill, LUV W, mithglin, Mrs.Nooseman and Pretty Kitty (Oregon), mtngrandpa (Colorado GoE Coordinator), Olney-Keith, Pasquale, ponsdorf, PrezUSA222, Race Bannon, STUDABAKER, Taco Mamma, TennesseeNana, tgslTakoma, Tom the Redhunter, TroopRally [Mr & Mrs], Trueblackman, USMCdaughter1, VAflagwaver, VictoryNY and Yorktownpatriot.
DC area lurkers: Alicia, Andrea, Bill from MD, Mrs chcknhawk and 3 kids, Eddie, George & Ethel, Matt, Michael, Rocco, T.J. and Verity Kindle (Little Green Footballs).
PATRIOTS, BY STATE (some State groups also included persons named above):
California: Mary P (MAF) and Mike of Operation Helmet (provides helmet upgrade kits to help prevent combat brain injury).
Colorado: Freewheeler (GoE; "Support Victory" car magnets), and Susie.
Connecticut: Dinky Dawg (EaglesUp).
Florida: Denny, Ed D, Frank, R.J., Ron and Tommy (Vietnam vets).
Illinois: Don Costello (GoE, Vets for Freedom State Coordinator).
Indiana: Jim J (GoE, Indiana State Coordinator), Kurt (active duty Army) and Ron R.
Louisiana: Robert (Special Forces veteran).
Massachusetts: Paul (Iraq vet), Tony and Rich.
Nevada: Fritz
New Hampshire: (Freeper listed above)
New Jersey: Karl (Coastal NJ Protest Warrior Chapter Leader), Bob G, Carl, Carolyn, Holly, Garth, John, Tim.
New York: Deborah, Frank, Joe S, Julia, Monk (22-yr Marine vet, Lebanon – just enlisted in Army), Phil & Kathy.
North Carolina: Bubba & Donna, Chris, Daniel (Army ROTC, UNC-Charlotte), Emmit (GoE), Jamie & George Samek (GoE), Jim T, Kelly, Larry (Bubba's brother-in-law), Lori & Larry Hoffa (GoE), Mike (Vietnam vet), Tina M (Blue Star Mother), Patrick, Pete M, Ray (Vietnam vet), Soapbox (Rolling Thunder), Yack (Patriot Guard, EaglesUp) & Yack's Girl.
Oregon: (2 FReepers listed above)
Pennsylvania: Bill from Schwenksville, Bob, Squid Doe (Patriot Guard & GoE), and FReeper Olney-Keith's Mom, Dad, wife Sara & her Mom.
South Carolina: Don & Stan (Rolling Thunder, Vietnam Vets of America), George B.
Tennessee: Leta Carruth of ProgressThroughPeace foundation, providing social infrastructure to Kosovo communities.
Texas: Amanda, Joe V (Iraq vet), Ken and Street Sleeper.
Virginia: Angela, Daniel (active duty Coast Guard), Linda, Ranger Steve & Susan, and YankeeMom.
Wisconsin: 1SGWalt, Tracy.
Vermont: Kathy Upton (GoE VT State Coordinator).
West Virginia: Jack (GoE), daughters Megan &Janie.
GoE & Eagles Up, home states unknown: Chris "Airborne", Dave and Ron K.
Belize, Central America: Jim D (Vietnam vet).
Additional Links:
BufordP's Archive of all Walter Reed FReeps
Come join the Walter Reed FReep every Friday between the hours of 6:30 pm to approx 9:30 pm, at Georgia Ave and Elder Sts NW, Washington, DC. Parking on the north east corner on Elder Street, or in the church parking lot.
Directions to our Walter Reed FReep location from the Takoma Metro station
If you can't get to DC but would like to do something for the wounded,
get ideas by FReepmailing Albion Wilde, Cindy-True-Supporter, VAFlagwaver, or PleaDeal.
.
We’re a team, baby! Yeah!
You, too, are missed when you can’t be there. Hope to see you tonight.
Buuump!
wish I could have joined with y’all, but I’ll just have to experience the thrill through your words and pix. Instead of me being there, I presented MAF a couple sets of chimes to be delivered to a recovering serviceman/woman at WR as well as one set to a Gold Star family of their choosing.
I got one of those big ol lumps in my throat, a shudder in my heart and my monitor went all blurry when I found out the Gold Star Family recipient was from Clovis CA (just down the road from me) who recently lost their second son to the WOT.
Thanks for being there, y’all.
WAY TO GO, Eagles/all!!!
free dixie,sw
I wish I could go to WR tonight. :)
Looking Good!
OUTSTANDING!
Great photo of two American patriots! God bless all of you.
Big PING for all those Patriots!
Big OOH-RAH! for your Fantastic Work here!
(I sit here going nuts!-edit and loading mine!Hopefully I will be finished by tonight!)
DA
Thanks! It was an honor to stand (out in the rain) with these wonderful people who do this week after week, no matter what the weather conditions!
The troops seem to love them, too! :D
It was a privilege to join those folks that come together
no matter what the weather to show their love for the troops.
You do your part (and wonderfully, too) and we thank you for
it and also for your service, Dave. You are a hero of mine!
I wish we were all together again to go tonight!
It was a trip of a lifetime, GB! I miss you...and everyone!
I don’t get to see that kind of troop-support out here in
the boonies! :D
Thank you Albion.
It was an awesome experience for my daughter and me.
We will try to attend another WR FReep in the future.
I will always cherish the memory of this experience until I can participate again,as will my daughter.
I second that.
Lots of work went into this AAR. Thank you Albion. Thanks to everyone who was blessed to be there (even in the rain). You are doing God’s work supporting our wounded heros. Every week, when I read the AARs, I wish with all my heart to be there. Sigh.
Our Troops have won this war. We the people may lose the war, if we allow Code Pink and others to steal our resolve.
Keep up the great work!!!
WOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Great time was had by all...
Thanks, AW, Kristinn and DC Chapter...
:)
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