5,000+ show support for U.S. at USA Stadium in Millington

The Commercial Appeal ^ | 3/22/03 | Wood Baird

[GailA]

5,000+ show support for U.S. at USA Stadium in Millington

By Woody Baird The Associated Press March 22, 2003

MILLINGTON, Tenn. — Ricky Hunt held a poster with an 8-by-10 photograph of a young Marine and carried a large Marine Corps flag over his shoulder as he stood at the entrance to USA Stadium Saturday for a pro-military rally.

Hunt, who lives in nearby Bartlett, said he spent seven years coaching baseball for the soldier, Lance Cpl. Brandon Thornton, an 18-year-old reservist called to duty in the 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marine Division, which is now guarding prisoners in Iraq.

Hunt said with tears in his eyes that Thornton is a "just a great guy," but added that "we came out for all our boys.

"We're really tired of all the protesters. I don't understand them. I think they ought to remember where they got their freedom," Hunt said.

By the end of the rally, the poster was covered with signatures and it will be given to Thornton when he returns home.

The event at the baseball stadium was coordinated by American Legion Post 252 and Memphis, Tenn., radio station WREC. Organizers passed out free small American flags and collected donations for the post's "Military Family Support Network." The beginning of the program was delayed about 45 minutes because of a traffic jam on the two-lane highway leading to the stadium. The bleachers, which seat 5,000, were packed — with several hundred people standing in the grass.

(THIS IS ME) Organizer Gail Keasling of Millington told the crowd that even though many countries and people within the U.S. opposed the war, they should support the troops.

"America is not perfect, folks, but she's darned near perfect," Keasling said, adding that "freedom is not free. It's paid for by the blood of our military."

Fifteen American flags were lined up on each side of the field parallel to the first and third base lines, another flag flew from the light pole in centerfield, and there were American and Tennessee flags at second base.

A green C-130 military plane made periodic passes over the field, and the crowd broke out into several spontaneous chants of "USA, USA, USA."

Veterans of World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam and the first Gulf War spoke at the rally, where the parking lot was filling with vehicles sporting American flags on bumpers, windows and attached to the backs of pickup trucks.

On one car, a sticker read: "If you love your freedom, thank a vet." A shoe polish message on the window of a van said: "Support our troops, they keep us free."

Brian Styer, a former Navy medic who has been in a wheelchair since the nerves in his legs began deteriorating after the Gulf War, spoke on behalf of disabled veterans.

"All these folks that are out there protesting, they need to realize that if they didn't have men and women willing to sacrifice their blood, their health and their lives, they wouldn't even have that right to protest," he said.

Walter Hollyfield, a pilot during Vietnam who now lives in nearby Atoka, said the troops are in Iraq now "to try to keep war from coming here."

Millington, a town of 10,500 about 10 miles north of Memphis, is home to a military base called the Naval Support Activity Mid-South, which includes a personnel and recruiting command and a manpower analysis center.

About 1,600 military personnel and 2,200 civilian employees work on the base.

Until 1993, the base was called the Memphis Naval Air Station and housed a technical school for young sailors being trained for aircraft maintenance and air traffic control.

Millington is the only Memphis suburb with a sizable military presence and has long prided itself as a center for pro-USA attitudes.

The baseball stadium is a former training site for the U.S. Olympic team that is currently used for high school and college tournaments. Last year, the U.S. team of junior college All-Stars defeated the Chinese national team in a five-game series.

[meyer]

Nice job there on the other end of the state, Gail!!!

[Mama_Bear]

Wow, Gail! Great job!

BUMP!!

[NewRomeTacitus]

You beat us by at least 3,000 here in Nashville: FANTASTIC!
Our paper does it's best to paint Memphis as a "sensible Democrat stronghold" and boasts of it's "progressiveness" over Knoxville, Nashville & Chattanooga on a regular basis while never revealing the "Fed-dependence" habit past Memphis politicians set up to tie the city to DC's agenda. Your turn-out proves patriotism remains strong despite the welfare lobby's attempts to minimize our influence.
While the pharoah's done a lot of lopping (my alma matter included) he never hesitates to solicit for federal assistance whenever possible.

[GailA]

That was the Boy/Girl Scouts doing the Pledge.

[Dixielander]

A few observations about the participants at the rally:

My son and I were among the many who were caught in the traffic jam on the expressway. Although it took us a good 30 or more minutes to clear it, not one horn honked showing impatience, and drivers exiting the ramp onto the highway to the stadium were courteously allowed to merge to the far left lane by motorists already on the highway.

Sitting around me in the bleachers were some of the nicest people one could imagine. They were so pleasant and polite that it was a joy just to be among them.

Out of the 5000+ people who attended the rally, I was amazed that another son, his wife and my year-old granddaughter walked right in front of our seats. When we hailed them, all of the folks on our bench made room for them to sit with us.

All in all it was a heaven-sent day---beautiful weather, beautiful people and beautiful messages from the speakers.

Gail, thanks for putting together a most impressive rally. I know our troops will be edified by the support that this community has for them. God bless the troops, America and patriots everywhere.

[GailA]

Call Bob Kiser at Millington CTV (community tv) he Videoed the entire event and will have copies for sale at a nominal price.4808 Navy rd 901-873-1622

[mafree]

All CNN can do is report on a pro-war rally that they say drew 500. Why didn't they report on this one or the one in my town, which drew 2000?

[Tunehead54]

Fantastic! Thanks for the graphic - slightly inflated - to overcome media deflation of Support our Troops Rallies numbers.

[usnusmcret]

Camp Smedley Butler.... I like that!!! I spent five wonderful years there. I am retired Navy Chief Petty Officer from 1st MAW. Anyway, the USMC RA-5 you were asking about is still there. A few were removed but that one wasn't. The BLUE ANGEL on northside is there, too.

Semper Fi!!

John Cunningham
Atoka, Tennessee
CPO(FMF), USN, ret

[Libertina]

Great rally report Gail and you were marvelous! Cheers! BTW Our media coverage was also bad. They gave credit for Rally For America to another group, and reported the Bellevue rally of between 4 and 6 THOUSAND as several hundred. Later they said we had more people, but it was because it was "hosted" by our radio station (untrue) and that made it regional not local. (Another lie) What to do with them?
GailA BUMP!

[SerpentDove]

FREE REPUBLIC LIBERTY WEEKEND POSTER

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[SAMWolf]

Congratulations GailA.

Sounds like you organized a very successful Rally.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Sounds wonderful, Sam. Thanks.