Posted on 04/28/2006 9:08:43 AM PDT by BillF
This FReep is a continuation of a struggle over more than one year with Code Pink at Walter Reed after a preliminary skirmish more than two years ago. The background is in the beginning of last week's report. Here is a listing of reports (the link itself may open a pop-up window) from all of the WR FReeps as compiled and updated by BufordP. (Unfortunately, I have yet to upload the photos from most of the earlier reports following relocation of my website to a different hosting company. Until I do, many of the earlier photos will be missing.)
Kudos to PleaDeal (aka, The Gunn Nut) who publicized the WR FReep to those attending a MilBlog conference in the DC area such that numerous of the bloggers attended the FReep in spite of terrible weather. The rain started early in the FReep, became very heavy, and occasionally was hard enough that we gave serious thought to collecting pairs of animals for a long boat ride. The FReep started with the temperature above 60 degrees, but dropped to mid-fifties as the rain continued.
We had a great turnout of dedicated FReepers from the DC Chapter and beyond as we FReeped on all four corners of the main gate at Walter Reed for the 14th week in a row. (Our control of the four corners 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). )
The Pinkos continue to be 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. Since the Pinkos are completely gone from the gate, we usually have many wounded troops join us or stop by to thank us for being there. Tonight, in spite of the rain, and probably because of the tremendous buzz generated by the MilBloggers, we had a large number of wounded troops join us.
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 28, at 6:30 pm per details below. 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*):
Adam*, Agnieszka*, Albion Wilde, Alex (from NJ, B), Bear (WR), Bill from MD*, BufordP, Carol (MB), Cindy-true-supporter, Dustin (WR), Fraxinus, Heidi (MB, Euphoric Reality), Jeff*, Jeremiah (WR), Jim and Carla (MB, Some Soldier s Mom), John (WR), JoyjoyfromNJ, Ken (WR), Laurie (MB, Soldiers Angels NY) and her Mother, MaryAnn (MB, Soldiers Angels Germany), Melanie (MB), PleaDeal, posterchild (from Massachusetts!), Rex (WR, Desert Storm, Iraq War), Rob (WR), Sandy (MB), Special Guest (whose identity is secret), Stacy (MB), tgslTakoma, Toni (MB, Bear Creek Ledger), trooprally (Mr. and Mrs.), Wendy (from Wisconsin, B), Wild Bill (WR, Vietnam, Grenada, Desert Storm, Iraq War), and BillF. (Walter Reed patients marked with "WR," MilBloggers marked with "MB," other bloggers marked with "B," and lurkers marked with an asterisk. The links for some MilBloggers are to the person's MilBlog.)
The honor roll is incomplete. The rain was so hard that the ink was running on my paper as I tried to write down names. I switched to using a recorder to ask people to let me record their first names, but could not keep doing that, lest the recorder get damaged from the rain. There were probably another 8 to 10 people who joined us and have not been listed.
[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. I didn't take any photos because of the rain and I was spending my time trying to get the attendance. Photos taken by tgslTakoma and by PleaDeal will be interspersed in the report. You may see all of tgslTakoma's photos here and all of PleaDeal's photos here. This is tgslTakoma's blog and this is PleaDeal's blog and it included this report on the FReep.
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 tgslTakoma have a name beginning with "D-tgsl" and photos taken by PleaDeal have a name beginning with "D-pd." I may have cropped some of the photos.]
Opposed to our at least 37 patriots, the Pinkos only had 7 America-hating traitors and their dupes when I counted, but they may have had a few others who left early. They were outnumbered, yet again, even in the liberal bastion of Washington, DC. Although we outnumbered the Pinkos, we had the bloggers and that helped us get the troops out to join us in large numbers. We need you there this Friday to continue outnumbering the Pinkos.
tgslTakoma's great new MOAB (Mother-Of-All-Banners) with BufordP at left and trooprally (Mr.) at right, early on as rain started.
A view of the MOAB, at it's usual Northeast corner location, when the rain became heavy. Notice splash from rain at right in street.
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Five of the soldiers lined up in front of the MOAB. That's Ken at |
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Adam holds his own great sign thanking our troops |
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Agnieszka is a hard core supporter of our troops, who came from |
Bill at right on the Southeast corner. |
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Rob and Carla, who wrote a great report about the FReep on |
Carla and Stacy with one of the troops. |
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Seven soldiers with MaryAnn, Carla, and Stacy. |
Heidi (Euphoric Reality), BillF, and MaryAnn
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PleaDeal at left talks with some of the bloggers. |
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JoyjoyfromNJ holding a sign and one end of the MOAB. |
The troops, who joined us, were all veterans of Iraq and/or Afghanistan. Rex is a veteran of Desert Storm and the Iraq War. Wild Bill is a veteran of Vietnam, Grenada, Desert Storm, and two tours in the Iraq War.
It was great to have the wonderful bloggers out in force to join us, in addition to numerous of the heroes now being treated at Walter Reed. Many of the bloggers came from far away. Despite a busy conference schedule and the terrible weather, the bloggers still attended the FReep.
Among FReepers and lurkers, Agnieszka came from Colorado, Joyjoyfrom NJ came from New Jersey, and posterchild came from Massachusetts. How about you? Don't let these photos confuse you, this time of year usually provides good to great weather for FReeping.
If you're outside the DC area, we would gladly welcome you to FReep with us. Come to DC, which is now beautiful (most of the time) in spring, visit the tourist sites, and FReep with us on Friday night. Support our troops in person. Meet with some of them and you'll be moved.
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.
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Cindy-true-supporter with the MOAB in back. |
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The Southwest corner. |
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trooprally (Mrs. and Mr.) at the Northwest corner. |
The bus returns wounded heroes from Fran O'Brien's Friday night |
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We continue to send our best wishes for a number of FReepers, and their loved ones, who have medical problems.
Cindy-true-supporter told us that her son Gavin had been home from the hospital for over a week. He has had a near miraculous recovery, but still suffers from being hit by a hit-and-run underage drunk driver.
3D-Joy, who was severely injured in a car crash several weeks ago, has been staying with a relative in the DC area and still faces quite a long period of recovery.
Although we've had no further updates for several weeks, last we heard, AirForceBrat23's grandfather is well on the road to recovery from a serious medical problem.
Landry Fan, who FReeped at Walter Reed countless times beginning last summer and was outstanding in arranging contributions for injured troops as well as helping them in other ways, remains sidelined with medical problems. We hope and pray that she will recover in the near future and would ask all to pray for her, the others mentioned above, and all of our troops.
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.
If 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? If you missed all of the first year of these FReeps, please join us at least once in the near future. You'll be glad that you did.
This FReep is rewarding, fun, and important for our troops and our nation.
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.
I may be wearing stretch pants this week...
I can't be there tonight. If you want a ride from the Metro, try FReep-mailing tgslTakoma.
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?
This is also a reminder that we have three events on Saturday and there is a Protest Warrior event on Sunday as follows:
Saturday
11:45 am Fred Phelps Alert! D.C. Chapter to Defend Honor of Sailors and Marines at Beth. Naval Hosp. 4/29/06
3 pm WEEK 17 - Olney, MD., 4-22-06: Operation Infinite FReep, OLNEY WELCOMES FREEPERS
4 pm You're Invited: D.C. Chapter's 8th Annual White House Correspondents Dinner Freep, Sat. 4/29/06
Sunday
12 pm Protest against Al-Jazeera's planned English language U.S. station.
It's OK BillF I got your slack.
This fair weather FReeper will be in attendance.
The Mister half of trooprally will be disappointed in the apparel worn by the boaters, but he can always search Google images to get photos of more skimpy apparel for women FReepers to wear when traveling on boats to or from FReeps.
If you had been there last Friday, "it never would have rained on DC Chapter."
Are your trying to start the blame game?
Not it!
I was there.
:-))
[Mr] T
Bump
tgslTakoma--better you left alone with the brownies than me! And Bill,I'm enjoying the touches of humor on the AAR's. The white water rafting picture is pretty accurate, too! The hood of my jacket didn't dry until Wednesday and my sign dissolved that night into little pieces of foam.
This is a fabulous report. Great photos, and reminders of the great time had by all.
Right. You're no fair weather FReeper.
Sorry that I left you out. Didn't write down your name or have a clear photo of you.
very nice report and pictures! thanks for the prayers and good wishes.
What do you mean, "Can you sacrifice an evening... " ?
Sacrifice? It was an honor and a privilege to be out there with you FReepers, and the very least we can do for our guys.
Thank you for a great report and for all you do.
Btw, Stacy from Keep My Soldier Safe also attended.
http://www.mysoldiermichael.blogspot.com/
Oh, meant to add my thanks to JoyJoyinNJ who drove me to CVS to buy umbrellas, and to Albion Wilde for the lift to Fran's.
Landry Fan, you were sorely missed at the FReep and at the conference :-(
Thanks for another outstanding after-action report. The pictures are great.
Thanks also for reminding us all of our fellow freepers and our wounded heroes who need our prayers and best wishes. I hope for a full recovery for everyone.
FReep On!
BUMP!
OUTSTANDING AAR!!!
Thanks BillF - you da man!
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