Posted on 07/27/2006 6:53:33 PM PDT by Albion Wilde
WASHINGTON, DC 7/21/06-- This FReep at the gates of Walter Reed Army Medical Center started out calmly enough, very much like so many others since we, the DC Chapter of Free Republic, have have been coming there every Friday night since March, 2005 to counter anti-war agitators organized by Code Pink. Nothing seemed different except the wildly enthusiastic beeps of passing cars. In summertime's long daylight, with many car windows open, the enthusiasm of the drivers for our support-the-troops rally is much easier to express. Even two DC Metro police officers patrolling the area gave us the thumbs up as they drove up Georgia Avenue, and later, as they drove back down.
As a result of our keeping the pressure on, the Pinkos have bent over backwards to obscure their malevolence towards the Administration, the soldiers and the entire idea of defending this country, not just by having adopted hypocritical signs urging better care of the soldiers, but also by having now brought more American flags -- flags that are not desecrated like ones they have brought to Walter Reed in the past, or the one they recently protested with at the White House.
So, to help passing motorists tell them apart from us, the week before we started a helpful "Burma-Shave" campaign, and mounted it again this week:
Abruptly, one of the Pinkos decided that their feelings were hurt. Free speech is only for the hate-America crowd, not for those who honor the troops and support their mission! So one of the Pinkos performed a stupid human trick and started yanking the signs off the tops of the cars, tossing them over the fence onto Walter Reed's property. Kristinn wrote about it in an earlier thread.
We went up to the gates to see about retrieving our signs, but not so fast. It seems that the Pinkos' anger management issue had generated a call by the gate guards to the U.S. Department of the Army Police, two of whom strolled down to have a talk with the Pinkos:
A friend of the Pinkos arrived on the scene after the brouhaha. A DC lobbyist, he was also an acquaintance of Debbie Does DC. Returning to his car after bringing the Pinkos some sodas, he stopped to tell her that his friend in the Pink camp "felt really bad about it." I was standing with Debbie Does DC and remarked, "It looks like they got their feelings hurt." With a chuckle, she remarked how lucky it was that was all that got hurt.
...and the FReepers carried on as usual, waving to the troops that came and went, and waiting for the bus to return that brings troops and their families back from a night on the town. Pinkos do not wait for the bus, having been visibly disdained, back in the early days of their phony pro-troops vigil, by genuine troops on the bus. FReeper rlmorel hoisted the "THIS CORNER UNDER NEW NON-COMMIE MANAGEMENT" sign, but everything else settled back to normal. Carloads of people kept honking and high-signing us, including soldiers yelling out their car windows, "Thank you!" and "We love you!" to which we shouted back, "Thank YOU! We love YOU!"
An Army active-duty sergeant from California stood next to me for awhile as he waited for a taxi with another solider from Michigan and that soldier's father. The two looked so much alike I asked if they were brothers. "Yes, but from two different mothers," he said, meaning that his comrade-iin-arms was as close as a brother. Sergeant Bientema was from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, and Spec. Litherland was from the 562 Engineers. Both had been recovering at Walter Reed. It took me a long while to notice that the sergeant had one prosthetic leg, since he was moving around so effortlessly.
"Thanks for being out here," said Sgt. Bientema. Regarding the anti-war protesters down the street, he continued, "They'll never get rid of us ground-pounders. You can't win a war without ground-pounders, whether for the fightin' or for the clean-up. Thank God for those that support us, and too bad for the ones that don't."
A young servicewoman who, with her mother and a group of other troops was also waiting for rides downtown, related that she is a medic and had been in Balad, Iraq, where there is a trauma hospital in the Iraqi combat zone. Battlefield injury patients are typically stabilized in the combat zone, then flown rapidly to longer-term care facilities such as Landstuhl, Germany or Walter Reed. This medic is now at Walter Reed for further training. "I like being here," she said, "because I get to see some of the patients I took care of in Balad. Now they are getting better."
FReepers present this week included Apple Blossom, Black Republican, bmwcyle, Cindy-True-Supporter, Debbie Does DC, Fraxinus, Gretchen15, Jack Deth, Jimmy Valentine's Brother, Just A Nobody, Kristinn, rlmorel, SenseiErn, tgslTakoma, 3D-Joy, Tom the Redhunter, [Mr & Mrs] Trooprally and myself. Lurkers included Bill from Maryland, Gavin, and his guest, Jeff.
Link to all the previous Walter Reed FReeps, courtesy of BufordP.
Great pictures....greater cause....thank you!
I can confirm your experience. We drove down from Ohio in June. From reading the AAR's I knew this was a close group. How would they feel about people just showing up? Just as you were, we were welcomed with open arms. Can't think of a time ever, that I was so comfortable with a new group of people. FReepers Rock!
The police don't get involved in petty squabbles, especially when liberals are at fault. Remember, the police in DC are under the City Council which is very liberal. Walter Reed security is a different matter.
Code Pink has friends in high places among the kook fringe in DC. I wouldn't try too hard to give them an excuse for yanking your ticket.
The fact that CP took exception to the signs is proof they realize that much of their "support" from motorists is actually ill-deserved
WEll done bookmark!
They broke the law. Now get the last word so youy feel better. This is my last post on this. I take action.
Probably the same one who was at the Gandhi statue with Cindy Sheehan and the rest of the gang on July 3.
How the Pinkos must pine for the good old days when their invective went unchallenged.
Wonderful post rlmorel.
Exactly!
The liberals BANK on the assumption that everyone agrees with them, and those that don't are too preoccupied with stamping out the civil liberties of minority groups, making gobs of captialist money, watching NASCAR or going to a silly place called "church" to get off of their fat, lazy, capitalist butts to come out and disagree with them.
I definitely got the feeling, just from looking at their faces, that they viewed us like the old, senile, flatulent uncle who shows up at the fancy wedding...they had no CHOICE but to invite him, and he had every RIGHT to be there, but...dammit! He is fouling the air, drinking the good booze, loudly pointing out the gasbags and the pompous, self-important hypocrites, and generally making fun of all the pretentious jerks who have their noses up in the air! He just spoiled the party!
Heheh, you most certainly DO! You (and the others) were over there so fast when they acted up, that it made their heads spin! (Like the girl in the "Exorcist", that is!)
I would like to ask whoever is enabling these treason hags if it has occurred to them that these cows could be dangerous?
PLEASE keep me on your pings! :-)
You all rock!
LOL -- we just have to watch it, in case some of them have a mass of snakes for hair...
Confer with Mr Trooprally. I think it may be quicker from the northWEST, or for those who circle up from the southwest (n. virginia burbs), but probably not from the northeast I-95 corridor.
Great news!
Yes, it was, tempting fate at the edge of a balcony. Fasting can make you hallucinate. By the looks on the faces of the bystanders, they may have been hoping she would try to fly.
I'll second that -- except that I'm in MISSOURI! :o)
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be to FReep her and her pack of ingrates BETTER, HARDER, LONGER and WITH EVEN MORE CREATIVITY than at Walter Reed! Y'all can do it! Texas-style!
Ewwwww! Well, one of them is named Medea. I assume that's for a reason.
Forgot to add -- here are two threads about the purchase:
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