Posted on 10/24/2006 6:55:20 PM PDT by Tom the Redhunter
Thanks for taking the time to put it all together.
And thanks to Billf, Plea Deal, (Mrs.)Trooprally and you for taking the fab photos. I love you guys!
good work!!
Thanks for the ping PleaDeal. Your pictures and writeups are always fun to see.
bttt
Here is a link to 3D-Joys first FReep after her accident. (Looks like webshots isn't posting well, but right click the icon and hit 'view image' and it should work. I always have problems with webshots). The pic is at Arlington Cemetery this past Memorial Day when Fred Phelps and his inbred clan were there. Those are 3D's two daughters who came along to help her.
[Mr] T
Whoa, no beer during a FReep, dude.
Yer gonna fix the pic, right? =)
AFTER a FReep, however................ =)
I wish I could've been there :( I'll be back this week though (I hope).
The Signature block says it all.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Oh, well you had pizza, they go together well. But I understand.
I had the most awesome time - y'all are fantastic. Not ever having done something like this before (OK - I once wore a shirt supporting our troups in VN at a parade in 1965) I approached this event with just a little bit of trepedation. Still, the desire to show my support was overwhelming & I am so glad I made it. The first time a car load of soldiers leaving the post rolled down the window and shouted their "thank you" to me I thought I was going to keel over. WOW! I received salutes, waves, and lots of thanks. All evening it was a regular cacophony of shouts, horns, & hollaring. At one point I moseyed (remember, I'm from Texas - we mosey)down to the Code Pink group. Since they apparently didn't have a clue who I was, they were willing to talk. My impression was that their biggest concern was the $$$ being spent on the war. I guess they want their welfare checks increased. They agreed to let me take their picture and wanted me to photo some of their posters. Later, when the bus came it was just absolutely awesome - but then you know that. The DC Freepers are a wonderful group & even gave me a ride back to my hotel in DC. And then....
Saturday evening I flew in to the Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport. I got on the parking lot shuttle bus & then a family with 3 little kids got on after me. As the driver was helping them he noticed that they had a brace of some kind & asked if it was someone's neck brace. The father said "no", it was a back brace that belonged to his nephew who was in the Army & had been injured in Iraq. He had also had his legs very badly injured. He's about to be discharged and they had been up to Walter Reed to visit him and were bringing the brace home so he wouldn't have to carry it. Coincidentally, they were on the bus. When they came back onto the Post they noticed the supporters. He commented that you really don't understand what freedom is about until you have to fight for it. I'm so glad I came out Friday nite. Anyone in the area just really has to take the effort.
I'll be out of town the rest of the week & will try to post a few of my pictures later (they're nowhere near as good a those taken by those of you with more experience).
Great job, Tom the Redhunter! Excellent and comprehensive report!
I was late getting you my notes, so here are a few anecdotes:
First, when I was driving in on Georgia Avenue, I passed a police car with two police officers inside that was going very slowly in the curbside lane to cruise their beat. At the light, the police car drew up alongside me and one of the cops motioned for me to put my window down so they could speak to me. Naturally, my heart rate went up, altho I didn't think I had broken any laws.
"Hey!" one of the cops yelled across. "I like your bumper sticker!"
It seems my BOOTMURTHA.COM bumper sticker had caught his eye.
"I'm from Johnstown!" he continued, which is Murtha's home territory. Greatly relieved, I hollered back, "Cool! I was up there a couple of weeks ago for the anti-Murtha rally!"
"Oh, yeah?" said the cop. "So was I!"
By now the light was about to change. "I'm on my way to the rally outside Walter Reed," I said. "We go up against Code Pink every Friday night."
"Oh, yeah?" he began. "I thought that was all one thing."
Now the light had changed and I had to move forward, but before I did, I caught sight of the other cop out of the corner of my eye, explaining to the other cop, "Naw, that's not how it is...." In my rear view mirror as I rolled away, I could see more talking and explaining going on.
That was Albion Wilde's Excellent Adventure Number One.
My second Excellent Adventure was meeting and talking with two of the new people, FrogHawk from Texas and Chad, an ROTC cadet from a DC university. After FReeping the same location for most of the 79 weeks the DC Chapter has been there, parts of the experience become routine. But watching the responses of these two new folks was so heartwarming, it made me see the Walter Reed FReep new again through their eyes.
The best parts for them seemed to be the soldiers who came out to talk with us, particularly one of the wheelchair-bound guys and his lady who went to every individual to shake our hands. Also, the arrival of the bus is a wonderful moment, no matter how long you have been there, and seemed particularly meaningful to these two new men, one an experienced middle-aged gentleman and the other a young undergraduate looking forward to a military career.
We were so glad to have them both there, and we hope any of the rest of you who have been thinking about coming out but never seem to make it will join us this week or any week. It's an occasion you will never regret and never forget.
BTTT!
Nice Tag!
Thanks for the ping. As always, a great AAR and pictures -I always scroll down to see the picture of the bus, first, and then read the AAR. God bless all of you and the work you're doing to show the troops our support.
That was a very special summary of the past weeks.
Thanks for telling all the Freepers that I am finally going to DRIVE home. I wonder if the house will remember me? LOL
I will be back and see you all and plan a couple of Friday Freeps over the Christmas and New Year holidays. Flying this time???
Bye all, for a while.
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