Abuse on the Homefront (against VT National Guard)

WCAX News ^ | 3/26/03 | Brian Joyce

[soycd]

Colchester, Vermont - March 26, 2003

Normally, uniformed guard members draw little attention, but since the Iraq War started last week, some soldiers say their uniform has made them a target.

"A car drove up alongside and honked his horn and stuck his hand out the window and gave us the old proverbial, hey, you're number one finger. I just waved back and said, hey, thanks for the support and drove on," says Brian Tromblee of the Vermont National Guard.

The most disturbing complaint came last Friday, the day of an anti-wars protest in Montpelier. A female sergeant claims she was confronted by teenagers outside a convenience store near Plainfield.

The soldier does not want to be identified. Lt. Col. Scott Stirewalt is director of security of the Vermont National Guard. He speaks of the incident:

"And as she was walking to her car, there were various profanities directed in her direction, along the line of 'profanity murderer, profanity baby killer', and then it culminated with some of the individuals threw rocks at her and as testament to her discipline professionalism she got in her car and left the area."

Stirewalt says the woman was not injured but she will no longer wear her uniform off-base.

"We're a very tolerant state and people in the military also expect to be treated with the same courtesy and respect that we show others."

But that mutual respect is now threatened by a handful of opponents of the war who are targeting their soldier neighbors for abuse.

Brian Joyce - Channel 3 News

[soycd]

Burlington IS the city of evil.

[larry h]

I'm confused (sarcasm)...all the anti-war protestors SUPPORT
our troops...they couldn't be LIEING could they?

[Crusader_062002]

Par for the course with the peace crowd. I'm sorry these honorable men and women had to face this but I for one would continue wearing my uniform until ordered otherwise.

[First_Salute]

I'd be happy to trade Vermont (and Massachusetts) to Quebec and Ontario, for the Canadian western provinces.

[68skylark]

The level of support for troops in Indiana is just huge.

I'm sorry to hear that this level of support doesn't appear everywhere in the country.

[vigilante2]

these libs are a discrace

[Joe Brower]

[vetvetdoug]

I was treated the same way in Texas, California, Mississippi, and Tennessee during the early 1970's when I was traveling wearing my uniform. I always answered in kind and once in Biloxi I answered with a fist. I turned the predominantly middle eastern nose of the S.O.B. into one that resembled one from Africa. I have no regrets.

[Liberator]

The last thing these anarchists are interested in is "peace" -- America is their sworn enemy...

And they don't care WHO knows it either.

[JeeperFreeper]

Attaboy. I did the same in the L.A. airport while travelling in uniform in 71 or so. If L.A.P.D. hadn't been about half Marine and veteran, I would have been arrested. When I boarded the plane, they were threatening him with disorderly conduct charges. My bet is that around servicemen/women, he kept his yap shut.

[harpseal]

When these people threw rocks at someone wearing our military's uniform they were making war against the USA. A rock is a deadly weapon as much as a baseball bat or a knife or numerous other such improvised weapons. These slimeballs should have been shot on the spot as a defensive measure.

[TigersEye]

Plainfield is quite a ways from Burlington ... but I digress.

I just drove through Plainfield yesterday afternoon. I am NOT in the military and should I see something like that there would be some blood running, teenagers or no.

[TigersEye]

I heard this story on the True North radio program this morning, hosted by Laurie Morrow. The only conservative radio program in VT.

Also mentioned was the throwing of acid in the face of a policeman in Portland, OR yesterday by a protester. He wasn't hurt thanks to his facemask. I have been looking for a thread/story on that but haven't seen one.

[Sally II]

If you know where the story about the acid throwing protestor is on the internet, please post it. I hadn't heard of that story.

[cherry_bomb88]

BUMP...ok...I'm sure Im behind in this bump...but this thread was mentioned in a new thread you might want to join:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/877403/posts

[cherry_bomb88]

Vetvet, kudos to you, just goes to show the classy people in our society are in the military!

[cherry_bomb88]

I second that!

[Charles Martel]

My boss is a former Army M.P., so he has many stories about dealing with these pieces of human flotsam. My favorite story is about a friend of his who, upon returning from Vietnam, tried to check into a hotel somewhere in California (I forget the city). The lobby was vacant of guests, it was just the desk clerk and the soldier. The desk clerk looked at the Army uniform and sneered: "Baby-killers are not welcome at this hotel."

The soldier did not hesitate. He jumped right across the desk and beat the snot out of the desk clerk. Then he patiently waited for the cops to arrive. Minutes later, as the police drove him away, one of the cops turned and asked why he had attacked the clerk. He explained, and the cops drove a few more blocks before stopping and letting him out of the car.

[TigersEye]

I can't find a thing. Googled everything to do with police, Portland, acid, protesters.... Must be a rumor. Kinda PO'd about that because Laurie Morrow clearly said that on this morning's program.