Gathering of Eagles

[admin]

I can't understand how the state or anyone could mock PTSD.
http://www.capveter ans.com/american s_who_support_ americas_ veterans/

............ ......... .........

"The best team I ever played on was the United States Marines.
Ted Williams Red Sox 12 October 1969

The National Park Service and federal Department of Interior still want the Marine Corps Remembrance at Pearl Harbor to be removed by May 1, 2007.

A little over a month away.
Are you part of the team that helps the National Park Service and Department of Interior change their minds?
See The Details How To Help Save The Marine Corps Remembrance.
http://www.capveter ans.com/help_ save_marine_ corps_memorial_ at_pearl_ harbor/id30. html

------------ -----

Please pass this email around to your Marine Brothers and Sisters...

and every American, who support the United States Marines.

............ .....

Gathering Of Eagles

"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." -- Thomas Paine

March 25, 2007

An Unrecognized Majority:

A young man from Texas ( He is a remarkable 18 year old senior) observations of what happened in Washington, D.C. on March 17, 2007...God bless our young men and women...thank you Justin...... ...

Harry Riley, COL, USA, Ret

Gathering of Eagles Web Site: http://gatheringofe agles.org/

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
If America does not confront the Islamic fascist butchers, who will?


----- Original Message -----
From: Justin Till
Subject: Washington, D.C.

An Unrecognized Majority:

This past Saturday, the anti-war groups Code Pink and ANSWER co-sponsored a protest rally in the form of a march from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington to the Pentagon in an attempt to discourage and destabilize the Bush Administration' s public support in order to end the War in Iraq. Calling for the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Iraq, and led by one of our most infamous anti-war activists Cindy Sheehan, the crowd loudly advocated the cut-and-run approach to end the war. The march drew a sizeable chunk of airtime on all major news networks, and brought the issue of immediate withdrawal once again to the front pages of America's newspapers. Undoubtedly, Americans have seen the media’s coverage of the anti-war protesters in Washington, and most will think that what they saw on CNN or Fox was all there was to be witnessed in Washington that day. However on the same day, on the same National Mall, another group of demonstrators congregated in support of another cause. The Move America Forward Organization, in conjunction with the Gathering of Eagles and Rolling Thunder groups, comprised mainly of veterans, organized themselves into a counter-protest that rivalled the anti-war movement in every aspect. These patriots, conveniently excluded from the media's coverage of the St. Patrick's Day protests, convened in support of one sole mission in Washington that day, and that mission was to show their unwavering and unconditional support to the men and women of the United States Military.

The counter-protesters lined the sidewalks of Constitution Avenue, covered the grounds to the west of the Washington Monument and guarded the Vietnam Memorial wall from potentially destructive anti-war demonstrators (who had spray-painted the steps of the Capitol the week before) in a successful attempt at keeping the disruptive crowds from disturbing families visiting the sites dedicated to the memory of those who have honourably served their country. The number of counter-protesters, by the Park Service’s estimates, actually outnumbered those of the anti-war crowd, and the Service estimated that about 30,000 counter-protesters were in attendance during the height of the rallies. One local news network even estimated that the pro-troop crowd outnumbered the antiwar crowd 3 to 1. This estimate is astounding, considering the fact that the anti-war groups had been planning the event for almost a year, publicly promising that 100,000 liberal supporters would show up, while the counter-protesters coordinated their own event in less than two months. Judging by the unexpectedly high turnout of anti-anti-war protesters on St. Patrick's Day, this nation's attitude is far from that of a defeated and hopeless losing team. In fact, according to several Vietnam Veterans with the Gathering of Eagles, Cindy Sheehan couldn't even be heard within her own camp during her keynote speech due to the overwhelmingly loud booing emanating from the thousands-strong Rolling Thunder and Gathering of Eagles veterans. Aside from the realization that this country does not overwhelmingly side itself with the likes of Sheehan, Fonda, Pelosi and Clinton, the scene in Washington last Saturday provided a revealing glimpse into the attitudes and personalities of those on both sides of this issue.

Looking at the 'camp sites' of each group, the protesters and counter-protesters, gives a metaphoric description of the true character of each group. On the anti-war side, protesters waved yellow banners calling for immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq, the impeachment of President Bush, and the firing of anyone associated with the war. Protesters waved the flags of Lebanon and Palestine, screamed about America's unjust occupation of the Middle East, and proclaimed to the nation that the war was unfair and the cause unworthy. No banners could be seen in support of our troops. No signs suggested that they had any faith in the American Government. Some even handed out fliers claiming that the Federal Government had engineered 9/11 to benefit Defence Contractors. The only American flags to be seen on the anti-war side were flown upside down, spray-painted with peace signs or slanderous accusations or thrown to the ground to be stepped on by the self-proclaimed 'just and righteous' activists. Some activists even went so far as to burn the flag in a shameful act of anger.

On the other side of the lawn were the pro-troop counter-protesters. To be seen and heard in their camp were patriotic songs and speeches delivered by military men and women and their families. Signs and posters called for unconditional support of the military. Participants held fundraisers to collect donations for troops dispatched overseas. Others posted banners reminding us of the horrific crimes our enemies have committed against us and against others in the past. Veterans told of their own service in Vietnam and a few of them spoke about their time in the Second World War. VFW representatives were in attendance to support today's troops and to fundraise as well. The crowd, mostly comprised of veterans, waved over 15,000 American flags, with a few state flags and military flags speckling the sea of red, white, and blue. No yellow banners decked the railing of the stage on the pro-troop side. No foreign flags or desecrated American flags flew over the crowd, and each and every veteran made sure that those on the other side of the lawn heard every thing they had to say, and saw everything they had to show. Veterans took shifts in lining the sidewalks surrounding the Vietnam Wall and other memorials to prevent potential defacing of the monuments or disruption of family visitors. The Vets remained calm and peaceful, with the exception of yelling a few jokes at some of the more comical hippie-like folks, who soon became known throughout the pro-troop camp as moonbats. Try googling that term of endearment; I bet you'll learn something.

At the end of the rallies, after the counter-protesters had packed up their flags and banners to send overseas to our troops in Iraq, and the anti-war group had crossed the bridge toward the Pentagon, the lawn still told a story about those who had occupied it during the demonstrations. On the anti-war side, trash and stomped banners and flags littered the ground in front of President Lincoln's sacred monument, all left for the D.C. Park Service to clean up. On the opposing side's half of the lawn not a banner or flag or any trash at all was left lying in the shadow of that tall spire honouring our first Commander-in- Chief, George Washington. The respectful attitudes of those supporting our troops stand in clear contrast to those who so feverishly oppose the war and the Bush Administration.

All in all, the St. Patrick's Day activities in Washington revealed a few important details that, although minor in appearance, could make the difference in how the country moves forward in the next several years. From the distinct differences in character visible between the pro-troop crowd and the anti-war crowd to the media's unwillingness to show the nation both sides of the day's events, it is evident that Americans are not getting the whole story. The notion that some in this nation intentionally degrade those who defend this country during a time of war disturbs most Americans, and most Americans disagree with the insulting manner of the anti-war activists... if only the media would acknowledge that. So what the country needs now, in the minds of those patriots present in Washington on Saturday, is a restoration of our national integrity, and an end to the derogatory smearing aimed at our Government and our Military; and we should all remember that regardless of our political or social views, we should never speak a word that has the potential to dishearten those who dedicate themselves entirely to our country.

Justin Till, MHS Senior, attended the rallies in Washington on March 17th, and delivered a Proclamation to Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison on behalf of the MHS Student Council, declaring their full and unwavering support of America's Armed Forces.

An Eagle's View of 17 March 07

I am Rev Ernie (Smiling Hawk) Tucker I am a Vietnam veteran and served over twenty-three years as an Airborne Infantryman in the United States Army. I am the Chaplain of the Aaron A. Weaver Chapter 776 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. With your permission, I would like to give you this old soldier's view of the event known as "A Gathering of Eagles."

On Saturday, March 17, 2007, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend the Gathering of Eagles in Washington, DC. This event provided more healing for the mental pain, frustration, and anger then all the counseling I have gone through for many years.

As I stood there on the stage and looked out at a sea of American flags waving proudly in the cold brisk March winds a long absent sense of pride returned to my spirit. I went down off the stage to find my boots once again in the mud as I walked among strangers without fear or trepidation for the first time in almost forty years. Because... even though I did not know any of the men and women gathered there, I knew them intimately. They were my Combat Brothers and Sisters. These were the men with whom I had shared the life and death struggle known as "Combat." Many of the women there had been the Nurses that tended my wounds and calmed my fears as I lay in the hospital wondering if I would ever walk again, much less return to my unit and the brave young men I had come to love as my brothers.

Not everyone at the gathering was a Vietnam veteran, although we made up the majority of those there. We had come to stand silent guard over "our memorial." However, there were W.W.II veterans as well as Korean War veterans in attendance also. For me the highlight of the day was when a W.W.II veteran got on stage, looked us Vietnam veterans in the eye and said, "Your fathers and grandfathers thank you for your service and sacrifice." Here was a member of "The Greatest Generation the World had ever known" saying "THANK YOU." Thank you to a group of men and women, who for almost forty years, had been neglected, spat upon, and vilified by not only our government, but our countrymen as well. I could not hold the tears back. As I looked around I saw I was not the only Vietnam veteran that his words had touched deeply. There were tears in many of the combat hardened eyes there that day. Those two little words had strengthened our resolve to not only guard our memorial, but theirs as well. We did just that, we stood in silence, a human shield around the three memorials erected to honor the service and sacrifice of Americans of three generations.

The protest organizers and the media "claim" that their numbers were small because of the winter storm that swept through the North east the evening before the rally. I find it very ironic that this same storm did NOT prevent Eagles from Canada, Maine, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania from arriving in DC. I think it is more likely that these no show protesters knew that for the first time they would be facing more then an outnumbered police force, and the welcoming arms of the main stream media. They would instead be facing the cold steel eyes of combat hardened veterans and "TRUE PATRIOTIC" Americans. And that is something they did not want to do.

The main stream media, the communist and jihadist backed protesters, and even the leadership (and believe when I say, I'm using the word "leadership" loosely) think they can ignore the "Gathering of Eagles" consider this. There are SEVENTY-MILLION veterans in the United States of America. Our current President was elected with sixty-million votes. We represent TEN MILLION more people than elected the President. God help the media, the protesters and this nation's "leadership" if we ever get on the same sheet of music.

Yes, our numbers were small on March 17th, and even though the media totally ignored the FACT that we outnumbered the anti-war/anti- America crowd... this gathering was just the beginning. A ripple that will grow into a tsunami that will sweep the country clean of the left wing America haters, and a media that supports them. It will also clean out that domed building at the other end of the mall of those who vote for "non binding resolutions. " Resolutions that do IN FACT give aid and comfort to the enemies of this great nation.

In short, the "SILENT MAJORITY" will be silent NO MORE.

Just one old soldier's view of the Gathering of Eagles.

Rev Ernie (Smiling Hawk) Tucker
Chaplain Aaron A Weaver Chapter 776 MOPH
Scout/Sniper 198th Light Infantry Bdge
Vietnam 68-69

Real America fights back

Posted: March 23, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern

On March 19, members of the national press corps gathered in a conference room at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., and were astounded by what they saw.

The pro-troop organization Move America Forward, the group I lead in my capacity as chairman, unveiled an ad warning of the consequences of failure in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The 1964 "Daisy" spot used by liberals to sink Barry Goldwater's presidential campaign was being turned against them in 2007 in the war on terrorism.

I urge you to watch the ad online.

The members of the media covering this event hadn't seen the growing pushback by patriotic Americans to fight back against the anti-war crowd and the biased reporting from many in the "mainstream media."

There's an awakening that is taking place in this nation, and it's come in just the nick of time.

The heart of America, the millions of typical families, who raise their children the best they can and who endure personal strife and daily struggles, are beginning to wake up to the fact that we have a big problem in this nation.

For more than 20 years, Islamic terrorist groups have targeted America – attacking our office buildings, jetliners, embassies, Marine barracks, naval vessels and most disturbingly killing thousands upon thousands of innocent American civilians.

After 9-11, the nation realized it was time to take action, not just a tit-for-tat response to al-Qaida bases in Afghanistan, but a proactive war against Islamic jihadists, their terrorist group allies and the state sponsors of Islamic terrorism.

With the passing of time and egging on by wayward politicians has come a loss of resolve and determination among some in this nation, and that is regrettable -- but we cannot allow the apathy of some to infect this nation's efforts in the war on terror.

Sometimes it takes a catalyst to prompt people to action, and for many in the pro-troop and veterans' communities, a rash of vandalism and desecration of America's war memorials by the supposedly "peaceful" anti-war crowd provided the motivation to finally fight back. I detailed several of these malicious acts in a previous column.

Our patriotic pushback began March 8 with the launch of Move America Forward's "These Colors Don't Run" national pro-troop caravan. The caravan crossed the nation from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., stopping for 25 pro-troop rallies in cities both big and small. More than 12,000 American flags were collected at these stops, and they will be sent to our troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan after they waved proudly in a sea of red, white and blue patriotism at Constitution Gardens in Washington, D.C.

I wrote about the caravan's terrific success in my column last week, and what strikes me most is how energized thousands of Americans in the pro-troop community have become.

That enthusiasm poured into the giant "Gathering of Eagles" pro-veteran and pro-troop rally on March 17. That was the day that anti-war protesters had promised that more than 100,000 tie-dyed hippies and anarchists would be flooding the streets of Washington, D.C., to denounce this nation and the men and women of our military.

To the shock and dismay of the anti-war crowd and their supporters in the media, the huge crowd of people who support our troops, and the veterans who have served this nation with bravery and distinction, outnumbered the anti-war protestors by thousands of people!

The mainstream media coverage of these pro-troop events wasn't as great as it would have been were we an anti-war caravan and anti-American gathering that denounced the military and the United States' efforts to fight terrorism.

Nonetheless, it was invigorating to see that if we work hard enough, supplement our outreach with talk radio and the Internet, and nag the cynical members of the old-line media enough, we can find the cracks in the façade of the anti-war press corps to get our message heard by millions of Americans.

If you don't believe me, then take a moment to peruse the press coverage of our efforts that were posted online.

Those stories don't include all the radio and television appearances that weren't uploaded on the Internet or the countless live reports by big-time television and radio stations in key metropolitan areas throughout the nation.

It's time to seize upon the momentum that has been created by the pro-troop movement these past several weeks.

It's time to rally the heart of America to stand up and take this country back from those who offer nothing but criticism of our troops, yet stand silent and ignorant of the danger posed by Islamic terrorists.

It's time to win the fight here on the home front against those dark voices who are trying to undermine the missions of our troops, so that our troops serving overseas can stay focused on winning the war against the jihadists who would happily kill us all: liberal, conservative, anti-war or pro-troop.

Surrender is not an option -- not in the battle for hearts and minds here at home and not on the battlefields half a world away.

URL: http://www.patrioti cmom.us/blog/ 2007/03/24/ read-the- real-truth/

Where Eagles dare, pacifists doctor and dupe

By Judi McLeod
Canada Free Press
Sunday, March 25, 2007

My friend Jackie Gordon, who exposes anti-war ANSWER for their lies on the Internet, wants to know about pictures posted on their website that appear to be doctored.

As we all know by now, the ragtag, loose knit and lovable vets called The Gathering of Eagles changed history in Washington D.C. on March 17. Traveling in great numbers from far distances, they outnumbered ANSWER three to one--but a fawning mainstream media failed to report the facts, as usual taking the side of ANSWER.

Well, Jackie it is not the "doctored" that so much matters to me but the "duped".

In pictures from anti-war protests of late, I'm seeing more women turning out in burqas. I can't say for certain whether they are actually the women of the enemy, or university students who callously don the dress of the enemy in an effort to get straight to the heart of anyone who has a daughter or son fighting for freedom in harm's way. Has anyone noticed how the so-called "9/11 truthers" keep showing up at anti-war protests?

But why I say "duped" bothers me more than "doctored" is because I expect these phonies who have the freedom to protest through the sacrifice of others to doctor everything. Duped themselves, they work to dupe others. After all, "doctored" has become almost acceptable in today's left-leaning and ultra politically correct world. Doctored pictures of children's' toys in the rubble in war-torn Lebanon, sheer intent of which was solely to inspire hatred for Israeli soldiers. Pictures of the same man holding the death-stilled body of a small child in one area, turning up with the same child in a far away other location only hours later. Mickey Mouse dolls face up in the still smoking rubble until a savvy Internet blogger wrote the words, "Oh, My God, they've killed Mickey. Those bastards!" ended it all with the duping joke it truly was.

When I think of the word "doctored", I think of the likes of John Kerry claiming Purple Heart status for a few scratches, criticizing the real unsung heroes still in Iraq. I think of a botox turned out Nancy Pelosi and her piteous cries for cut-‘n-run policies.

But this to me is why "duping" is worse than "doctoring".

The activists screaming chants in communist-paid anti-war protests are, in effect trying to leave the impression that America by nature is an insipid pacifist nation.

That just won't wash.

Americans literally became Americans by fighting for their freedom. They never waited for England to grant them their self-determination. They got out and fought to be what they wanted.

Aside from their Communist and labor union organizers, the anti-war movement is made up of young men who don't want to go to war to defend their country. The Jane Fondas, Alec Baldwins and Sean Penns are only the protest props.

It's so much easier to stand and scream anti-war slogans at a protest than it is to stand on the front lines in Iraq.

In front of a media that give them nothing but coverage, they can shout and sing slogans but soon sputter out in intelligent debate.

Down to the last one, their leaders know the Marxist dialectic, but they never quite explain why the communist fronts are always at the front of their protest lines.

They will tell you that they are really not against the troops, just against the life-claiming war in Iraq.

Yet the undoctored picture that says it all showed up about the same time they were burning an American soldier in effigy. The picture that said it all was the anti-war activists proudly displaying a big banner that read, "F—k the troops!" In action, that's truly where anti-war activists are.

But the best part of their "duping" tactics belongs in the category of poetic justice. The anti-war activists leave an impression with the enemy that the average American population is dominated by pacifists, that it might be safe for al-Qaeda and company to come back to revered American soil.

Vets from all of the wars America ever fought, including the cruel Vietnam one, would be there to do the same thing to the enemy as they did to the enemy's running dogs on March 17, 2007. The vets, some still bearing painful wounds, would stare them down with a determined, unwavering, steely-eyed stare.

They are Americans. They back down from no one.

URL: http://www.canadafr eepress.com/ 2007/judi032507. htm

Gathering of Eagles National, Regional, State, and County Coordinator Call
Gathering of Eagles National, Regional, State, and County Coordinator Call
March 24th, 2007 | Category: Briefings
************ ALERT**** *******

The Gathering of Eagles March 17, 2007 event in Washington, D.C. has proven Eagles are ready to network for action nationwide. We don’t have a choice.

The anti-America, pro-surrender crowd shrill in the streets and Congress is destroying America…we must prepare to field hundreds of thousands of veterans, spouses, family members and other Americans in single events, or risk losing our nation and the freedom our blood secured. If we don’t, no one else will. There is only one choice…we must hit the streets in such massive numbers it will force leadership and attitude changes in America.

We must pick our battles carefully, but when we do, it must be massive, deliberate, non-violent, without compromise or apology in standing firm for America.

We can do this without a lot of formal organizational stuff that will tie our hands…we need to be free to act and able to contact each other.

A Gathering of Eagles informal national email net is essential and intended as an unofficial, ad hoc effort without bureaucratic entanglements, no dues, no 501C whatevers, but comprised of individuals with the motivation, drive, commitment, as displayed by Eagles on March 17, 2007.

This net is not intended to replace or interfere with any organization, existing communications apparatus, but to be used as an alert net that touches people and organizations across America, a vehicle to call for important/critical action in supporting America, our troops, or other actions as deemed appropriate. This net will function in a chain-of-command fashion.

It’s not clear who or what mechanism will comprise the informal national coordinator/ staff but this does not hinder moving toward Regional and State Coordinators across America.

America can be divided into five regions. Thus, we need ten volunteers (five coordinators with five back-up/assistant coordinators) that can devote the time and energy when required, has the expertise to carry out a coordinators function, and assume the responsibility.

Basic responsibility for Regional Coordinators will be to enlist/identify State coordinators for every State in his/her region; keep abreast of events, activities within the region ; identify regional action as necessary; recommend initiatives within a region for national support; be prepared to support other region initiatives; raise funds for regional events; and be prepared to assist national coordinator as requested.

State/back-up/ assistant Coordinators will mirror Regional Coordinators responsibility at the State level and develop a coordinator net within each individual State.

The Mission Statement on www.gatheringofeagl es.org will reflect the principles of trust that continue to under-gird Gathering of Eagles activities (rallies, marches, other events) or any other undertaking that may be decided to pursue.

Names, email addresses, phone numbers of all coordinators will be maintained on www.gatheringofeagl es.org web site as public information.

Those interested in assuming responsibility for any coordinator function (national, regional, state) should leave egos and personal politics behind, ensure you concur with Gathering of Eagles mission principles, volunteer and send a short synopsis of why you desire to serve and the background/personal characteristics you have that fits the job.

Send the volunteer information to Harry Riley, hmriley@cox. net.

Regional Coordinators will be selected at national, any State volunteer information will be held at national and passed to Regional Coordinators after selection for Regional personal selection process.

The United States is divided into five regions. These regions are the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and the West. The states in the five regions are all in the same geographical area of the United States.

There is no pride of ownership in this proposed action, so assume it will be an evolving initiative which the team effort we showed on March 17, 2007 will refine as needed…right now we need commitments and we need them quickly .

Harry Riley, COL, USA, Ret

Gathering of Eagles Co-Coordinator

Making a stand at the Wall
Echoes of the past are heard as vets gather in D.C. to back the troops, oppose war protesters.

Kevin Ferris
Mar. 23, 2007

Chris Hill visits the Wall every Veterans Day. He follows the path to Panel 4W, Line 36, and stops at the name Curtis R. Smoot. It's the same name on the POW-MIA bracelet Hill has worn for 22 years.
Hill picked up the bracelet at an ROTC recruitment table in high school. He didn't know Smoot, but the bracelet was a poignant reminder of service and sacrifice during Hill's years with the Seventh Infantry Division in the late 1980s.

At Panel 4W, Hill places his hand on the Wall, bows his head, and honors the helicopter crewman who was shot down in 1971, and whose body was never recovered.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is hallowed ground for Hill, made more significant by his first visit right after he enlisted. He was with his dad and uncle, both Vietnam vets. The two older men stood before the Wall on a cold, rainy December afternoon, holding on to each other, weeping.

"That picture's never left my mind," says Hill, now 38.

So when Hill heard about the Wall's being a gathering place for an antiwar protest, he decided he'd be there too - in opposition.

Joining Hill's outrage at what looked like an "occupation" of the Wall were other veterans, military families and their supporters. They worried about vandalism because of the spray-painting of the Capitol steps during a January demonstration.

Out of informal talk

among local vets groups, and via e-mail and blogs, a national ad hoc group -

a Gathering of Eagles (www.gatheringofeag les.org) - and a mission grew:

Show respect for vets of past wars, and the monuments that honor their sacrifices.

Show support for today's troops and their mission.

No one's free-speech rights would be trampled, but the antiwar protests wouldn't go unanswered.

Happy with the turnout and the chance to be heard, the vets and their supporters left last Saturday's gathering feeling the mission was accomplished - even if, at times, it seemed they'd become time travelers.

Jim Kirlin, 60, an investment banker from Medford, was standing with members of Rolling Thunder, the black-leather- jacketed motorcycle club of Vietnam vets. As the protesters marched by on their way to the Pentagon, Kirlin, who saw combat as a Marine rifleman in Vietnam, heard them yell, "Baby killer," "murderer."

"I thought I was back in the '60s," Kirlin said.

Another marcher, who looked close to Kirlin's age, came up to the orange snow fence separating the two sides and said: "You people ought to be ashamed of yourselves. I tell my students that."

That stung, but didn't diminish Kirlin's belief in standing up for fellow vets.

"We have to show the soldiers that there's enough support to go out and win it," he says, otherwise, "the enemy sees [protests] and it increases their resolve to fight, and weakens our efforts."

For Kathy Mizner, 58, Saturday was a "fantastic day." Mizner's father served in World War II. Her husband was in Vietnam. Her son in Iraq. Like Kirlin, she rode the bus for D.C. that Hill had organized. To get to 30th Street Station for the 6 a.m. departure, she left her home in West Deptford at 4. Mizner is usually "scared to death" to drive on ice- and snow-covered roads, but this was important to her. "We've always been true to the flag and our troops," she says. "That's how I was raised."

"To be with true heroes, the Vietnam vets and the kids in uniform still serving, to give them a kiss and to say, 'God bless' . . . money can't buy the feeling it gave me to do that for them," she says.

As a marshal helping to ensure order, Hill heard plenty of angry exchanges, with neither side holding back. He recalls one protester marching by and yelling, "You don't support the troops!"

The vets fired back: "We are the troops!"

But while the verbal back-and-forth provided the extent of the day's drama, the satisfaction came later. As Hill stood among a group of vets from four wars, one in his 80s, another with five Purple Hearts, he realized the common threads they shared: service, sacrifice, support for one another.

Hill recalls one Vietnam Marine telling the group what he said to his nervous wife on joining the gathering: "I'm getting old. This might be the single most important thing I do with my life. I have to go."

"That summed up my view and the view of everyone with whom I came in contact," Hill says.

Sunday, before heading home to Philadelphia, Hill was back at the Wall. No crowds. No chants. He stood with head bowed, hand on Panel 4W, honoring Curtis R. Smoot, and thousands more.

URL: http://www.philly. com/inquirer/ opinion/20070323 _Making_a_ stand_at_ the_Wall. html

OFFE After Action Report

Gathering of Eagles (GOE)

March 19, 2007

If you attended the Gathering of Eagles rally in Washington, DC this past weekend, you might have gotten one of these envelopes.

Inside each packet was Operation Firing For Effect’s (OFFE) Resolution calling for full mandatory funding of veteran’s health care and services.

To date, our Resolution has been adopted and passed by several U.S. northeast cities and townships, including the City of Chicago, Illinois and over 500,000 labor union members in New York State. Visit this link to view signed Resolutions –

http://offe2008. org/public_ html/resolution. htm

In addition to supporting GOE’s mission, our objective was to handout 2,000 of these Express envelopes. Many of the envelopes contained the OFFE Veteran’s Medical Alert CD.

Although OFFE’s message of future veteran’s healthcare was not a primary message of the GOE rally, OFFE was warmly included in the rally program and everyone there was very supportive of our efforts. Now, let’s see how many signed Resolutions we receive back.

All in all, the GOE rally was a tremendous success and Operation Firing for Effect congratulates the organizers of the event, and we also commend them for their hard work. Hopefully, this rally wasn’t merely a one time knee-jerk reaction and is the beginning of a much bigger push on issues of importance to our former military personnel and their families. If we are to influence the 2008 national elections, we must unite our efforts into one major voice. The next time we rally, let’s shoot for 100,000 attendees. The future treatment of our veterans is in the balance.

A special thank you to Col. Harry Riley for his leadership and inspiration, and a very special thank you to; Jere Beery, Rick Townsend, John Evans, Calvin Murphy, and Phu Nguyen for their continued loyalty and service during the Washington, DC event. Sincere accolades to Viper's Vietnam Veterans Web page for the continuous GOE updates and information.

OFFE looks forward to working with these Great Americans again in the very near future.

OFFE National Chairman - Gene D. Simes

OPERATIONFFE2008@ rochester. rr.com

PS - The national news media should hang their collective heads in shame for not covering GOE.

03-23-07

Greetings

Been a while, I apologize. I was "otherwise motivated" as those of you who read my last issue will know. The Bean went to the Wall.

note the bronze medallion on vest, thats an Aussie badge I wore so my Australian brothers would be there with us

CALLING HER CHILDREN HOME

Years ago I made my first visit to the Wall. I had put off going for one reason or another and finally I felt this overpowering urgency to go. I was drawn to this Black Granite like a magnet, but that's another story. This time the call was more plaintive and powerful even than the first time it sent for me in 85.

This time the Wall called for all of her children to come home and more than thirty-thousand of us did so. I was one of those. I had weighed the trip for a day or two, and realized I was being called to the Wall again and I would not be going alone. Here follows my report back on this priceless weekend activity. Please feel free to pass it along. Some of you will receive this as a forward from the Beanvine name, fear not, I am still arm wrestling AOL for control of my mailboxes... working on it.

THE IMPERFECT STORM

Let me start by saying I'm no hero nor professional driver of any sort. I set out in my Ford Ranger (2WD) with my duffle and maps and a destination: my room in Frederick, Maryland about 35 miles north of DC. That was around 0800 hours out of Cincinnati heading for I-70 outside Columbus, Ohio. Ironically my wife called me on the cell phone around 1030 hours and I was happily boogying east out of Columbus in cloudy but dry weather. A few minutes after I rung off I was running in drizzle. I crossed into Zanesville and placed a call to my ride-buddy whom I was to pick up there but he declined to go saying he was too sick and weather looked poorly. I was in heavy flurries at this time and had a "fur piece" to go to hit West Virginia border and the mountains. I pressed on. Tom, you don't know what you missed brother.

Into West Virginia and then Pennsylvania where I nosed dived south along 79 to pick up 68 across Maryland. I ran in snow, mixed snow and freezing rain, did the last ten miles into Frederick at 20MPH behind a wall of snowplows and salt trucks on I-270. The roads were tricky but passable thanks to the road crews in the various states I went through.

Once in room I was able to order a pizza delivered which took hour and a half but being hungry made this acceptable. I laid out plan for the next morning while munching cold pizza and drinking green tea.

TV locals reporting the storm was raising pluperfect hell north of Frederick with roads and many airports and points north of us as being in "snow emergency" status. I was glad to have landed where I was. The drive had been a push and a task but my need to be there was stronger and I'd determined to keep moving until I could go no further, I was answering a call.

Later I would hear the lament from the poor moonbat clan that it was just unfair and this storm had closed down their departure points and therefore lessened their attendance at the Antiwar Rally.

Now how did I KNOW they were going to say that?

What I can say is roughly half of the Gathering of Eagles group ran the same mountains and roads I did and we made it. It's not my fault that the weather was too bad for the moonunit loons and I'd just like to note that any lack of attendance from north of DC would also mean the veterans of Gathering of Eagles couldn't depart either so the numbers cancel each other out, a moot point and lame excuse.

COME THE MORNING

I had a later than I had hoped start. Didn't leave Frederick until 0800 Saturday morning due to taking a fall buying a Croissantwich and coffee at Mickey D's, and went back to the room to assess damages done. Nothing harmed except my bruised rear and my crumpled pride.

I hit DC around 0900 and had to search out a parking area. Found one along Potomac River drive...1850+ paces from the Lincoln Memorial, translation? a long walk in the wind off the river. I passed hundreds of cars and trucks parked there before me, most bearing some reference to American pride or veteran status. Hundreds and more coming constantly. By the end of the day the entire road space for parking was filled all the way to the Potomac Bridge, I'm told with mostly GOE supporters vehicles...this from a Federal Marshal I stopped and asked for directions later that day to leave DC. He also asked how many of "us" were up there at the Wall, I told him my best guess was more than 25,000. I was close, I found out the "official count" was closer to 30,000. This particular lawman seemed genuinely interested in the Veteran attendance and I couldn't help but notice his vehicle bore a bumper decal of rank...Army Command Sergeant Major, guess he had a vested interest, huh?

I walked past the bus parking areas and noted a small group of younger kids playing "Wally-ball" while guarding a small pile of backpacks and such...the opposition's base camp thinks I. Across the street a van door opened and a vet climbed out, another got out the far side and put on their vests and headcovers, I hollered to them asked them where they were from and what units they were with, they came over and we walked up to the Wall together. One guy was 1st Infantry Div, other guy was air force served in Thailand. We compared drives up as they had run in from the Virginia (south) side.

As some of you know, the Bean is slow afoot and uses a cane, today the wind was coming in cold and sharp to our faces as we walked to the Wall. It was a nasty little walk of close to a mile and though I stopped as often as I needed to get my wind, these men, my brothers, stopped as well and waited till I went on again. Small demonstration of brotherhood and purpose there. I guess that's when I first felt the intense pride of our mission and my brothers, sisters and supporters being here in such numbers and with such a clear and vital purpose. I was not going to walk alone even if these men had to walk along with me at a much slower pace. We don't leave our brothers behind do we?

ON THE LINE

I had told a number of people that I had chosen my station-post and would be at the 3 Brothers (Soldiers) statue near the West wing of the Wall. My two companions split off at that point and went to the group that was ringing the street across from the village idiots area.

Here's the basics:

Roughly 5000 moonunit loons were gathered on the muddy baseball field to the North and west of the Lincoln memorial. Mostly a mix of college age and older hippies past their day and looking for one more big "love-in" and protest. They were sponsored and in the company of various mainstream communist backed groups like ANSWER and Code Pink...they had little skill with using their PA system..that' s the only observation I have on their side of the rally line. Loud, Communist, and pissed off that we were there.

OUR LINE

There were a number distinct groups of vets and supporters, the main of which were the human line four to six deep across the street from the "antis" rally point, lined up facing them with DC cops between in huge numbers. Another of the huge vet groups were along Constitution Ave. with their backs to the Wall and facing the incoming moonbats "the Gauntlet." Gathering of Eagles Stage and rally site had another huge group and most of the vets and supporters made it over there at some point.

Distributed around and in close proximity to the memorials were groups of vets and supporters, the Korean, Nam Nurses, WW2, and Lincoln memorial were inside "our lines" and we staffed them with hard eyed vigilant men and women who came there to stop these vermin if they broke past the cops and came for our memorials. We came to stand together and fight if we needed to, go to jail if we needed to...this was unnecessary as it turned out.

I was with this group.

At any given time we had twenty to thirty guards around the 3 Brothers, ditto the nurses monument and the exit end of the Wall (east wing). This East end (exit side of the Wall) was probably one of the most heavily policed and vet guarded area that day reports from friends in that group indicated close to 100 vets there at all times and another perhaps 150 actually AT the Wall itself having gone through security and metal scanners, the end where I was on west side would be the second thickest concentration of vets and supporters. On my end of the Wall there were two lines (media reports one but there were two) one for each metal detector gate. A few "antis" tried to slip into the line and when they did vets fell in right behind them and before you knew it the "antis" decided this was hostile turf for them and went away. That may have been because the vets behind them described what would happen as soon as one of them acted up and reminded them they were in easy reach it they did. That's called active deterrence and area denial...if you're not military ask one what that means. The vets that do are probably chuckling already.

THOSE WHO I MET

To my left was a retired army DI who had served 30 years, the last ten training our soldiers at Ft Bragg. He was from Virginia and had had a short drive. To my right was a man from the 1st Cav/7th who had come from Arkansas. Both had retired as E-8s and were also here because the Wall called them. Oh yes, I asked them and heard it all day in one form or another..THE WALL SENT FOR ME...I KNEW I HAD TO BE HERE....I COULDN'T SAY NO WHEN SO MANY OF MY BROTHERS WERE GOING...
THE WALL NEEDED ME AND I AM HERE....all day.

I met a Lieutenant of Park Police who I thanked for his people's professionalism and courtesy. He thanked me for all the vets that were "backing his people" that's interesting that the Park Police saw us as back-ups.

I met and thanked a pair of Patriot Guard Riders from New Jersey who came in response to the Wall's calling. They are the group that shields our funerals from the Westboro Baptist clan. They said most of their folks were up on the Gauntlet or on the exit end of the Wall.

Five groups stood out and hung around most of the day at or near the 3 brothers or moved from the nurses memorial and the East wing of the Wall and back: Rolling Thunder, the Swiftys, and a big ole group of Marines a lot from 1st MarDiv and 3rd MarDiv and the Seabees. Minutes before I got on station some moonbat loonies brought a "US OUT OF IRAQ" sign to the Wall entrance and opened it up to display it. Major error. The Marines and Seabees relieved them of the sign, stomped it thoroughly into the mud and suggested that maybe the sign holders would be next!?....they left and their rumpled and muddied sign stayed leaned against the trash can. That's as violent as it got down in my neck of the woods.

We had a few passing moonloons but they didn't stay long. One who I approached told me this was America when I suggested he move along, and he was "good to stand" right in front of the soldiers statue. I told him, smiling the whole time, if he marred or spit on MY Wall or MY STATUE I was going to show him how "good I was".....another moment and seeing a group of angry looking men building up behind me he movedalong.com in a rapid and disorganized manner.

Another "visionary pilgrim" showed up in digital camos with stage blood and carrying an impeach Bush sign, one of the attending Seabees suggested he could "make that REAL" for him easily and gleefully, he decided to leave instead. So much for the opposition's threats to defile or confront that "usual few veterans that show up" they had every opportunity in the world to do so and showed their heels to us, and so much for the bloodthirsty veterans who only came to start trouble...there it is!

OTHER CHARACTERS

Early on I saw a cameraman coming over from near the moonunit rally spot. I knew he was a cameraman because he had a high dollar pro camera and gear with him...under his arm being carried NOT FILMING. He stepped up in front of the Brothers Statue and stood looking, not filming still. He spoke to me and the man next to me asked us "what we made of the anti-rally across the way" and we told him they were foolish and un-American assholes. I asked him who he worked for as press, he quickly announced he was "with AP."

"When are you guys going to start telling the truth?" I asked him as a direct question. He grinned a bit and came back with what he probably thought was a good answer "Who?" asks he "The whole media or just me?"

To which I said "Why not start with YOU as a single man? It only takes one man to tell the truth, why don't YOU start?" he looked somewhat distressed at this but quickly patted the fake smile back on.

When he asked if we wanted to talk to him or be interviewed my Cav brother gave him an earful in spades about how this was all going on around him and here he was camera under his arm and NOT filming the thousands of us standing station around our sacred ground. Another grin but this time a bit of an irritated look too along with that "distressed look" I mentioned before.

He turned to me and I gave him this (don't expect to hear this on any news source): "Where I come from, I was taught that when you have a problem with John, you take it to John, you don't march around in front of David's house or tell the neighbors how rotten John is..you take it to the man himself...these misguided buttwipes (yes I cleaned it up here I used a bit more colorful language actually) have a problem with the War on Terror and President Bush? Well..Bush don't live here.... this is MY Wall has nothing to do with this war and we are here to make sure these people understand that by whatever means it takes...they want to protest? they need to be up at Congress then, nobody down here can change anything even if we wanted to, and we don't."

I don't think that went over real big with him so he wandered off with his "lost as a pubic hair on a Brillo Pad" look on his face toward the East wing of the wall still not filming take note.

I saw one of the Parade Marshals (Orange shirt) come to the foot of the 3 Brothers, kneel and say a silent prayer. When he finished and stood I thanked him for offering that prayer there that afternoon, his wasn't the only prayer raised either. I sent one up from the Wall for the sake of those who are now in the field keeping the wolves off our doorsteps. The majority of the people that went down to the Wall did their own prayers too. I'm sure this disturbed the anti-America and anti-God crowd immensely... good, it was a small sample of what is to come in the future.

I did see Michelle Malkin but didn't want to leave station to go see her closer, if you don't know who she is google the name and add Gathering of Eagles.

I was there at the Wall for four hours and a half hours then stopped at the Korean memorial and went to the Wall to pay my respects to the ones who we were standing for that day. All I saw around me were veterans and supporters very few of the antis. The ones that were around were being bird-dogged and followed by vets and counterprotestors and were kept to a few isolated intrusions which caused no damage or even inconveniences while unnerving them and throwing a challenge in their faces that they lacked the force and conviction to press their own issue...again. ..good!

But there was one really over the top moonbat..dressed in pleated skirt and Che T shirt he came traipsing across the lawn in front of the Lincoln memorial making noise with a banjo he was carrying..note I did NOT say he was playing it..that would denote some level of skill and knowledge of the instrument.. .instead he just loudly strummed all five strings with no chords and screeched something about freedom and racism as he skipped (think six year old girl skipping) away to the west. I figured he would be found dead later after having tried to walk across the Potomac River or skipping into traffic...he was so lost in his statement whatever that was that he was oblivious to all around him.

WHAT ELSE...

What I didn't see: film crews taking shots of the vets, any violence instigated on any member of the oppositions' persons, I did see a few signs that were casualties. A Marine on Constitution Avenue liberated an American flag from one of the moonunits who was flying it upside down and he got a round of applause and the admiration of the crowd, but no blows were struck. One Code Pinko moonunit tried to spit on one vet, she missed and drooled down her front instead. The vet grabbed her and offered to call a cop but she managed to squirm away and back into the crowd on the street. That was the high point of their parade, a failed driveby spitting and a quick dive into the crowd.

In truth we had the moonunits surrounded in such a way that any attempt to film their protest from the ground inadvertently included OUR signs and OUR Flags and OUR people. What a shame for CNN and AP. The news crews that were there did very little filming on the ground, they didn't want our stuff to show in THEIR film...and this includes FOX News who likewise did not film our magnificent crowd. That "fair and balanced news" didn't happen this time.

I didn't see Jane Fonda, Sean Penn, or any of the other Hoolywad crowd, they were obviously delayed at some obscure airport dealing with the Imperfect Storm I mentioned before...or maybe Jane and company were told that it was hazardous to their personal health to show up in front of so many angry veterans, families, and supporters?

I didn't see these powerful "black-blocs" who had threatened our Wall. They seemed quite content to keep serious distance away from us and our Wall, they stayed so far away in fact they were not a factor at all, not once...no paint, no violence no spitting on wheelchair bounds vets, a wise decision I might add.

Every person who lined up next to me at the 3 Brothers said the same thing "we hope it doesn't some to blows but we will stop them if they charge us and they ARE going down..." Guess the moonunits didn't feel inspired to try their hand? I assure you that would have been the first suicide-painter incident in history had they tried it. Going to jail was part of the risk we took and were prepared to go if we were to be arrested, but mostly we figured that if it came to that we would give them a good reason to take us in and do as much damage to the loons as we could...we called that a "hazard of the occupation."

I didn't see any of the DC Police and Park Services Officers push, mistreat, or in any way harm the opposition or the veterans opposing them. They were very professional and polite but firm in their instruction to keep them at bay and away from us...of note here...in ALL cases where the cops stood between the two groups, they faced the protesters. I want to say that these cops were very professional and very clearly tired of having to give ground to these morons. The ones that spoke to us were actually glad we were there to "show the flag" so to speak.

What I did see: tens of thousands of my brothers and sisters in service, their families and friends, embracing and welcoming each other home.

I saw men and women with high moral purpose and grim determination stand together to protect our sacred ground, men and women who up till that morning had never met yet were family.

I saw strangers walking with a crippled brother to make sure he didn't fall or didn't walk alone, that would be me. Thank you men wherever you are tonight. You filled my heart with fire and pride.

I saw WW2 veterans in wheelchairs in line to pay respects at the Wall and then Gather near their own monument some of them seeing it for the first time and in tears. I saw the same thing at the Korean memorial and the Nurses Statue where a group of nurses and families had gathered holding THEIR station around their sacred ground. I saw people that drove twenty hours to be there, I saw people who had spent big $$$ on plane tickets and bus tickets to be there out of their own pockets.

I saw a day that was supposed to glorify withdrawal and American retreat turn into a celebration of our nation and our soldiers and the War on Terror right in front of our eyes.

And I saw a different future than the media and surrendercrats wanted me to see, I saw the awakening of a mighty force of Americans who said "NO! NOT THIS TIME AND NOT TO THESE TROOPS! TAKE HEED AND KNOW THAT WE ARE HERE NOW AND WILL NOT BACK OFF OR LET THESE LIES STAND"

I was proud to stand with my brothers and sisters, I was proud to defend our memorials and our sacred ground and firmly believe that every veteran that left the Wall that day was inspired and proud of our soldiers overseas and the job they do on our behalf.

The moonunit loons however left disappointed in themselves, enraged at us for spoiling their party and march...this time. There WILL be more confrontations between us trust me on that one. They kicked a box of rattlesnakes once too often and this time they got bit...and now that we are awakened they will have to deal with us everytime they shoot off their foul mouths or spew their lies.

Those who have loved ones or neighbors overseas right now copy this and mail it to them and tell them this: "The Eagles, your older combat brothers, are here now and we stand at home covering your six...no more one-sided demonstrations without someone on hand that loves and supports you.

As Churchill once said in WW2 when the nazis were defeated in North Africa

"...it is not the beginning of the end...but it IS the end of the beginning.."

Moonunit loonies...be advised you have only just seen the beginning... get used to being countered by Americans and in particular Gathering of Eagles...and remember this...YOU brought this to pass and we are in for the duration...get used to us.

Oh..and a short message for Cindy Sheehan...Casey' s spirit and soul was there Saturday, he was with US in front of the Wall and he cries for your actions and the dance you do on his casket...whatta ya think about them apples "peace mom?"

beansimple said it

and above all...
think for yourself

DISCLAIMER

OffTheBeanvine is a registered mass mailer with AOL since March 29, 2003 and complies with all guidelines of the AOL community actions team. My readers have my permission to forward the BeanVine as you wish as long as you credit me as author of piece.

The Gathering of Eagles

THENEWDOMINION
Column by Max Friedman

On March 17, I witnessed a phenomenon that I had been praying for, for over 30 years, that of the political arising of the Vietnam veteran. Despite earlier "salutes" to our servicemen and women in the past, there was never a real gathering of like-minded people who were going to say to American, "No More!"

No more treason by Jane Fonda, Ramsey Clark and Cindy Sheehan, or by their friends in the Stalinist Workers World Party and its various fronts, ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), Bring The Troops Home Now, International Action Center and the Party of Liberation & Socialism, by the "united red front" of United for Peace & Justice (a group formed and led by members/leaders of the Communist Party USA/COC faction and the Revolutionary Communist Party), and by Castro-lover and supporter Medea Benjamin and her "Code Pink(o)" group of feminazis, communists, socialists, and wackos (you would have to see them to understand this last descriptive word).

The Gathering of Eagles came out of the minds of several Vietnam veterans, including friends of mine, and they wanted to not only protect the Vietnam Memorial from possible desecration as happened earlier at the Capitol and other memorials during January’s so-called antiwar pro-tests, but to take a stand for America. In this effort, they were aided by the Rolling Thunder motorcycle project (those who ride every year to remember the POWS/MIAS of the Vietnam conflict and from other wars), by individuals who created gathering caravans that came from the West Coast, and by thousands of individual Viet vets, their families, friends and even strangers.

This was a real "band of brothers", but this time they soared above just having a reunion. They came to make a statement about themselves and their willingness to stand up and protect America from the leftist rabble, the weak-kneed leaders in the White House and the Republican Party, against the sell-out betrayers of the neo-marxist Democratic Party, and against the mainstream media, who, like the Democrats/liberals/ leftists, have been selling out the American warrior since 1968.

In fact, that idea will be on my next signs, "The Democratic Party - Selling Out our Military Since 1968? and "The Mainstream Media - Publishing Enemy Propaganda Since Tet 1968." They will be next to the great coat patch I saw that said "Jane Fonda, actress by training, traitor by choice." Who says the Vietnam veteran doesn't have a great sense of humor, and a long memory?

Those of you who are old enough to know what I mean, will understand the above. For those who don't understand my hatred of the present Democratic Party and the MSM, read Don Oberdorfer's Tet and Peter Braestrup's The Big Story, both excellent studies on how the media misread, misled and undermined the American and Allied efforts in Vietnam, including, turning a major victory at Tet, 1968, into a psychological defeat and a communist propaganda victory of immense importance. Thanks Walter Cronkite, you now have a place in media hell, along with some of the top journalists (I use that word advisedly) from CBS.

I know people who would have loved to have shot Dan Rather, Don Webster and Morley Safer, while they were in Vietnam, and those were fellow journalists, not to mention the soldiers who saw that the enemy often had a CBS logo on their microphones and cameras. Having lunch with fellow journalists in Saigon or Phnom Penh (Royal Hotel, Cambodia) gave me more of an education in journalism than I would ever have gotten in any journalism school at home.

The numbers of Vietnam veterans and supporters at the GOEs was often equal to, if not greater, than the communist rabble who marched on the Pentagon. A few anarchists tried to stir up trouble, but this time the pro-American veterans were ready for bear, and showed their teeth when necessary.

According to stories I heard from the guys, a number of leftists and anarchists buried their tails between their legs and headed for the hills when faced with just a few pissed-off Viet vets who were standing their ground.

It was great to see so many American flags in one place, and in the hands of those who bled to protect those flags, the freedom of others, and of our country.

I was with Scott Swett, son of a Vietnam flier and Freeper par excellant,, a former Marine/Vietnam civilian POW, Mike Benge (who was tortured by Cubans in the Hanoi Hilton), a Marine photographer (R.J. Del Vecchio),whose hilarious story about trying to get a hand wound treated sounded something like "M*A*S*H*" meets "Seinfeld" (he had us rolling off our chairs at lunch), and his friend John Kelly, another veteran.

Oh, and my daughter Lauren was also with us. She has been very supportive of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan (she was there when her brother went off to Iraq, while he was there, at support our troop rallies, and when he came back). Today, March 22, the start of the ground war in Iraq in 2003, found my son being the first of his unit to cross into Iraq to help Kuwaiti engineers as they cleared sand berms and filled in tank traps so that he and his team set up road flares and related guides for the U.S. tanks that would follow shortly that morning.

He couldn’t be at the rally as he was on duty, guarding our country as a federal security officer. But he was there in spirit.

My daughter learned more about Vietnam, communism, the media and history in one rally and lunch, than she could learn in most history classes. She was in the company of heroes, and she appreciated their sacrifices and was amazed at their patriotism.

When other battle-hardened veterans (Big Red One, Airborne-82, 101st &173, and Marines), saw that Mike Benge wore the "ex-POW" pin, they hugged him as only a brother-in-arms could do. They, who had seen so much combat, held him in awe, giving him a respect that the media, academia, historians and many politicians never did.

If my daughter ever learned a lesson of what it means to be a member of a "band of brothers," this show of respect for a fellow soldier/POW, was it, and it continued all afternoon, whether walking on the Mall or eating lunch at Au Bon Pain.

The rally, officially called The Gathering of Eagles, was more than just a rally, it was the final awakening of the soul and spirit of the pro-America Vietnam veteran. Repressed for so long by horrible images in the media, in history books and academia, in movies/Hollywood, and by organized religion, the Viet vet finally came out of his cocoon, like a moth who had been in hibernation for so long, and then rose to the sky like an eagle.

They soared above Washington, talons flashing in the sky, literally shrieking out their arrival on the American political scene. While the Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth About John Kerry was not a political movement, and only lasted as a force to correct the historical record about John Kerry and his war-crimes charges against the American servicemen in Vietnam, they managed to start warming the cocoon of the eagles that soared on the Mall on March 17.

However, this time, the eagles of Vietnam, like the eagles who live along the Potomac River, are here to stay on the political scene of America, and like their crushing of the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese in every major battle they ever fought, from Ia Drang to Khe Sanh, they intend to deal a crushing blow to the appeasers, cowards, backstabbers and traitors in Congress and in other political arenas, as well as to take on the MSM for their duplicitous betrayal of the military with their biased, lazy, incompetent and anti-American reporting.
(See: The Democracy Project article "Interview: What's Next for

Gathering of Eagles?", 3/21/07, as www.democracy- project.com/ archives/ 003191.html. )

My daughter and I were honored to be among such fine Americans. Older, grayer, bearded, on crutches or in wheel chairs, these men and women still stand tall at a time when most politicians cower like scared mice and rats before the leftist hate-mongers, appeasers and traitors that infest our nation.

It was a great day for America when the Vietnam veterans soared over Washington.

Max Friedman is a regular contributor to The New Dominion.

URL: http://thenewdomini on.com/?p= 366

An E-Mail To Col Riley

Sir,

I wish to thank you and your fellow Gathering of Eagles organizing team for the rally on March 17. It was the first time that I truly felt “Welcome Home”, a term that was sincerely exchanged by fellow vets and civilian participants on that Saturday.

I also experienced a kindness by several vets and their spouses while standing with the Eagles north of the Lincoln Memorial opposite the Commies departure area. I have been diagnosed with a brain tumor (currently benign) which has affected my balance, eyesight and hearing. I ended up losing my balance and falling down. Several people immediately came to my assistance and offered help. Two lovely ladies that I had been standing with offered their arms as support and we linked arms watching the Commies. Nice to be steadied by a pretty redhead and blond. Kisses to them.

I will continue to monitor the Eagles web site and hope that the 17th is only the beginning. I will be at the next Eagles rally one way or the other, I hope that there will be two pretty ladies to help support me.

God Bless all Vets and Eagle supporters

Walt McMillan
1SG USA (Ret)
SE Asia: 62-74
VN: 48 Mo, Thai 18Mo

Marching with Moonbats

THE INDEPUNDIT
Marching with Moonbats,

Part I: The Radicals
Part II: Eagles Up!
Part III: Infiltration
Part IV: A Tsunami of Stupid

Eagles soar; media plummet

Republican-American
Copyright 2007

The world may never know exactly how many people showed up for Saturday's antiwar march in Washington, D.C., and the competing Gathering of Eagles at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Unofficial estimates by the mainstream media based on information from antiwar protesters gave the peaceniks the attendance edge, while the U.S. Park Service had veterans and others protecting the memorial outnumbering the antiwar protesters by up to 3 to 1.

But what is not debatable was the media's bias, which was more blatant and disturbing than usual. They depicted the Eagles as profane, knuckle-dragging bikers itching for a fight. "One Vietnam veteran in a wheelchair yelled obscenities at demonstrators, including some with children," The Washington Post reported. Meanwhile, they portrayed the antiwar protesters, who yelled more than their share of obscenities and threats and scuffled with police, as peaceful, good-hearted, mainstream folk who were there "to be quietly counted among the people opposed to this war," only to be harassed by the Neanderthals.

Barely reported was that the march was organized by the ANSWER Coalition, which is newly aligned with the radical Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL). Of the nearly 1,000 news articles filed on the march, not one mentioned the PSL was "founded to promote the movement for revolutionary change" in America based on Marxist Leninism.

Tellingly, not a single article mentioned by name the Gathering of Eagles, whose members were there to protect The Wall from vandalism by the anti-war mob: "We believe the war memorials are sacred ground; as such, we will not allow them to be desecrated, used as props for political statements, or treated with anything less than the solemn and heartfelt respect they and the heroes they honor deserve."

So anarchists who advocate the violent overthrow of the U.S. government and the free markets in favor of communist totalitarianism get the media's respect and reverence while veterans, relatives of soldiers who died in Operation Iraqi Freedom and other patriotic Americans are treated in print as violent mental-hospital escapees.

Disgraceful and despicable, even by the media's standards.

URL: http://www.rep- am.com/story. php?id=21057

Kamin and other Eagles descend on Washington

Mount Olive Chronical
By PHIL GARBER Managing Editor
03/22/2007

Group counters anti-war protesters
Rumors that anti-war protesters would try to deface national veterans memorials brought Richard Kamin of Flanders and thousands of other "Eagles" to the nation's capital on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq brought out about 50 anti-war protesters from around the area to a candlelight vigil in Hackettstown on Monday night.

In Washington, D.C., anti-war protesters marched from the Vietnam memorial to the Pentagon to demand an end to the war. There were no confrontations between the two groups although riot police were evident throughout the area.

The latest Defense Department report shows 3,215 Americans have died and 32,544 have been wounded since the war began.

Kamin, a resident of Flanders, and others joined in a counterdemonstratio n by the nationwide, "Gathering of Eagles" organization to prevent any vandalism attempted against the Vietnam War memorial or the Lincoln Memorial. The group claims to be a non-partisan representative of various veterans organizations.

Madeline Hoffman of Flanders, executive director of N.J. Peace Action, said the rumors of the vandalism were likely started by groups like Gathering of Eagles as a way of drawing counterdemonstrator s to the capital.

News reports estimated the anti-war crowd at about 10,000 with the counterdemonstrator s at greater numbers.

Kamin is a former Republican Assemblyman and state motor vehicles director and now political advisor to Assemblyman Guy Gregg, R-Morris.

Gregg is a candidate in the June Republican primary for Senate in the 24th District, which includes all of Sussex County; the Chesters, Washington and Mount Olive townships and Netcong in Morris County; and Califon and Tewksbury in Hunterdon County.

The other Republican candidate for the Senate seat is Sussex County Freeholder Steve Oroho. Longtime Sen. Robert Littell has decided not to run for re-election.

Assembly Resolution

In Washington, Kamin presented an Assembly resolution sponsored by Gregg to Col. Harry Riley, founder of Gathering of Eagles. The resolution honored the Gathering of Eagles, "a highly esteemed patriotic organization. "

"By their presence in Washington, D.C., the members of Gathering of Eagles record their profound debt of gratitude to those who answered the call of duty and patriotism in order to protect the liberties and valued cherished by all Americans," the resolution said.

Kamin said he joined in the demonstration to counter the protest led by Cindy Sheehan and others. Sheehan's son was killed in Iraq and she has become a leading anti-war voice.

Kamin drove to Washington on Friday night in the peak of the snowstorm and arrived at around 4 a.m. After a few hours sleep, he got to the capitol by 7 a.m. where several thousand "Eagles" had already arrived, many on motorcycles.

Kamin said the "Eagles" included veterans from World War II up to the present and that many waved American flags and were "respectful. "

"The anti-war folks used expletive deleteds and foul language," said Kamin.

Kamin said the Gathering of Eagles was "an expression of good American protest, the freedom to assemble."

Gregg said he penned the resolution in respect for Americans in the armed services.

"It was a clear message that the silent majority wouldn't allow a vocal, organized group of protesters to be the only voice as related to service men and women of our nation," Gregg said on Monday.

Gregg said he supports the war and that it is "critical we complete our mission to insure that Iraq has the opportunity to be a free country."

A note on the Gathering of Eagles website warned "leftist activists who march to the Pentagon" that "their path won't be as clear as it has been in the past."

"This time, however, protestors will see objectors if they spit on Iraqi veterans again, or throw paint on a war memorial. This time, they will encounter a buzz saw of Vietnam veterans and supporters who will gather to protect the Wall, and show their support for U.S. troops," the website said.

A statement on the website from retired Navy Capt. Larry Bailey said the group will be there "to act as a countervailing force against the Cindy Sheehan-Jane Fonda march from the Vietnam Memorial to the Pentagon. We will protect the Vietnam Memorial. If they try to deface it, there will be some violence, I guarantee you."

According to news reports, Saturday's anti-war march was organized by a group known as the "Answer Coalition." The group was initially associated with the Workers World Party and broke away to form the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

URL: http://www.zwire. com/site/ news.cfm? newsid=18111530& BRD=1918& PAG=461&dept_ id=506840& rfi=8

After-actions report from Rev. Ed Anthony, National Co-Chaplain "Gathering of Eagles"

I wrote an article a few years back to encourage another army, the Lord’s army. It’s about being tenacious and faithful to our calling and duty in life. With some slight adjustments, I wish to share it here:

"Keep about your work -- proclaim the truth, do the work of a soldier, fulfill your duties with honor.
Do not flinch because the lion roars;
do not stop to stone the devil’s dogs;
do not fool away your time chasing the arguments of the communists rabbits.
Do your duty, be honest to your calling.
Let liars lie, let sectarians quarrel, let critics malign, let enemies accuse, let the devil do his worst; but see to it nothing hinders you from fulfilling with joy the duty post that was assigned you.
God has not commanded you to be admired or esteemed.
He has not commanded you to get rich.
He has never bidden you to defend your character.
He has not set you at work to contradict falsehoods about yourself which the enemies of this nation are so proficient at generating.
Do not waste time tracking down every rumor that threatens your reputation.
If you focus on this, you will do nothing else; you will be at work for yourself and not for our national best interest.
Keep at your work. Let your aim be as steady as a star.
You may be assaulted, wronged, insulted, slandered, wounded and rejected, misunderstood, or assigned impure motives; you may be abused by foes, forsaken by friends or family, and despised and rejected of men. But cover yourself with eternal glory by seeing to your assigned duties.
Pursue with steadfast determination, with unfaltering zeal, the great purpose of your life and object of your being until at last you can say,
“Mission Accomplished” and
“Lord, I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do" -
“I have been the noble soldier, I have defended my Nation with honor and dignity to the death!”……Ed Anthony circa 2001

My hearts desire and prayer to God is that this breath of fresh air continues to blow throughout our nation and calls us back to a free, constitutional Republic as it scatters the socialist and communist who would destroy it. I do not recall ever being any more grateful and proud to stand with a gathering of people in my life than in Washington DC on March 17, 2007. The hook line of my report to the Eagles is, "Stand Fast with joy in your heart for the opportunity to serve your country once again."

Let me say first, I am grateful for the leadership of Col. Harry Riley and Capt. Larry Bailey, as well as the leadership of the other groups and chapters of Veteran organizations. I also want to thank the many people who willingly invested the long hours and personal expenses just to serve the rest of us. I know of much behind-the-scenes sacrifice that went on to make this event come off as well as it did. You all showed the dedication and leadership qualities that have always marked this as a great nation. Thank you for your dedication and sacrifices. You have made me grateful to have you as brothers and sisters. God bless you and the Bible promises He will not forget your faithful service to His people. "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." Hebrews 6:10.

With all of the joy and celebration of the triumph of good over evil comes a sobering thought to my mind. These foolish miscreants lead by wicked and evil forces from the dark shadows are NOT going to lay down and roll over. On the trip to DC, I shared with Col. Riley my thoughts on this, "If we hand these people their butt-in-a-bag, in DC, before the entire nation, they will return the next time more determined and vicious that ever before." Eagles, we must not let down our guard. The "string-puppet- stand-before- the-camera" so called leader of ANSWER spoke what everyone in the anti-American camp considered to be the condition of our resolve, "No one will show up, in forty years, they never have before." But the puppet-masters pulling his strings from out of sight miscalculated where so many Vietnam Veterans where emotionally. Many of the Korean, WWII and other veterans, as well as many Americans have had enough of this lying, slanderous vilifying of the greatest, most generous nation of people to have ever existed in the history of mankind. If I heard it once, I heard it a thousand times, "Enough is enough, Not this time, No more, Not ever again, and NOT ON MY WATCH!"

The time was ripe for our actions.

If anything, NOW is the time to move out and take even more ground. We must show up in even greater numbers the next time. Gathering of Eagles II must bring more civilians into the mix, more college age men and women, more youth and we must ALWAYS be a gathering where people can bring their whole families and know they will be respected and safe. As an ordained Baptist pastor, I am always keenly aware of the language and deportment of the people around me. With very few exceptions and mild ones at that, this was as clean and honorable a public family gathering as I have ever attended. I saw honesty, transparency and clean hearts in the people's eyes. When I looked around, I saw clean, neat people be polite and respectful to each other. I saw bright eyed, clear faced men and women caring for and comforting each other, even though strangers. I saw a trooper weeping before the three soldiers memorial and out of the crowd stepped another trooper and they embraced and shared words of comfort with each other. This was the America I was raised to believe in, this was the America I am so proud of, this is the America I'll defend.

When I looked across the no-man’s-land I saw confused nihilist, dirty, ragged, and dull eyes full of hate and fear. A hate for anything clean and good because in their heart of hearts they know they can't measure up to the standard set by brave men and women. Full of fear because they know if not today, maybe tomorrow they will be exposed for the uselessness, corruption and sickness that they are. My message for this pathetic rabble is:
"Eagles are a part of your future, get used to it!"

Eagles, Patriots, much loved brothers and sisters, we must take up that age old vow to defend our constitution against all enemies both foreign and domestic. Up until now, there have not been sufficient forces to face down the "fifth column" in our nation. We, and they, now know better. We can, We will, We must, stand in the gap for our country once more. America needed us then and we responded, America needs us now more than she did then. God bless our troops, God bless the Eagles, God bless the USA.

"The people who would have freedom and rights are those who would dare to defend them."… Ed Anthony

Rev. Ed Anthony Psalm 144:1
Pensacola, Florida
National Co-Chaplain
Gathering of Eagles
impactministries1@ cox.net

Gathering of Eagles Updates!

E-mail Update!

1110 WBT AM | 99.3 FM | Charlotte, North Carolina

The story below was written by my friend Rick Goforth. The response from across America was amazing. The media, as you would expect, didn't get it right. They lied about the numbers on both sides of the fence and focused on the protestors. In reality they had to be overwhelmed by our turn out. Given the weather conditions it was even more amazing.

The protester group were truly an ugly bunch both in mindset and appearance. Remember the hippies of the 60's... well they are still around. The aged hippy of the 60's with their whacked out, spike haired, faced pierced, uglies of today. They tried to create confrontation. The ran into our area carrying disgusting signs and defaced American flag replicas. They were met by a wall of patriots who would not bend and who began to march forward and forced them from our ground. I was proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with my friends from Mooresville and the many new friends I had made the night before. In one instance the park police, (who did an excellent job), had to threaten to arrest them to get them to leave. When they made their 'charge' toward us they had people with them with video cameras hoping to film us assaulting them so that they would have grounds for law suits. They got nothing more than video of patriots in a united front moving forward as one to prevent access to the ground set aside for us. We won.

As Rick says, we greatly out numbered them. I believe that it was easily 4 to 1.

Rick comments on the guys from Florida who were riding in the nasty weather... Rick sometimes confuses manliness with poor decision making although I have to give them their props as well. My guess is that they had left for DC the day prior and were unaware of the weather they would be facing. That they endured is to their credit.

I have little doubt that the protests will continue and that proud Americans will respond and in even greater numbers. A.N.S.W.E.R. received an answer... We will not stand by and let you dishonor our troops, our veterans, or our country! Its time that we all let our representatives in Congress know how we feel. I urge you to write them... and I urge you to let the media know that we have a voice and a presence and will no longer accept their slanted, left-wing, pinko, coverage of such events.

God Bless our troops and God bless America.

Proud American and Patriot Guard Rider

Bill (Biker Bill) Cook

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -

Friends & Family,

I can say without a doubt our mission was 110% successful! No damage was done to any War Memorial. Our intentions was to leave early Friday morning on our bikes and ride to DC. If you saw the weather you probably figured out that didn't happen. It had to be the worst weather I have driven in for a long time. It rained so hard at times it was coming down in sheets, sideways. By the time we got to DC it was 30 degrees and snowing. I am going to give credit, where credit is due. We did pass a group of riders from Florida. There was about six of them and they were more men than us. One had to be 70 years old and was just chugging along at 70 mph in the weather. It was an unbelievable sight to be seen.

Friday night consisted of just checking in and doing a little socializing with other Veterans and friends. Got up early Saturday and took a taxi over to the staging area. It was very cold (mid 20's) and windy. I have to admit I was a little worried about crowd participation with the weather. I am glad I was wrong. REGARDLESS what you may see on the national news I will tell you first hand that The Good Guys (Veterans and Supporters) of OUR TROOPS out numbered the cowards easily 3 to 1 on the conservative side and more likely 4 to 1! We went there to protect Our War Memorials and show support for OUR TROOPS. Both missions were accomplished. Our group "actively" participated in blocking several cowards from doing what they wanted to do. Intervention by the United States Park Police was needed for the cowards as they were "escorted" out of OUR area! We STOOD STRONG, WE STOOD PROUD, AND WE STOOD UNITED! Actually we stood, and then moved forward in unionism surrounding and removing the cowards. It was a very proud and worthwhile time!

I just want to say thanks again to all who gave flags and their time to make this work. I will include some pictures from today. You will see first hand some of your flags displayed that you donated.

Proud American,

Rick Goforth

URL: http://wbt.com/ larson/promo_ detail.cfm? PromoID=36

Palmetto Division-Gathering of Eagles

Dear Col. Riley,
I wanted to say "thank you" again for all you and your son, grandson and friends did to get us to DC. We learned so much from being there. Each day was a different experience:

On Friday we learned preserverance. Through the heavy rains we brought with us from SC to the pelting Ice upon our arrival, and countless U-TURNS...we got to our destination- Anacostia Naval Station-which by the way no one would give us a building number to mapquest!!

Saturday, we slipped and slid in the ice and made a few more U-TURNS to take the metro to the wall. We met several vets on their way and followed them. The cadets were excited but didn't really know what to expect. When we got there around 9, things were quiet on the Protest side. We milled around in awe with the fellow patriots and then walked around the different monuments. Not so many anti-war people were around, we noticed...but a lot of Patriots. We also saw a lot of clueless kids holding anti-war signs and felt sorry for them b/c we knew they just didn't have A CLUE. We came to the realization that if the Anti-war protesters REALLY cared about the troops they say they want home, they'd be paying tribute to the monuments that they're defending. But sadly, they didn't. They just stood off screeching hatred. Most of what they were saying was just garble to us. But when the National Anthem was sung at the Gathering... we could have heard a pin drop! -on our side anyway. Because of our HQ regulations, we came in civilian clothes and stayed away from the "angry/loud side" of the protest, but when those people came "tromping" across from the WWII monument over towards the Lincoln Memorial...we decided that we weren't going to make it easy for them. We knew that our few 11 weren't going to stop them, but they were going to have to "eat the muck!" Our cadets "Beamed" when we stood shoulder to shoulder with our American Flags out as our swords of truth and honor. We received a little shoving and elbowing, but they moved to the side. We stood silently strong against the flow. Then came the group with the Iraqi/Sadam flag...our faces flared with anger. Who were they to bring that flag onto this sacred ground...we stood stronger and it was a lot harder to keep quiet, but we did. This was small by most standards (our standing up of 11), but it was life changing for these kids. They learned Civic Duty and courage and honor and commitment to country. It was amazing!

In the late afternoon, we took the metro to Bethesda Naval Hospital. We talked with Marine troops hospitalized there. They were amputees, broken winged, and "GOLDEN with Pride" for their country. They spoke of the apreciation they had for all of those who stood in their place on this day, they spoke of pitty for the anti-war protesters who didn't have a clue. We learned so much! One thing all the cadets and myself took out of this meeting is this: They said that they didn't care so much that they had an opinion about whether we should be there or not, what bothered them was that they were using their energy in the wrong place. They said they wanted us to encourage people to "protest" where it would count-write their representatives and go out and vote. They said what really made their job the hardest was that the elected goverment-not the military was making the final decisions when they didn't have a clue. Their wish was that the government would let the military handle the tactical decisions in Iraq -like it should have been from the beginning.

Sunday, we drove to Annapolis Naval Academy. We have a few cadets that are interested in serving on the officer side; one very shortly. It was astounding to see the attention to superior education and hands-on learning that they provide their students. My one cadet toured Annapolis, went to the Coast Guard academy on Monday, and toured West Point on Tuesday. He's going to be a great leader of the future generation!

As you can read, we had a very busy, whirwind trip, but we learned so much! I'll be forwarding the photo album soon.

V/R,

LTJG T.R. Rivera, NSCC
Commanding Officer
Palmetto Division
803-462-0186
www.PALMETTOSEACADE TS.COM

If you can't stand behind our troops,
feel free to stand in front of them!
quoted from the Blue Star Mom's org.

After Action Report from Hank Hangsleben

To all Members and friends and those who made the D.C. trip:

OK, things have settled down a bit, the emails have been flooding in, and it seems as though all the people that went up to D.C. this past weekend all had the same thoughts……so here’s my 2 cents worth as the person who organized our contingent from Jacksonville.

First of all I would like to personally thank all of those that made the trip. It was a long bus ride, but we tried to make stops every few hours for people to get out and do what they had to do to make it comfortable for them. The food stops at Denny’s and Golden Coral were about the best I have ever seen for such a large group to arrive at the same time. With the prior planning, they brought in extra help, and made the “wait time” minimal as best they could.

Upon arrival in D.C., it took us awhile to find where we were suppose to be, and what we were suppose to be doing. This was in part because of the problems the people from the North had in coming through the storms from the night before. Artie and the rest of National arrived 2 hours late, having to drive 30 mph through snow and ice just to make it on Saturday, and only bringing 1/3 of their people because of it.

Once at the Wall, it was discovered that it had been surrounded and fenced off by the park police and if you even wanted to go close, you had to pass through screening and metal detectors, then you had to pass a check with a hand wand. They allowed no backpacks, liquids of any kind, weapons, or anything they thought was out of the ordinary. I took Diane Midgett and her husband to find her brother Dewey’s name (still MIA from 1967), and Angelica Fresia because it was her first time to visit the Wall. This is one amazing young woman…..she is intelligent, and knows what honor and dignity is when it comes to Veterans. We made a stop at Chapter Member Don Collins brother’s name (Rodney Collins), found Col Charlie Shelton’s name and said hello from Jerry Rogers, and finished up with a teary visit to my brother’s name at panel 22E. It’s amazing that time stands still at the Wall…..memories come back…..tears flow freely…..and wounds heal. It truly is an amazing place.

Upon arrival by National, we were asked to deploy along the outside of the fence area along Constitution Avenue and block off all entrances to the Vietnam Memorial area, so none of the protestors could enter “friendly territory”.
I was amazed at the number of Veteran groups that were present. It was truly a “massing of organizations” to make this happen. Each and everyone was there for a common goal, and that was to protect our sacred monuments, and let no one dishonor those that had gone before us, show support for our troops, and our government.

Close to noon, the demonstrators from the WWII Monument area started their move toward the staging area to the east side of the Lincoln Memorial. This put them marching down the Constitution Avenue sidewalk and right in front of us. We lined both sides of the side walk, and formed a “gauntlet” for them to walk down. I was surprised to see so many young girls and boys in the protest lines. These kids have no knowledge of the “real world”, and were there at the bequest of their friends or parents, or because they thought it would be a “cool thing to do”. Some children were carried by their parents, or walked holding tight onto their parents for safety. Their signs were yellow, and the fear on most of their faces (see the pictures on our web site) echoed the sign color……they were out numbered, and out maneuvered on this d