RochesterConservative.com

By rochester_veteran

My journey to Eagles Muster started when I left Rochester by Trailways bus on Friday, March 14, 2008 at 5:40pm. I had to transfer buses at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City. I had last passed through there twenty nine years ago, fresh out of separating from the service. I got into Washington DC just past 4am on Saturday, about an hour and half earlier than what was scheduled. I got cleaned-up, shaved and changed in the bus station bathroom. It was easier doing stuff like this when I was younger! The bathrooms were not maintained very well and it was kind of gross getting cleaned up in there! They had food services at the bus station and I ate some breakfast there rather than risk wandering out in a dark neighborhood that I was unfamiliar with. This turned out to be a good call.

I called my contact person, concretebob and he picked me up just past 7am. It was so hot in the DC bus station that I decided to wait outside for Bob. Upon stepping out and standing out near the street, I had four guys on me, either panhandling or trying to sell me drugs! I ended up retreating back indoors. Good thing I didn’t try finding a diner!

Bob showed up and he had Carter with him as well. Bob is a former Marine and Carter spent 20 years on subs in the Navy. I was among friends! Bob’s blog is DCProtestWarrior. He’s also the event coordinator for Eagles Up, a behind the scenes guy who’s contributions are invaluable. Carter rides with the national veterans MC organization, Rolling Thunder and is also active on the blogs and forums as cclezel.

Bob had arranged for the porta-potties to be delivered to the National Mall, just below the Washington Monument. People need to go and Bob made sure we had clean facilities. We drove down Constitution Ave and it’s lined with marble federal buildings. The Capitol came into view and what an awesome sight that was! Eagles Up had reserved parking places near the Washington Monument and we waited there for the other Eagles Up and Freepers to show up.

Mike Connelly, the guy who set up the webcast and Kristinn Taylor, co-founder of the DC Chapter of Free Republic and others started showing up and I helped carry some boxes of buttons and bracelets over to an area near the southwest corner of Constitution Ave and the Washington Monument. Colonel Riley was there and I went up and introduced myself. We shook hands and he gave me a big hug! I asked somebody to take a picture of us, but it didn’t come out! Sorry!

More and more people started showing up and I got to meet many of them. One of my favorites was Pitbull! He paints his face red, white and blue and he carries a bullhorn. During the March, he was one of those leading the chants and talking it up to the crowd that gathered to watch us. He’s a real character and we connected immediately (he’s of Lithuanian decent as well, no wonder!).

I was able to get over to the World War II Memorial as it’s just west of the Washington Monument, on the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial is across the Pool from it. What an awesome sight! A high school band was playing at the Memorial and I thought of my Dad the entire time. I was wearing my field jacket and VVA Chapter 20 hat. Many people smiled at me and thanked me for my service. The whole experience was touching, to say the least. The pictures I took at the WWII Memorial did come out. Here’s a view of the Washington Monument from the World War II Memorial:

I then walked back to the National Mall, just east of the Washington Monument and took some pictures of the it and of the Capital that’s east at the end of the Mall. It’s hard not to be in awe of the sights and vistas of the Mall. Lining the National Mall is the National Museum of American History, The Smithsonian Institute, The National Museum of Natural History, the National Air and Space Museum and the National Gallery (West Wing). It’s a long and wide grassy area, lined with trees and walks, quite beautiful and a happening place!

Upon my return to the Eagles Muster area, more people were arriving. I got to meet Catherine Moy, Executive Director of Move America Forward, Melanie Morgan, conservative radio personality and Move America Forward Chairman, Mary Pearson, also of Move American Forward and Debbie Lee, Gold Star Mother of Marc Allen Lee, the first Navy Seal to lose his life in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Somebody took a group picture of us and if I see it posted, I’ll post it to RochesterConservative.com . It was such an experience, personally meeting with all of those dynamic individuals who care so much about our troops, their mission and our Country! Debbie Lee lost her son in combat and although the loss was devastating to her,she’s not bitter about it and is an inspiration with the love she has for our country and our troops. These are committed people that I’m proud to be associated with and befriend!

A podium with a PA system was set up below the Washington Monument and we were all called together to Muster. Somebody else had a sound system and was playing Tom Petty’s “Don’t Back Down”. To me, that was the theme song for Eagles Muster! The reason we were there was to oppose Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) Winter Soldier II. I couldn’t make it to the Labor College on Friday, where WS II was being held, but Eagles Up, Gathering of Eagles and the DC Chapter of Free Republic was there across from the entrance to “greet” the participants. We let them know we won’t let their “testimony” go unscrutinized and let our present day generation of warriors be maligned like the Vietnam Era Veterans were from John Kerry’s and Jane Fonda’s original Winter Soldier! That was the theme of each speaker.

Melanie Morgan is a fireball, let me tell you! She had us all up and cheering with her speech! Gold Star Mother Debbie Lee also gave a moving speech and invited several Gold Star families up so that we could show our appreciation. I still hadn’t met Band of Mothers founder, Beverly Perlson yet and was scanning the crowd trying to find her. Beverly has posted to RochesterConservative.com and wanted to meet me. I finally found her standing in back of the speakers. I walked up to her and introduced myself. She was delighted to see me and gave me a big hug! She then told me about her experience at Walter Reed MC the previous evening.

If you recall from the Webcam schedule that I posted, there was an action at Walter Reed MC on Friday evening. The DC Chapter of Free Republic has people there almost everyday because Code Pink is also there. Beverly Perlson made it a point to be there that evening because Code Pink Founder, Medea Benjamin, flew in from Berkeley to be there because she knew that Eagles Muster was opposing Winter Soldier II. Beverly showed up at Walter Reed MC and so did Medea Benjamin. Beverly called out that she wanted to have a woman to woman talk with Medea Benjamin. Medea sent a Code Pink “delegation” to talk with Beverly. They told Beverly that Medea Benjamin was afraid that Beverly was going to beat her up! The Code Pink delegation told Beverly that if she moved across the street, by herself and away from everyone else, that Medea Benjamin would meet with her. To make a long story short, Medea Benjamin finally met with Beverly Perlson and Beverly had a very frank talk with her. Beverly’s son is deployed on his fourth tour in Iraq. She is a strong woman who is not to be messed with! All of the women that I met at Eagles Muster possessed that trait of being strong and determined. Beverly Perlson, Catherine Moy, Melanie Morgan, Debbie Lee and the rest of the women I met were inspirational and I’m so glad I got to meet them.

Right after talking with Beverly, a fellow veteran approached me saying, “I’ve got to meet this rochester_veteran guy”. We shook hands and he introduced himself to me as Patrick McCarthy and that he was originally from Rochester. As it turns out, Patrick graduated from Bishop Kearney High School with my sister! Small world, isn’t it! This isn’t the first time this has happened to me! Patrick is retired from the Navy and was the last Celestial Navigator in Washington DC who was a Vietnam Veteran.

I then rejoined Eagles Muster just in time to hear Laura Youngblood’s address. Laura’s a Veteran and she lost her husband, Travis, in Bagdad to an IED on July 21, 2005. She was pregnant with their daughter, Emma, at the time and they also have a son, Hunter. It was hard not to have a tear in ones eye listening to Laura Youngblood’s talk of the sacrifice that her husband and the kid’s father, Travis, made and how his sacrifice *will not* be in vain. Laura Youngblood stands opposed to the left and the malignment that Winter Soldier II is attempting to paint our present generation of warriors!

Finally, Gunny Hoffa addressed the Muster. What a dynamic individual he is! We sang God Bless America and our National Anthem. It was another moving and patriotic moment, standing with my brother and sister veterans and patriots! We also were addressed by active duty veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who spoke of their appreciation of our efforts to support the troops.

We then formed up for the Patriots March down Constitution Ave. Wow, what an experience it was! We all carried flags and signs and were chanting our support for our troops, quite the contrast to the anti-war demonstrations that happen along that same route. Carter and I had been hanging out together during the whole event and we marched down Constitution Ave together. The spectators along the way were mostly supportive of us. I did see a Code Pink member in a car giving us the thumbs down, and I made sure I gave her the “We’re number one” sign!

One of the memorable moments of the day was when a group of school kids from Bakersfield, California, got off of their bus and joined in with us on the March. Here’s Yankeemom’s account of the event:

“A group of school kids on a field trip stopped their bus so they could join the march with us. How cool is that!! I believe they were from California. People just stepped off and joined us from the sidewalks.”

I’ll never forget the moments from this day! It’s participating in events like this that give us encouragement to stand for our troops and our country and I know that we are doing the right thing!

When we were passing the front of the Capitol, I started a cheer urging Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi to not surrender and to support our troops! We then finished the March down the National Mall, near the Smithsonian Institute. It was then that a Native American Army Veteran appeared out of nowhere, dressed in black, wearing a red headband. He approached Laura Youngblood and asked to perform an Apache ceremony to honor her husband, Travis, and all of our fallen warriors. Here’s the Eagles Up account of this highly spiritual ending of a wonderful event:

“As the events wound down, many Eagles partook in a sacred Apache rite. Creating a circle around a native American/Vietnam veteran, Eagles participated in a solemn Indian blessing bestowed upon our fallen warriors. As participants shared the traditional pipe, eyes began to raise upward to witness an American Bald Eagle circling directly overhead. This lone eagle continued to stay “on watch” over the proceedings for more than five minutes. As the ceremony was ending, our protector abandoned its circle and flew toward the Capitol.

Courage, inspiration and providence; How do you spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S?”

This really happened and I was there to witness it!

concretebob, Carter and I then headed off, had a good supper together and they dropped me back off at the DC bus station. I arrived back in Rochester at 9am on Sunday, 3/16.

I apologize for not getting this account out earlier, but after being awake for 56 hours with catnaps, I needed to recharge my batteries to write my account of the events of Eagles Muster 2008. It was well worth it though and I plan on participating in more events such as Eagles Muster! Colonel Riley has often said that there are times when “boots on the ground” are necessary, especially when standing for our troops and our country. This was the first event like this that I attended and it was such a great experience joining together with so many like-minded, genuine and patriotic people. I made many new friends that I’m proud to be associated with!

Never again shall one generation of veterans abandon another.