Captain's Quarters -

Isn't that something? I read in the WaPo article that the Vets were spurned on by the vanadlism of previous protestors in the Capitol. Figures. Soldiers turn up to defend the Capitol against a bunch of loons.

Forty years lost in the wilderness. Forty years in exile. Behind us now. Yesterday we took our country back. It's in the air. I can feel it. I excerpted and linked at Old War Dogs.

Bill Faith
Proud Viet Nam Vet

spurred, not spurned

I wonder if the world will notice that the moonbats are *not* in charge, that there is an equal and opposite amount of people who are diametrically opposed to everything that Cindy Sheehan and Hollywood are for, and that those people are large and calm and stern and look like they might be well-armed.

What a great sight to see; the American Flag waving proudly in the breeze; the American Flag waving proudly at the hands of Patriotic Americans. We witnessed two America's yesterday; I know which America I'm a part of....

We outnumbered ANSWER and they failed to attack the Wall, which was the initial primary goal of the Gathering. It became more of an awakening than just a gathering from my point of view.

I, a submarine force veteran from the Vietnam Era, was there with my Marine Corps Force Recon friend who fought in South Vietnam. As one speaker indicated, we have been quiet for 4 decades and now that congress is moving in the direction of abandoning Iraq as they did to South Vietnam, we will no longer remain silent. To me and others I talked with, this was a gathering that released the decades of disgust and personal anguish over our government’s abandonment of over 58,000 American men and women military personnel and those of our allies who died and the other hundreds of thousands who sacrificed to keep South Vietnam free from our mutual enemy. There was little talk of us not being held in high regard on our return, but open emotional displays of unity with those who shared our mission 40 years ago. Whether or not it was recorded, we took the physical and moral high ground today, adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial, overlooking the ANSWER mob and displayed our greater strength with just a portion of our patriot warrior contingent. To those that I talked with over a 5 hour period from all over the United States and from our many military service and organizations, the consensus was that this is just the first shot across the bow of the anti-war and anti-American ANSWER and congress.

Last night ANSWER attacked the police at the Pentagon, but they never attacked us. About 30-40 ANSWER kids marched up to a group of Eagles milling about the narrow entry to the road and sidewall in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The Eagles would not move and engaged them verbally. ANSWER went through the grass around them after a while. When the Eagles took the high ground adjacent to the Lincoln memorial across the street from ANSWER we saw that ANSWER carried yellow signs; the proper color said many Eagles. There were 2 American flags visible on their side when I was there. A vast majority of the Eagles there were American Legion and other veteran's motor cycle riding clubs. They were all decked out in leathers with the usual chains across their vests and names of their units, combat badges and many with names of lost buddies. More Marines than I had seen in a long time. Many had very long and very gray or white hair and even longer beards. They looked like the original 1960's Hell's Angles from my 1966 Navy days in San Francisco had arrived in force. Now if you happen to believe Sen. Kerry's & the Left's rhetoric, Vietnam Vets are baby killers and murders. And the Eagles certainly looked the part with their similarly dressed mommas in tow. No wonder the Anarchists didn't rush the Wall. Just 7 cops at the Wall but a fairly large contingent of the old but battle hardened, tough looking Eagles outside of the snow fence around the Wall area. I talked to many of them and they were civil and courteous and very emotional when they saw guys from their units. But about the war they fought and the war we are fighting , they had no good words for congress and ANSWER.

ANSWER waited to go violent with the much more polite and disciplined Virginal State Police and Federal Police forces at the Pentagon. Many of the guys, including me, were itching for a confrontation started by them. In 5 hours I only saw one incident where an Eagle lost it a bit. His buddies calmed him down and let the young ANSWER couple leave the area. This was at the very end of the demo when most ANSWER folks had started the march to the Pentagon. I still hardly believe the response to the call to defend the Wall. but we shall return to defend our Wall if necessary.

I blogged the live steams until they went off-air yesterday, then moved on the C-Span. My heart and soul stood with those courageous Eagles.

How proud. How wonderful it feels to know that my memories of Vietnam and the shame that MSM and activists have wanted us to feel for 40 years is no more. NO MORE.

Now if the Victory Caucus can just harness some of this Eagle-power, we will also vote the defeatists out of office in the next election.

Please help us ------ we must reclaim the spirit and pride that was kindled yesterday.

Thank you, Eagles. Thank you, organizers.

AMR,

God Bless you comrade...

There are NO GOOD WORDS FOR CONGRESS..
Pathetic in the 60's; pathetic today...

very moving story and comments

AMR, Thank-you and everyone else who was able to be there. I was letting myself get down over these protests since the only story I saw on our local news’s website was about Salt Lake City's silly mayor giving a speech at one of these so called peace demonstrations. Feel much better now. My wife, who lost her brother in Vietnam, will be glad to hear how so many showed up.

Media are concentrating now on protests "across the country" since the one in DC was so decisively NOT a victory for their moonbat mouthpieces.

I'm in Los Angeles. If there were ever to be a gathering of Eagles here to confront the peaceniks in SoCal, I'd be there in a heartbeat. I passed a guy standing on a corner in Burbank yesterday, wearing bermuda shorts and a straw hat, holding a sign, "Bush Lied, Soldiers Died! 3,000 dead for NOTHING!" At least he was by himself, but dammit, I do get tired of looking at these idiots.

I cried this morning after watching this. It's very moving. I planned on being in DC, but am glad I wasn't needed. They had a terrific turnout.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=dU9UCCec0mM

Thank you, Eagles, for standing up for our country once again.

I solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

My account.

Just got back from my trip to D.C. It was so cold I think He ll froze over! My opinion, we had equal numbers as the anti-crowd. We were mostly around the wall and memorials, which is what the mission was about, no protester got close. The Park Police had the Wall sealed off with a controlled entry and metal detectors. A lot of vets were across the street from the anti-crowd. Both sides were behaved with the normal verbal taunting between the two groups. The anti’s had a better sound system and probably paid professional agitprops who were really pumping up the anti’s.
As their march began, one vet pointed to a heavy set anti, giving him what for. The anti started to cross the street and a police officer stopped him. I can imagine the officer telling him “Don’t go over there, they will hurt you!” Half of the marchers were early 20’s and younger, you know, the ones that can’t think for themselves. The marchers were not all anti-war. There were the socialists, the commies, the Che crowd, the burka brigade, the 9-11 conspiracy group and so on. We were all vets and families of vets and active duty servicemen and paying our own way, not financed by Soros et. al.
As I was leaving a came across a couple of anti laggers or who didn’t want to march in the cold. A blond woman was giving them both barrels. “If it weren’t for these vets and my son in Iraq you wouldn’t have the freedom to protest!” she shouted. Another anti was talking impeach Cheney and the lady lit into him. Her husband had to keep grabbing her and moving her along. I mentioned to him that she was a pistol and she said he told her that bringing her was like bringing a gallon of gas to a bonfire! I gave them my best and told them to thank their son for serving.
This was my first pro-active, not sitting on my butt complaining event and well worth it.

http://tinyurl.com/2b3mb7

Tom

Want a laugh? I was surfing thru the channels tonight and caught the latter part of Sean Hannity's solo show on "Faux News", where one of their camera crews interviewed some of the tolerant leftists at the march. Too funny! If his show repeats for the Left Coast later tonight, be sure to check it out.

Nahncee -- there were about fifty of us who staged a counterprotest at the corner of Hollywood and Highland during the LA march. Frankly, the left had a better grade of asshole in 1970's; it was mostly ANSWER and Truthers I saw...

The LA Times didn't spend more than a paragraph on the counterprotest. Spent nearly a column foot on the anti=war protest. If I were relying on the Times for my news, I would have expected a couple hundred counter protestors, no more.

Of course, the Times, first tier paper that it is, got all its talking points from the AP article on the demonstration, which also made the counterdemo into a non-event.

Amazingly - Gathered Eagles outnumbered the anti-war commies THREE to ONE (according to one conservative count) - BUT, other attendees believe it was FAR more than that - perhaps up to 'five to one.' Here's why...

The media were expecting huge numbers of anti-war leftists to congregate in the triangle of land bounded on the West by 23rd St. NW and on the East by Henry Bacon NW... but, very few gathered there (maybe 1,000 all-told) - for most of the day. The moonbats concentrated (at most 2,000) well East of Henry Bacon, in their designated 'Bull Pen' which was East of the 'DMZ' and the 'Bull Pen' of the pro-American counter-demonstrators. They didn't stay there long either - after seeing the huge number (about 5-6 thousand) that soon filled the opposing bull pen.

Pictures weren't helping them at all, so early on their movements became orchestrated to concentrate for media camera exposure. Meanwhile, Eagles filled every path and road between Henry Bacon and the 'bull-pens' - a major number of them intent on visiting the Vietnam Memorial, and standing guard over other smaller Memorials nearby.

Eagles literally filled that entire park, while the anti-war types scuttled back and forth across the park in small knots, directed to their next assignment in front of waiting media cameras - until it was time to herd them all-together for their main-event, the 'march on the Pentagon' - where they encountered even more Eagles lining the path.

Five to one? From what I have seen, particularly on C-Span cameras, that might be a low estimate.

To all here who were at the Gathering:

DRIVE ON!

Thank you for being there when I could not. Please accept my gratitude as a veteran for standing in the gap for me. God bless you.

Keep the faith. Let's whoop ass on these socialist liberal pukes. They've had their run. It's time to shut them up.

Squad machine gunner (M60), Airborne
US Army 1982-1986
Grenada

ERNurse

We've posted a photo essay on the leftist/moonbat rally in Los Angeles. Lots of chilling photos!

AMR,

Outstanding!

Count me with you in spirit.

SF in '66? Are you an ET? A nuke?

30,000 Spartans in DC!!!!

SoldiersMom,

I used your link Here:

Classical Values

and

Astute Bloggers

you get a mention and Cap'n gets two links.

M. Simon, I was a nuke ETR2 SS on 2 different FBMs 1965-71, out of Rota and Guam. My oldest son was a 1st class sonarman, now retired, was on FAs and Tridents and my middle son is in Iraq with the Army. I had a very personal reson for being at the GoE. No body dared mess wth me on returning and my son will not experience what many of my fellow veterans did when returning home. Take care and be safe.