St. Patrick’s Day – A Different Perspective.
Six years ago a bunch of vets got together in DC. Many were ‘Nam vets coming out of hiding. Captain Bailey and Colonel Riley put out a call and the response was wonderful.
A bunch of folks were threatening Our Wall, but that really wasn’t quite as important to us as seeing to it that what happened to us didn’t happen to a new generation of vets.
Look up The Gathering of Eagles if you will. I won’t bore you with my recollections of that day save three items. OWB handled security. but there are no suitable pix.
Our pal Kit sang:
And your humble Geezer handled Commo:
Category: Gathering of Eagles, Geezer Alert!
Sergeant Lilyea, Et Alii:
I was there that day.
I was there with a fellow resident of the Ol’ Soldiers’ Home, who was a retired United States Marine Corps master gunnery sergeant AND a retired deputy sheriff(of Scottish heritage, he taught me how to purchase and wear my kilt).
Due to the crowd and the mud, we didn’t get too close to the stage, so we couldn’t hear everything, or at least, I don’t remember it.
I do remember seeing that famous female blogger, whose name I can’t remember.
Some folks from Code Pink tried to make trouble, and were chased from the park.
The police were unsympathetic to them, saying they’d been warned not to mess with us.
A lot of the Viet Nam veterans were bikers and/or retired cops, so they were having friendly conversations with the various motorcycle police who were on the scene.
I remember it being cold, wet, windy, and muddy.
I was prepared, for I wore my jump boots, with my jeans tucked in, but the guy who was with me had worn ordinary street shoes, so he got soaking wet, slipping and sliding in the mud.
Afterwards, we went looking for a place to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day.
We ended up at a brewery next to Union Station, where I had an alcohol free beer, while the other guy enjoyed his pints.
It was an interesting day, and I’m glad I went.
Oh, by the way – – – ,
If you folks will go to my web site (just click on my name), you can watch my latest homemade amateur video recording of ME (!) strumming my guitar and singing a favorite song, “SOMEDAY SOON”, composed by a Canadian cowboy, Ian Tyson.
I only just recorded it a couple of hours ago.
Note the difference between the original lyrics and the words that I sing.
That’s because the song was written for a female singer, and I changed the words to make it a “guy” song.
Thank you.
John Robert Mallernee
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Gulfport, Mississippi 39507
Jonn,
Push and hold button on side of little box, then talk into the front of the little box.
Release button and wait for the voice to come out of the little box.
Push button again, tell the little box that you are lacking a beer. Release button and wait for stupid question from the little box.
Push the button once again and hold it, and tell the little box that if you don’t get your gawdam beer in the next 30 seconds, all hell will break out on those responsible.
Release button and smile. Tilt bottle to lips and drink beer.
There’s more to commo than standing in the rain in a leaky poncho 🙂
SSG Medzyk #2: Jonn IS our editor, but he didn’t post this. Pretty sure he won’t get yer drift.
The Beer part he has mastered.
That was a grand time. We brought a busload of us down from all over Maine. Drove all night to get there, did the rally, then left that night for a straight trip back.
Got to meet some great people. Got accused by Medea Benjamin of slashing her tires, though me and my friends had been talking with some DC cops the whole time she said we were a mile away doing that “crime”. they told her to get lost. 🙂
Also got my pic on Malkin’s report about it, and met Mary Katherine Ham too. !!!!!!!
I’d do it again in a heartbeat, cold, wet, stiffness and everything. The evnt was just electrifying to this old airdale, and the best part was seeing hos it scared the crap outta all the protesters there.
We should do it again when our brothers and sisters finally come home from Afghanistan. I’d be honored to help out wherever I could be of use.
Had I but known….
Well, the Good Lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise, maybe next time….
I was there as well.
Somewhere I have pictures of myself getting aid from other vets (my wheelchair was stuck in the mud and they laid down plywood for me) and a shot of me meeting and talking with Michelle Malkin (she was awesomely gracious and polite.) If anyone wants them I’ll dig them up and pass them along.
I forgot to add … I was with See-Jane-Mom (a DC local, Marine Corps wife and mil-blogger.) She’s the one that took the pictures. Sadly she gave up blogging a couple of years ago.
Gravel #6: Send the pix of you and Michelle to Ponsdorf@Gmail.com.
http://tinypic.com/r/15pin14/6
http://tinypic.com/r/nxucmf/6
I’ll have to search the drives on multiple computers for the ones with Michelle Malkin.
@8 Zero Ponsdorf.
Yup, will do, as soon as I find it.
http://tinypic.com/r/axe4nl/6
Sent to Zero Ponsdorf as well.
Aww Jonn. That day was one of the best ever. I watched Deborah Johns punch a Code Pinker who shoved her and dumped water on her, and I got to stand with thousands of my countrymen and sing my favorite song. Then I got to sit in the hotel bar surrounded by the best men I’ve ever met and listen to their stories and just bask in the awesomeness. Doesn’t get better. Thanks for the memories.
Oops!!!! I knew better. Dear freakshow…you’re the best. 🙂
I was there, too. Me and a few of my comrades. It was ass-biting cold and I wished I my cold weather Mickey boots. I stood on the wall for hours and hours. And that she-Hag got what was coming to her. Best. Day. And then there were more of them…I wrote AAR’s for each one…That guy Hooper had a great photo on his blog of me on that wall. What ever happened to him?
Jonn was there with the “Red Baron” http://www.vietnamgear.com/Article.aspx?Art=38
and the “Motor Sgt” http://www.vietnamwarfoundation.org
we were handing out VFW Buddy Poppies all over and the Park police did try to tell us we could not….we ignored them.