NavyDoc's Inaugural Adventure W Pics

[NavyDoc]

Hi! For those that don't know me, I met some Freepers on the side of Penn ave. during the inaugeral parade. They were very nice and were in sharp contrast to the unwashed protestors. A brief bio: Enlisted in the USMC as a 0311 back in 1986. Was a rifleman for a year then got an appointment to the Naval Academy. B.S. in English Lit. Naval Flight Officer (re: "Goose") for 5 years then a military scholarship to U. of Michigan in Ann Arbor for medical school. Now a staff anesthesiologist and pain management fellow at NNMC Bethesda and WRAMC here in DC area. I volunteered to provide medical support to the military mission to the inaugeral parade. I was medical officer in charge of Aide station #4, the first military aide station on the parade route. I was filling in for an Air Force Doc who came down ill so actually all my troops were Air Force Personell: 8 medics, 2 nurses, 1 senior NCO, and one admin type. We were stationed on the street, and had a small heated "shack" (for better words) to keeps supplies, put patients, and warm up once in a while. Mustered at WRAMC at 0100 and was posted on Penn Ave at zero-dark-thirty. Got to watch the sun rise just off the Capitol's left shoulder. Pretty early on the cops started to arrive. They were VOLUNTEERS from as far away as Oregon and Florida, and had come to support this inaugeration. They were fun to talk to and were very professional. They JOKED about being there to smash hippy heads!

They marched on line in a very professional manner... I weigh about 225, am 6' 1" and bench 315#. This guy made me feel small and HE was one of the smaller cops!!!!! Some of Virginia's finest ready for some fun! I liked the above image so I had to get a shot of me in the forground.. Ok, and now a pic of most of my posse: Having lots of fun, then enter the nasty, smelly protestors. THis one was actually fairly attractive and her sign reads,"The only Bush I trust is my own." She was behind alot of regular folks, but her sign struck me as funny...besides I am a sailor after all... There really weren't that many of them, but the ones that were there were a pain in the rear. Shouting epithets at me and my medics, spitting, throwing snowballs/fruit. Since I was there to be a doc, not a photographer, I was too busy to get pics of the really rowdy ones. That blather about "spporting the troops, but hating the war," is pure B.S.. At every chance, they laid as much venom and hate upon us as possible. After the CIC rode by they actually tride to rush the barricades, but were repelled by the police with batons and pepper spray. Of course lil ol' me was right in the middle. I treated a couple of cops for eye irritation and bruises. A few of the honor guard that lined the route for bruises (hit in the back of the head with an apple). Next few shots are of the CIC passing. They are bad shots, but I took them with my left hand as he approached, dropped my left and snapped up my right in a sharp and crisp salute as he drew abreast, and was unable to get any followup shots after he passed due to the above bruhaha.

Oh, did I forget THESE guys with their funny, long "suitcases?" Oh yes, the reason I am now a member of this site: there I was; tired, cold, hungry, my feet hurst, harrased by B.O. and patchatouli wearing idiots...walking up and down when I see some more fools waving signs...except on closer exam, THESE signs are supportive and instead of spitting, they are smiling. Instead of shouting obscenaties at me and my guys, these people are saying, thank you. ?????? I needed to have a closer look, and was thus taken into the fold! JCS marched by...very cool. My boys! Semper Fi!!!!

Well after running around all day, dealing with protestors, cold, and a wild horse. (Bucked his rider, got off the route, and was kicking people one block over), cold, sore feet, and one bruised hand (don't ask...facial piercings can hurt if ya smack 'em!). It's time to call it a day. After the last military person was cleared, we got to stand down, about 2100 that night. We retreated to a local watering hole, and I bought my posse many beers. Goodnight and God bless, Zack Kitchen, M.D. LCDR, MC, USN

[Flightdeck]

Hey, my brother is a doc at Bethesda also. He got out of Annapolis in '00 and Case Western last year. He's going into flight surgery next year. Freepmail me if you know him!

[LibWhacker]

Hey, doc . . . Nice pics and great story of perseverance and personal achievement! Congratulations and welcome to FR!!!

[bella1]

Thanks for the pictures and for your service. I enjoyed your bio; my brother is one of the military docs on the White House Medical Unit. God bless.

[NavyDoc]

The funny thing is, if you look at the pics, most of my medics were female. A few were black females.
Now, we did not get into a political discussion when we started. All business. All professional 100%. However, simply based on demographics, one could assume that they were democrats. After all of the fuss, venom, and hate directed at them by the leftists, they were talking like Rush Limbaugh by the end of the day!
They were amazed that the red cross armband did not save them from being called babykillers. Their political awakening was amazing to watch.
The protestors did more harm to their side than good. They really showed the truth of their beliefs, and the hollowness of the "support the troops but hate the war," rhetoric.

[NavyDoc]

I haven't met him. Sounds like he is an intern at present. I get tired just thinking about my intern year. Bully for him!
Where is he going? I reccomend P3's as the flight doc gets to see alot of the world. The carrier based flight docs kinda get stuck onboard the carrier. (Not that that is a BAD thing! ;-) )

[NavyDoc]

Thanks Bahbah...see I may be all thumbs with this here computer thingy but I think I caught on to HTML right quick.....thanks for all the coaching.

[SoCalPol]

Hi Doc,
Thank You for your service. My third cousin is a Navy Doc.
based almost 1 mile down the street from me at the
San Diego Navy Hospital and Medical Center. He was also attached to the 1st Marine Div. and slogged into Bagdad in the first part of the war. He is a Buckeye.

My dad was an HM1 with the 1st Marine Div. in the Korean War. at the frozen Chosin and Inchon Landing.
Simper Fi

[Diva Betsy Ross]

I was once a young idealistic Democrat. I was even a social worker for some years. I changed my tune after I watched the bold face lying of the Anita Hill hearings. I continued in Social work for years after that. Then I gave up.

But one thing.. I would never, ever have been disrespectful to our military or to anyone who provides law enforcement for us. The liberals today are plain crazy and rabid-they will drive rational people away by the hundreds each time they are shown with their hatred of America.

And that is exactly what it is. It burns me that they choose to take it out on the troops and spit on them as they do. Someday one of these smelly,ugly idiots is going to harass the wrong guy- at the wrong time.

I extend my apology for all of the freaks out there. I hope the good folks you worked with know- The silent majority supports America.

BTW-that lefty girl.. you could do better than that!!! The lefty gals have nothing on all of the cute freeper gals you will meet around here! ;}

Welcome to FR-again!

[NavyDoc]

SoCalPol
Thanks! Sounds like your cousin is a great guy.................for a BUCKEYE!

GO BLUE!
;-)

[bethelgrad]

Welcome from a fellow 0311 Marine turned Naval Officer (Chaplain Corps).

[NavyDoc]

Diva: your experience seems similar to that of my medics. Sometimes you cannot deny the truth no matter how hard you try. These people did not care about this war, they are the same old crowd with the same old Marxist ideology and the same old epithets. If ONLY they could change the same old clothes once in a while! :-o

I'm far from attractive myself, but I'm the first to appreciate an example of feminine pulchritude (sp) regardless as the the side of the isle they are on. I'm still a sailor after all! ;-)

[edfrank_1998]

Semper Fi, Doc. Great report.

[NavyDoc]

Thanks Chaplin. I am who I am now because of the lessons I learned at Parris Island. I became a man on the ginder!


(Ok, perhaps I became a man on a quarterdeck in Third batt in a pool of my own sweat holding a front leaning rest position, but you get the idea!)

Semper FI.

[lainde]

Bump for super pix! BTW you've got FR mail.

[Leofl]

I remember saying hello to you and your crew. Let me say again.......GOD BLESS YOU and ALL of YOU WHO SERVE. My son is a Navy corpsman and so I even have to appreciate you Navy Guys.....lol

Welcome to the FreeRepublic!!!!!

You are one of the best reasons that we are here.!!!1

leofl

[jp3]

Thanks for sharing your pics and your day with us. I am really happy that you ran into FReepers, they're good people, yes? The protesters are without substance. They love to yell and scream their opinions but rarely can they back them up. It is becoming clearer thru-out our great country what democRATS stand for, not-for-the-USA. Stand with us NavyDoc, your service to your country is appreciated and will never be forgotten. How did you get on in socialist-fascist Ann Arbor? I lived there for ten or so years and truly hated it by the time I left.

God Bless.

[SuziQ]

Welcome, welcome!! Glad you found the Freepers at the Inaugural. They provided a welcome relief to the 'unwashed' didn't they? Thanks for your service!

[Danae]

Awesome Pics!!! Thanks for posting these!!!

(don't ask...facial piercings can hurt if ya smack 'em!)

Yup! You gotta watch thoses things. They even make em with barbs and those REALLY hurt when ya smack em!

[glocker23]

I'm at UAB

[NavyDoc]

Actually I liked AA. Nice restaurants. Nice culture type stuff. I had MANY runs in w the loonies, though, and have many stories about that. At times I felt like I was beating my head against the wall: a stranger adrift in a strange land, if you will. But ya know, there is a large, silent conservative underground there too.
I think that conservatives by nature are not as demonstrative. We spend our time being productive members of society: jobs, family, etc. We don't have tiem with all the running about, arms flailing loudly, slogan shouting stuff the left seems to love. One of my biggest dillemmas is wht the left abhor soap so? One would think that higene would cross political boundries. Some of those protestors! Blech!