Walter Reed FReep #281 - September 3, 2010 - Thank You to our Soldiers!

September 6, 2010 | Tom the Redhunter

[Tom the Redhunter]

I got to Walter Reed right at 6:30... but I was certainly not the first there. Whooping it up for the troops was VictoryNY, our most enthusiastic Freeper. Here she is with Cindy-True-Supporter, who arrived a few minutes later

We Support Our Troops!

God Bless our Soldiers! 24 - 7!

Thank You to Our Soldiers!

...all this while jumping up and down and waving the flag with much vigor.

She has a voice that would make Luciano Pavarotti proud! She is certainly a hit with the troops and their families coming out of the hospital. They've told us many times that they are happy we're there. They can see the front entrance from the main hospital building, and of course we're at the main entrance.

Here is your trusty author for this AAR

Noticeably absent this FReep were Mr and Mrs Trooprally. Of all the FReepers they have been the most faithful over the 5+ years we have held station in front of Walter Reed. Between them and Lurker Bill they have taken on the not-insignificant task of transporting most of our signs and banners every week.

More, Mrs Trooprally's camera is a log better than mine, especially for night shots. So you'll have to excuse the photos here for not being up to the normal quality.

If you will be in town for the 9-11 and 9-12 Rallies, come visit us at Walter Reed on Friday!

Walter Reed is in Northwest Washington DC. Being only a mid-sized city, that ends up being not too far from the center of town. In usual traffic it's maybe a 20 minute drive straight up Georgia Avenue from the mall.

We start gathering at about 6:30 and leave when the troop bus comes, which is usually at 9:30. However, feel free to come and leave at your convenience.

There are three ways to get to Walter Reed once you're in town

1. City Bus - a bus line runs straight up George Avenue from the National Archives building. It's slow but sure.
2. MetroRail - Get off at the Takoma Park station on the Red Line. The Washington MetroRail system is not very big so it's pretty easy to get around on it. The Takoma Park metro station is a few blocks from Walter Reed, so I'd advise taking a taxi from the station. One of us can drive you back to the metro station at the end so no worries there. Here are directions to our Walter Reed freep location from the Takoma Metro station
3. Drive - There is a small parking lot where we gather, and there's usually plenty of parking on George Avenue and the surrounding streets, so no worries there.

We'll have some food and drink, and usually order pizza to boot, as we make a picnic out of the entire affair.

Any questions please freepmail me or or better send email to me at redhunter43@yahoo.com

Back to the Freep

Lurker Bill holds down his usual corner, with kburi right beside him. Bill has been bringing a portable sound system and playing patriotic music for everyone, which has been a big addition to our FReeps

Fraxinus and No Just Rong hold down another corner

Being a holiday weekend there was no troop bus, but there were some big hospital buses coming in and out. They were likely transporting troops back and forth from Bethesda Naval Hospital or from Andrews Air Force Base

Thank you to our troops and their families, for we owe them so much.

Come join us every Friday night between the hours of 6:30pm to approx 9:30pm.

Directions to our Walter Reed freep location from the Takoma Metro station

* You can find all of Tom the Redhunter's photos for this FReep on my Photobucket site.

* Thank you to BufordP for maintaining the BIG LIST of all Walter Reed FReeps.

* Thank you to all FReepers who transport and store our many signs and banners every week.

* Tom the Redhunter blogs at The Redhunter

[Tom the Redhunter]

DC Chapter Ping!

[basil]

Y’all continue to rock! Hope to get back that way to join you again one day.

[WVNan]

Tom, I’ve wondered many times and never think to ask about the private homes where you guys set up. Has there ever been any complaints from those houses about the noise? If the patients can hear you, then everyone on that street can hear you, for 281 Fridays. Not complaining, just wondering how you guys have avoided any problems on that side of the street.

[trooprally]

Very good crowd of troop supporters for a holiday weekend. Looks like we missed a good Friday. Thanks for the AAR.

[Mr] T

[DollyCali]

thanks Bill for the ping & the great report & pix!

looking forward to the time in my life when I can do more of the things I enjoy.. and NOT be continually under the time & $$$ gun

[Tom the Redhunter]

Good question, and almost unbelievably we haven’t had any complaints, even during the early days when we really got into it with Code Pink. Being a city and all I guess the residents are used to more noise.

[3D-JOY]

Hi ALL, glad to see you all there.

I expect to see you next Friday.

Thanks Tom for being so FAST!

[WVNan]

Thanks. I’ve just looked at the pictures so many times and there is a house right there where you guys stand, and wondered if maybe they might be patriots. I also wondered about the parking lot where you set up the picnic. Is that a church parking lot? I’m just a curious busy body. I’m still hoping and praying that I can find a way to get there just one time to stand with you guys.

[kburi]

First, Thanks and good report Tom.

Second to WVNan.

All the houses are on a major thoroughfare, Georgia Ave, which is noisy due to ambulances, police sirens, a lot of traffic etc. It is a major road in and out of Maryland (being less than a mile north). So we are a weekly brake for residents.

When we first came, drugs were dealt on a side street next to us. Between our presence and increased police cruising by to check on us, that dealing subsided. In addition we also don’t hesitate to call police if we see suspicious activity.

So we rarely get negative comments from the residents. The church has been sold and while we think we know what will happen, we won’t discuss until it does.

I hope this helps your curiousity.

We believe we are good neighbors to residences and the Medical Center.

[WVNan]

Hey, that is excellent news. I thought maybe the neighbors were probably protective toward Walter Reed. But the fact that your presence has stopped some of the decline of the neighborhood is just an added bonus for them. You guys are the best. Thank you for the 1,000th time.

[KeyLargo]

This is from Bev Perlson. She is with the Band of Mothers. They watch over our soldiers like mother hens. She is a wonderful lady. They had a powerful weekend in Kansas.

One of the videos from Leavenworth

http://www.kmbc.com/video/24886137/detail.html

The Band of Mothers will have photos and After Action Report soon! Col Allen West spoke at the rally and hit it out of the park! He is the Leader our country is calling for and he stands by our troops

Just got back from the Leavenworth 10 rally in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. It was terrific and I will try and get a write-up done before I leave for DC on Wednesday.

I just want to call attention to everyone here in this state that we have a Bronze Star and Purple Heart Recipient from the state of Illinois sitting in Leavenworth. His name is Sgt. Michael Patrick Leahy. Please go to http://www.supportsgtleahy.com/
and sign the petition for this Soldier, there are only 1006 signatures on this petition!!!!!!!!!

I only have one thing to say about this case: The terrorists that Sgt Leahy, Mayo and Hatley were convicted of killing were laughing about the American Soldiers they had killed.

Please send this email all over and ask those you know to sign the Clemency petition. PLEASE SEND A DONATION to help Sgt Leahy’s familiy. I had the honor of meeting his lovely wife this weekend and she is truly a warrior who has every intention of seeing her Hero come home. Jamie Leahy makes the trip to Leavenworth every two weeks, from Bolingbrook, Illinois. I can tell you folks, it’s almost an 8 hour drive.

Also, I am heading to DC this week and I plan to converge on John McCain’s office on Thursday. He sits on the Armed Services Committee and it is time he helped the Leavenworth 10. These Soldiers should be allowed to sign the same Pledge the terrorists are now given: the terrorists sign a Pledge that they won’t return to the battlefield and they are sent home! What is good enough for the terrorists should be good enough for American Soldiers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IT WOULD BE A BIG HELP IF EVERYONE WOULD PICK UP THE PHONE TOMORROW AND CALL SENATOR MCCAIN’S OFFICE AND DEMAND THAT THE LEAVENWORTH 10 BE GIVEN THE SAME PLEDGE TO SIGN THAT THE TERRORISTS ARE BEING GIVEN AND RETURN THEM TO THEIR FAMILIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Senator McCain......(202) 224-2235

Links regarding the Pledge the terrorists are allowed to sign and then released to their “village elders”:

NY Times Article - http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/world/asia/24reconcile.html?src=mv

Diana West Article on releasing the Taliban - http://www.dianawest.net/Home/tabid/36/EntryId/1415/Clemency-for-Our-Troops.aspx

Please bombard McCain’s office tomorrow with calls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank You

Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Maryland PING!