More about Day #3 in Phoenix Arizona:
Excerpts:
When we got to Phoenix people were waiting for us around the memorial area. Ryan and Joe had been set up for a short while already and shirts were already going out and CD’s were passing hands.
Now, not to discredit Joe or Ryan any, but really the show could not start without us in the RV because we had stars, Diana and Debbie. Diana Nagy really got the crowd going when she took up the microphone and sang the star spangled banner for us and then her hit “Where Freedom Flies.” I think it is so funny now that I have heard Diana sing her songs so many times at these rallies because I am starting to know all the words and it’s such a pretty and catchy song that I often found myself singing along. But looking at the faces of those who have never heard Diana’s song, I see faces that are touched by the passion of Diana’s singing and the pride that is it’s message.
[...]
When Debbie Lee came and took the podium she asked the crowd if there were Gold star families, Blue star families and past or current veterans present. Phoenix is also Debbie’s home town, so when several Gold star families came up, Debbie knew some of them and they all knew who she was. She also had them all go up on stage and be recognized by everyone in attendance. It seemed like almost everyone at least knows a person who has been in the military. This might be the reason behind the fact that I noticed how well the crowd in Phoenix responded to our presence and our rally. It was like they were really engaged in a conversation with us, when Debbie was talking. If Debbie said something about the higher numbers of well-trained Iraqi police or army, someone in the crowd would not hesitate to yell out an ‘amen’ or some kind of agreement with whatever the statement was. You could tell that Phoenix had some very dedicated groups.
One such group was the Buffalo Soldiers who I caught up with and had the opportunity of getting to know. The Buffalo Soldiers is a Motorcycle Club that does many charitable things for the community. One responsibility they take upon themselves is to preserve the history, knowledge, spirit and of course the legacy of the original Buffalo Soldiers who served in an all-black combat detail during the Civil War. Pictured here, from left to right are Lieutenant Eric Reed, Bill “Dark Knight” White, and Chaz F Jackson, who is President of this club. You can get more information at www.buffalosoldiers.com
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Finally, there was another car at this rally that was grabbing as much attention as the Marine Corps car that we saw in Fresno. This 2006 Chevrolet Corvette is owned by Lt. Col (Ret.) Pratt Ashworth. Pratt is a Vietnam-era vet who served in the United States Air Force for 22 years. During Vietnam Lt. Col Ashworth was a Forward Air Controller, basically meaning that he flew reconnaissance and close ground-support missions, low above the treetops of Vietnam just south-west of the DMZ. Pratt is very proud of his record of service which includes over 500 combat missions flown.
Go read the whole thing and look at the pictures.
The Rallies are going wonderfully and the atmosphere is of love and support for our troops.
Please also notice that unlike the anti-war crowd and their demonstrations, no one has been arrested, everyone on the pro-troops side has obeyed the laws and have been the peaceful ones of the two.
Says a lot.
(NOTE: Instead of leaving you with the advertisements I usually have at the bottom of each post, I will leave you with one of the videos from Freedoms Watch) [30 second video.]
Another Wounded Veteran speaks about anger at Congress and Victory:
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