AAR - Gathering of Eagles From a Fellow Trooper.

Gunner a friend of this blog sends along an email from a fellow vet and cavalry trooper that attended the Gathering of Eagles on Saturday March 17 in Washington DC.

His email and pictures are in the extended section. (Note: Email is published as is...)

WELL I'M BACK IN BASE CAMP AFTER REURNING FROM THE AO IN WASH. D.C. WE HAD A GREAT OPERATION "GATHERING OF EAGLES AND WE SMOKED THE RATS AND TRAITORS WHO CAME TO D.C TO DISHONOR OUR TROOPS AND THEIR MISSIONS. THE RATS SAID THEY WOULD HAVE 100,000, BUT THEY COULD ONLY MUSTERABOUT 5,000. WE HAD BETWEEN 20 AND 30 THOUSAND NAM VETS, FAMILY MEMBERS, BLUE AND GOLD STAR MOMS AND DADS, DESERT STORM VETS. IRAQI WAR VETS AND VETS AND PRESENT ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS WITH US. WE HAD AN 81 YEAR OLD SCREAMING EAGLE VET WHO JUMPED INTO NORMANDY IN 44. BIKER VETS WERE THE LARGEST CONTINGENTS. CLUBS LIKE ROLLING THUNDER {SEVERAL THOUSAND} VIETNAM VETS MC. COMBAT VETS, NAM KNIGHTS, ETC ETC. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. THERE WAS MORE LEATHER AT THE RALLY THAN ON A TEXAS CATTLE RANCH. THE FOLKS WHO ORGANIZED OUR SIDE ABOUT A MONTH AGO DID AN OUTASTANDING JOB. WE PAID FOR OUR OWN TRIP THERE, OUR OWN LODGING, AS OPPOSED TO THE RAT TRAITORS WHO WERE FUNDED BY GEORGE SOROS. I LEFT EARLY FRIDAY MORNING BY TRAIN AFTER CANCELLING MY FLIGHT RESERVATIONS. IT WAS THE MOST UPLIFTING THING THAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME SINCE I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN. AND IT'S ONLY THE BEGINNING. THE RATS AREN'T GOING TO RULE THE STREETS AGAIN. THEY ARE NOT GOING TO DESECRATE OUR MONUMENTS; THEY ARE NOT GOING TO DISRESPECT OUR TROOPS. TO MSG E. OLSON PLEASE SHARE THIS MESSAGE WITH YOUR TROOPS. TO ALL OTHERS SHARE THIS MESSAGE AND PICS WITH THOSE WHO WEREN'T THERE.

IT WAS COLD AND WINDY ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT BUT EVERYONE'S SPIRITS WERE UPLIFTED BY SEEING SO MANY OF US THERE. THERE WERE VETS WITH OXYGEN TANKS, WALKERS, WHEELCHAIRS, CANES AND CRUTCHES. WE CAME FROM ALL OVER THE USA. I MET GUYS FROM HAWAII, ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, WASHINGTON, TEXAS, NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND MASS. FLORIDA, ALABAMA, GEORGIA ETC. ALL MADE IT ON THEIR OWN, SOME DRIVING IN CARAVANS, ON MOTORCYCLES, TRAINS, AND PLANES ETC. NO ONE BITCHED ABOUT THE COST. ALL WERE IN AGREEMENT, IT HAD TO BE DONE. IT TOOK NAM VETS TO SHOW THE SILENT MAJORITY HOW TO GET OFF THEIR ASSES AND OFF THE BARSTOOLS AT THE LOCAL POSTS AND CHAPTERS.FOLKS IF YOU CAN'T GET TO AN EVENT LIKE THIS, ORGANIZE OR PARTICIPATE IN ONE NEAR YOU.THIS ISN'T ABOUT POLITICS, THIS IS ABOUT STANDING UP FOR OUR SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN. NOT LETTING ANYONE DISRESPECT THEM OR THEIR MISSION. IT'S ALSO ABOUT PROTECTING OUR MONUMENTS. WE HAD CORDONS OF VETS AROUND EVERY MEMORIAL THERE. MARINES WITH FLAGS WAVING AT THE IWO JIMA MEMORIAL, MORE FLAGS AND VETS AT THE KOREAN WAR AND WW2 MEMORIAL, AND OUR OWN "WALL" THE THREE SOLDIERS AND THE NURSES. THE SCUMBAGS NEVER ATTEMPTED ANY SORT OF ACTION. IF THEY HAD THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN POUNDED INTO THE MUD. I AM PROUD OF OUR GUYS AND GALS, WE DID GOOD. WE WILL BE THERE WHENEVER WE ARE CALLED UPON TO DO SO. BY THE WAY, NO POLITICIANS FROM ANY PARTY SHOWED UP ON EITHER SIDE. ALTHOUGH WE WERE HOPING JOHN EFING KERRY AND JANE FONDA WOULD MAKE AN APPEARANCE WITH THE RATS. THERE'LL BE ONE MORE EMAIL WITH MORE PICS PASS THEM ON.

I RAN INTO MANY CAV GUYS THERE. CHOPPER PILOTS FROM THE 17TH CAV, VETS FROM THE 7TH CAV IA DRANG VALLEY, 2D CAV DESERT STORM GUYS AND OF COURSE 11TH CAV, SOME TANKERS, HOW BATTERY GUYS, E TROOP, C TROOP, G TROOP 919TH ENGINEERS, B TROOP. HQ 1ST, HQ 3RD, MEDICS, AIRCAV ETC. ALSO TALKED TO MARINE TANKERS FROM 3RD TANKS AND 1ST TANKS. ALOT OF SF, RANGERS, LRRPS, AND PRESENT DAY SOCS WERE THERE. I WAS INTERVIED BY 2 GERMAN TV STATIONS. THEY WERE SHOCKED THAT I WOULD BE SUPPORTING THE TROOPS AND THE MISSION. I TOLD THE KRAUTS THAT THEY HAD LOST THE WAR ON TERROR SINCE THEY WERE BEING OVERRUN BY THE RELIGION OF PEACE AND WOULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. A FRENCH TV CREW STUCK THEIR MIC IN MY FACE AND I ASKED THEM IF THEY WERE FROM AL JEZEERA, THEY SAID NO "WE ARE FRENCH TELEVISION" SO IN MY BEST MANNER POSSIBLE I LOOKED INTO THE CAMERA AND SAID "FRANCE SUCKS" END OF INTERVIEW. IT IS IRONIC THAT THE PEACE DEMONSTRATORS WERE
SHRILL, SCREAMING "FREE MUMIA" JUSTICE FOR PALESTINE, SUPPORT JIHAD, AND WE NEVER LAID A GLOVE ON THEM. I GUESS THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN GUYS WHO HAVE BEEN TO WAR AND THOSE PLAYING AT PROTESTING A WAR. TO ALL MY BROTHERS WHO WERE THERE THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO WEREN'T THERE SIN LOI.
ALLONS FROM THE OLD T.C. JIM FITZPATRICK