| Author | Message | ||
     Brumbear |
Feb 7, 2010 01:48:07 PM, wrote: Subject: Fw: Fridays at the Pentagon ----- Original Message ----- --- This is supposed to be old news, but I've not heard about this before. I could not find anything that disputed it. It's worth a read. Happens every Friday. Did you know? It really breaks my heart to know that we didn't know this goes on every Friday, well at least I didn't know. Instead, I guess the media feels it's more important to report on Tiger Wood with his car accident, or Brittany Spears loosing weight and getting married for the 4th time, or football players betting on dogs, or endless stories about Michael Jackson. I hope this article gives you a sense of pride of what our men and women are doing for us, everyday, as they serve in the armed forces here and abroad. Mornings at the Pentagon By JOSEPH L. GALLOWAY McClatchy Newspapers Over the last 12 months, 1,042 soldiers, Marines, sailors and Air Force personnel have given their lives in the terrible duty that is war. Thousands more have come home on stretchers, horribly wounded and facing months or years in military hospitals. This week, I'm turning my space over to a good friend and former roommate, Army Lt. Col. Robert Bateman, who recently completed a year long tour of duty in Iraq and is now back at the Pentagon. Here's Lt. Col. Bateman's account of a little-known ceremony that fills the halls of the Army corridor of the Pentagon with cheers, applause and many tears every Friday morning. It first appeared on May 17 on the Weblog of media critic and pundit Eric Alterman at the Media Matters for America Website. "It is 110 yards from the "E" ring to the "A" ring of the Pentagon. This section of the Pentagon is newly renovated; the floors shine, the hallway is broad, and the lighting is bright. At this instant the entire length of the corridor is packed with officers, a few sergeants and some civilians, all crammed tightly three and four deep against the walls. There are thousands here. This hallway, more than any other, is the `Army' hallway. The G3 offices line one side, G2 the other, G8 is around the corner. All Army. Moderate conversations flow in a low buzz. Friends who may not have seen each other for a few weeks, or a few years, spot each other, cross the way and renew. Everyone shifts to ensure an open path remains down the center. The air conditioning system was not designed for this press of bodies in this area. The temperature is rising already. Nobody cares. "10:36 hours: The clapping starts at the E-Ring. That is the outermost of the five rings of the Pentagon and it is closest to the entrance to the building. This clapping is low, sustained, hearty. It is applause with a deep emotion behind it as it moves forward in a wave down the length of the hallway. "A steady rolling wave of sound it is, moving at the pace of the soldier in the wheelchair who marks the forward edge with his presence. He is the first. He is missing the greater part of one leg, and some of his wounds are still suppurating. By his age I expect that he is a private, or perhaps a private first class. "Captains, majors, lieutenant colonels and colonels meet his gaze and nod as they applaud, soldier to soldier.. Three years ago when I described one of these events, those lining the hallways were somewhat different. The applause a little wilder, perhaps in private guilt for not having shared in the burden ... yet. "Now almost everyone lining the hallway is, like the man in the wheelchair, also a combat veteran. This steadies the applause, but I think deepens the sentiment. We have all been there now. The soldier's chair is pushed by, I believe, a full colonel. "Behind him, and stretching the length from Rings E to A, come more of his peers, each private, corporal, or sergeant assisted as need be by a field grade officer. "11:00 hours: Twenty-four minutes of steady applause. My hands hurt, and I laugh to myself at how stupid that sounds in my own head. My hands hurt. Please! Shut up and clap. For twenty-four minutes, soldier after soldier has come down this hallway - 20, 25, 30.. Fifty-three legs come with them, and perhaps only 52 hands or arms, but down this hall came 30 solid hearts. They pass down this corridor of officers and applause, and then meet for a private lunch, at which they are the guests of honor, hosted by the generals. Some are wheeled along. Some insist upon getting out of their chairs, to march as best they can with their chin held up, down this hallway, through this most unique audience. Some are catching handshakes and smiling like a politician at a Fourth of July parade. More than a couple of them seem amazed and are smiling shyly. "There are families with them as well: the 18-year-old war-bride pushing her 19-year-old husband's wheelchair and not quite understanding why her husband is so affected by this, the boy she grew up with, now a man, who had never shed a tear is crying; the older immigrant Latino parents who have, perhaps more than their wounded mid-20s son, an appreciation for the emotion given on their son's behalf. No man in that hallway, walking or clapping, is ashamed by the silent tears on more than a few cheeks. An Airborne Ranger wipes his eyes only to better see. A couple of the officers in this crowd have themselves been a part of this parade in the past. These are our men, broken in body they may be, but they are our brothers, and we welcome them home. This parade has gone on, every single Friday, all year long, for more than four years. "Did you know that? Don't send it back to me, just send it on its way as you see fit. ISCS Robert G. McLoughlin U.S. Coast Guard CG-5442 TWIC Implementation Branch 2100 2nd Street S.W. Washington, D.C. 20593 (O) 202-372-1166 | ||
| Nevrenuf |
my brother in law sent that to me last week. always cool to hear this kind of thing. | ||
| Brettx1 |
This is the least our vets deserve, god bless them! | ||
| Gohot |
I was up at the VA hospital a while back and I was doing my usual bloodwork and such. When all was done and I was fixing to go on home I left. I went out the emergency intrance out to where I had parked the Buell. The VA had provided us with 'Bike' Parking. As I left the building and walked,limped' cane in hand, I passed a fellow GI in a wheelchair.......There He sat, trying to open a large manilla envelope.....thing was He only had those clamp like hooks for hands, He was also minus both legs......He was a handsome man, but without arms and legs. I walked past Him about three or four steps, stoped, turned around and walked back to Him and said "hay bud, can I help you?", He just smiled and said "thanks but I'v got to conquer this on my own" I smiled and left, walking out to the bike to go. You know what.......my eyes were leaking and for the first time in a long while I felt pride. Proud of this soldier that was not bitter, not missersble, but whos heart was at peace, who could teach alot of us that our petty little drama's are only BS, Here was a HERO, a survivor. I think that that image will be with me the rest of my life. with all His losses, He still shared a SMILE with me. (Message edited by gohot on February 09, 2010) | ||
| Nevrenuf |
it's even better to hear personal stories such as that gohot. whether you were able to help him or not, it let him know that he was thought of. every time i go to the va, i make it a point to look around to see if i can help in one way or the other. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
With some luck and hard work medicine will be able to do wonderful things for the injured vets over the coming years. Perhaps, even grow new appendages in the lab. | ||
| Blake |
Those are very inspiring and moving accounts both. Thanks for sharing. I never cease being amazed at the profound grace, honor, and character exhibited by our military. They make the world a much better place, and through their inspiration, me a better person. | ||
| Firebolt020283 |
dang I had no idea about this but it is really good to hear that the big wigs in the pentagon honors my wounded brothers and sisters in such a way. I have been in the army since aug of 2001 (talk about crazy timing) and still to this day the hardest thing for me to attend in the army is the roll call ceremony for dead solders. |
