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Walter Reed - Week 187, November 14, 2008, Veteran’s Day Week A misty, damp, but mild and quiet evening at the front gates of Walter Reed. A fitting way to end Veteran’s Day week observances. Many, as I did, visited the World War II Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial and the Air Force Memorial, which overlooks the just dedicated Pentagon Memorial commemorating those who were lost there during the terrorist attack on September 11. But Friday night found us again at the front gates of Walter Reed honoring our service men and women, and supporting the wounded...

Thanksgiving Weekend and I have the privilege of filling in for the regular writers (BufordP, Jimmy Valentines Brother, Kburi and Tom The Redhunter) of the Walter Reed FReeps. I shared the photo taking with Plea Deal tonight. Our other photographers are VAFlagWaver, [Mrs] T, Kburi and Tom The Redhunter. Both FReeps had their own excitement but in very different ways. WALTER REED REPORT for Week 189 - Nov. 28,2008 Freepers at Walter Reed this Friday after Thanksgiving were Lurker Bill, Cindy_True_Supporter, Kburi, Plea Deal, RongKirby and myself using [Mrs] T’s camera for several pics. While our numbers were small, so...

Santa looks in on a car full of kids. Tells them they're all getting coal in their stockings! Sent them all off crying. BAD Santa! Notice you'll never see Mr Trooprally and Santa together in the same picture? Lurker Bill Mr Scrooge! What's the CO2-friendly equivalent for coal? MOAB Slogan Contest Current MOAB has been in use for some time and is starting to show a lot of wear and tear. Time for a new one. Here's our current MOAB as seen in Freep 193. The Original MOAB read: GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS LIBERATING THE WORLD OF ONE TYRANT...

Honor Roll of Attendees Cindy-True-Supporter, Jimmy Valentine's Brother, kburi, Mr. Trooprally and his Grandtwins, your author Tom the Redhunter, Doctor Raoul, and his friend Carl from Pennsylvania. We soon got set up and were in business as usual. There was a light wind, not enough for us to preclude setting up the MOAB (Mother Of All Banners), but enough for the flags to fly nicely. Carl is not an official FReeper but does have much experience at rallies and countering the left as a member of a group called the American Sheepdogs. The full explanation is on their website, but...

Contrary to what the mainstream media did and did not report Bush visited WIA troops and KIA families http://www.thebulletin.us/articles/2008/12/23/top_stories/doc49508431de0b5433741136.txt

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2008 – President George W. Bush paid a call to Walter Reed Army Medical Center here today to visit with wounded warriors, extend holiday greetings to them and their families and check up personally on the care and support they are receiving. “Every time I come here, I get amazed at the quality of care, the professionalism and the courage of our troops,” Bush told reporters after the visit. “I can say with certainty that the health care that our troops get in military medical facilities is excellent,” the president said. “I am so pleased to...

President Bush headed to Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Monday to meet with wounded soldiers ahead of the Christmas holiday, but that's only the latest activity in a wide-ranging effort the president has made to comfort the families of the fallen. According to The Washington Times, the self-described "comforter in chief" said it's his duty as president to try to help as "best as I humanly can a loved one who is in anguish." The Times notes that people familiar with Bush's routine say he has written letters personally to every one of the families of the more than...

EXCLUSIVE: For much of the past seven years, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have waged a clandestine operation inside the White House. It has involved thousands of military personnel, private presidential letters and meetings that were kept off their public calendars or sometimes left the news media in the dark. Their mission: to comfort the families of soldiers who died fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and to lift the spirits of those wounded in the service of their country. On Monday, the president is set to make a more common public trip...

Walter Reed - Week 191, December 12, 2008, Busy Season for DC FReepers A very cold Friday night and we broke out cold weather gear including hand warmers to stay warm. Hot coffee helped ward off the chill. Many drivers honked in support of the troops as they passed by our signs and flags. Halfway down a long block several moonbats stood like mannequins with their morbid messages serving as a grim reminder as to why we are there. The bus with its wounded warriors and their families returned at 9:50pm. NEWS FROM THE FRONT GATEPlea Deal wants to share...

Another Friday, another FReep outside Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC. As evening began, the faithful gathered to show their support for the troops. Due to super-heavy traffic I didn't get their until almost 8:00, and it seemed too late to put up the MOAB (Mother Of All Banners, which I had with me), so we contented ourselves with the flags. Faithful Freepers Mr. Trooprally, Cindy-True-Supporter, Jimmy Valentine's Brother, Plea Deal, GunsAreOK, Fraxinus, Lurker Bill, VictoryNY, BufordP, RonGKirby, your author Tom the Redhunter, and our special guest from Siler City, North Carolina, FReeper Wolfpat and his dog Nicholette!...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2008 – More than 50 local Wal-Mart associates donated their time and tinsel Dec. 4 to bring holiday cheer to servicemembers recovering from wounds at Fisher Houses at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here and Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Army Col. Bruce E. Haselden, center, Walter Reed Army Medical Center garrison commander, accompanied by Army Command Sgt. Maj. Rolando Moore, welcomes volunteers from Wal-Mart who came to Walter Reed Dec. 4, 2008, to bring cheer to the 27 guest families staying at the medical center's three Fisher Houses. Courtesy photo   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution...

On NBC’s Meet the Press this morning in an interview between Tom Brokaw and Barack Obama, the President-elect said his pick to run the VA, General Shinseki, was right about the surge. PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA: “I'm going to be making announcement tomorrow about the head of our Veterans Administration, General Eric Shinseki, who was a commander and has fought in Vietnam, Bosnia ...I think that General Shinseki is exactly the right person who's going to be able to make sure that we honor our troops when they come home." MR. BROKAW: "He's the man who lost his job in the Bush...

21 November 2008, Elder Street and Georgia Avenue, Washington, DC Honor Roll: Fraxnius, Cindy_True_Suppporter, VictoryNY, USN Retired, BufordP, ½ Trooprally, Kburi, Lurker Bill, Ron G Kirby, On special assignment: PleaDeal Temperate weather left town as snow flurries arrived and temperatures plunged like the stock market. After almost two years of the most ethical congress, the economy is in the toilet. But not to worry, Charlie Rangel has surrendered one of his rent controlled apartments in Harlem but claimed a homesteading tax break in DC. Everything is going to be OTAY when ZEROBAMA’S Three Stooges economic team takes over and reinvents...

TankerBabe and SSG Pitts SSG Pitts, kburi [Mr] Trooprally PleaDeal, Taco Mamma, Damion VAFlagWaver, Lurker Bill TomTheRedHunter, me, Jimmy Valentine's Brother CindyTrueSupporter, Fraxinus, USNRetired Nov 7th the DC Chapter had the honor of meeting two very special people.SSG Pitts and his unit set up a small remote outpost in the northeastern Afghanistan-Pakistan border area. It didn't take long for Taliban forces to plan an attack. SSG Pitts was not only one of the few to survive the Battle of Wanat but played an instrumental part in repelling the attack. Damion Maynard is in the process of walking a mile...

Time punishes war. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are no exception; as each moment passes, public resolve, politics and passion erode their mission. Collectively, many Americans tend to remember the mistakes and politics that led us there, rather than the faces of the men and women who serve and defend us. Two years ago, Lizzie Palmer, a young lady from Columbus, Ohio, barely over the threshold of childhood, felt compelled to do her part to remind people of those faces. The result is a stunning video that

Honor Roll: Fraxnius, Cindy_True_Suppporter, VictoryNY, USN Retired, Plea deal, VAFlagwaver, Micah and Ben, Lurker Bill Once again Linus Van Pelt was disappointed. The Great Pumpkin appeared outside the gates of Walter Reed and gave candy away to all the little girls and some boys that passed by. I couldn’t determine if Micah and Ben were embarrassed or were used to their granddads antics. Lurker Bill came in costume and had a surrender monkey with him as well. Plea Deal applied he wizardly skills to bring us this weeks photos. Cindy_True_Supporter passed out Hawaiian Halloween leis to get the rest of...

24 October 2008, Elder Street and Georgia Avenue, Washington, DC Honor Roll: Trooprally (Mr. & Mrs), Cindy_True_Supporter, Rongkirby, Lurker Bill, Fraxinus, VAFlagWaver, Satin Patriot,Kburi, Chief, VictoryNY, Tom the Redhunter, USNRetired and “My FRiend Susan” Kburi and the DC Chapter say adios to Satin Patriot. Satin Patriot is being relocated by her work. Here’s the rest of VAFlagWaver’s pics: Here’s Mrs “T’s” Pics BufordP and mgta remind us that our wounded heroes on Friday nights ride this bus; Thanks to The Aleethia Foundation. Who is The Aleethia Foundation? Glad you asked : Just wanted to update you on the “Friday Night...

Walter Reed – October 17, 2008, Week 183, Plumber’s Support The Troops, Late BusesBrisk weather has arrived in Washington at last! Gloves and jackets were broken out. A very enthusiastic evening. A sign posted by plumbers union #007 was an unexpected conversation piece. The plumbers who posted it, didn’t stay, but left their plungers. Several moonbats quietly lingered down the block. They kept their distance. We spoke with several wounded warriors during the evening. One of the wounded warriors, Bob, from Wisconsin, had spent two tours in Afghanistan with the 173rd. He has one more operation to go and is...

10 October 2008, Elder Street and Georgia Avenue, Washington, DC Honor Roll: Trooprally (Mr. & Mrs), Cindy-True-Supporter, Lurker Bill, Fraxinus, Cindy True Supporter, VAFlagWaver, Bruce and Kris, New England Patriot Sick Call: Sensei Ern and BufrodP (Both hard core regulars checked in with Mrs. T) Well it was a fairly standard Friday evening for the DC Chapter stalwarts. Early arrivals included Tom The Red HunterMr. an Mrs. Trooprally (That's "Legs" posing and Mrs. T taking) And your intrepid reporterThe Moonbats mustered for their usual 7 to 9 formation (no Pics this week). Our side added Cindy-True-Supporter Fraxnius The ever cheerful...

Video's from Murtha's visit to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. His opinoin on race, the polls and he stands by his earlier statements on Haditha.

Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama, if elected, should avoid the same mistakes in Afghanistan that the Soviets made more than 20 years ago, U.S. Rep. John Murtha said today. "I told Obama's people, 'Don't get your feet too far in Afghanistan,'" Murtha, an 18-term Democrat from Johnstown, said during a wide-ranging interview with the Tribune-Review. Obama has said he wants to send more troops to Afghanistan.

This is arguably the best time of year to FReep; the weather is not too hot, not too cold, it's just right. While thinking of this I couldn't help but to think of the fable of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. For some reason I did a search for it on the Internet and wouldn't you know turned up something called the Goldilocks Phenomenon? You can thank me for this knowledge later. On with the AAR. Cars arrived right at 6:30 and we started to get set up. I had on a short sleeve shirt and wouldn't need a jacket...

Lurker Bill. It may be raining but he's a happy person. Jimmy Valentine's Brother, Fraxinus [Mr] Trooprally, me Olney-Keith [Mrs] Trooprally We started out with a very mild drizzly-rain. On and off for the first hour. Not enough for me to bother with a plastic poncho - yet. But a little after 8pm it started to pick up. By the time the bus arrived - 9:40pm - we were experiencing a steady rain. Didn't dampen our spirits. Before the rain kicked in Olney-Keith and Kburi had a chance to talk to a WR patient who was on his way...

BufordP, TomTheRedHunter Lurker Bill USNRetired Mr Trooprally, Laurie, Fraxinus Mrs Trooprally, Cindy-True-Supporter, Fraxinus Satin_Patriot, USNRetired, RonGKirby and Mrs RGK Cindy-True-Supporter, RonGKirby and Mrs RGK No MOAB this week. Rain was in the forecast. I think the MOAB was still drying out from the previous week. Never rained though. So the weather was pretty good as far as I was concerned. Nothing unusual to report. There may have been one or two cars drive by that shouted something derogatory. Most everyone else honked and waved with approval. Another night keeping the hate-America lefties away from the Walter Reed gate. More...

Cannot be posted due to copyright issues: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080929/NEWS01/809290309/1007/rss02

Walter Reed – September 19, 2008, Week 179, The Troops, Always the Troops A cool Friday night at last, starting off pleasant, but slowly the jackets came out to counter the chill. Warmth was generated by several visits from soldiers, visitors and FReepers. This is the last Friday in Summer, Autumn starts Monday. The passing cars kept up their support with a high volume of honks. And the bus of wounded warriors and their families returning from their Friday night dinner was greeted by a solid group of FReepers with flags, signs and shouts. Dennis from Florida joined us for...

Rep. Jack Murtha’s (D-Johnstown) opponent in this year’s congressional race -- Lt. Col. William Russell, a decorated Iraq war veteran who was in the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001 -- has just released an ad titled “In Cold Blood.” So far, it is one of the most powerful campaign spots to hit the airwaves in the down- ballot races this cycle in the Keystone State.

It wasn't raining when I got there. I knew there were hurricanes and tropical storms that were moving inland throughout the U.S. But me being me, I had only briefly checked the weather earlier that day and it seemed to show only a chance of showers for that evening. The real rain would come on Saturday. So ever optimistic, and not wanting to have lugged the MOAB into the car that morning and having driven it all the way to Walter Reed for nothing, I figured sure, let's put it up, we won't get rain. Trooprally tried to warn me....

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2008 – President Bush visited Walter Reed Army Medical Center here today to pay respects to wounded soldiers and their families, and to the medical personnel who care for the injured. After his visit, Bush commented on the paradoxical human conditions produced by combat wounds. “On the one hand, you see the horrors of war; on the other hand, you see the courage of the people that have volunteered to serve,” he said. “I marvel when I come to Walter Reed. I marvel at the fact that people say to me, ‘Mr. President, I'd do it...

Here is a video we made to show some of the events that Families United has done in the last year. it has some of the Walter Reed group in some of the photos at the tail end of the video. http://www.youtube.com/v/ORglJAstn20&hl=en&fs=1

Cindy True Supporter TomTheRedHunter, Jimmy Valentine's Brother BufordP Satin_Patriot PleaDeal, WR patient, Mr T Step into the circle of photos. It'll make you feel like you're there. Hear the horns honking? See the people in the cars waving as they drive by? WR patients come out and say hi and thanks! Can you feel it? Then what are you waiting for? There's a map link below. See you next week! More pics at: [Mrs] Trooprally's Photobucket AlbumPleaDeal's Photobucket Album Honor Roll:3D-Joy; BufordP; Cindy-True-Supporter; Jimmy Valentine's Brother; kburi; Lurker Bill*; PleaDeal; RonGKirby; Satin_Patriot; TomTheRedHunter; [Mr and Mrs] Trooprally; VAFlagWaver If...

22 August 2008, Elder Street and Georgia Avenue, Washington, DC Honor Roll: Satin Patriot, BufordP, Trooprally (Mr. & Mrs), kburi, PleaDeal, 3-D JOY, Tom the Red hunter, Lurker Bill, USN Retired, Fraxinus, GunsAreOK The New Second Baptist Church was conducting a Fish Fry in their Parking Lot on Friday Night. BufordP checking the line Devon from Oklahoma stopped by to chat with Kburi. He is a Medic that will be transferring to FT Hood Tom the Red Hunter shows his cornbread and fish that he purchased from the church 3-DJoy Plea Deal has cookies! Satin Patriot USN Retired & Satin...

Walter Reed – August 15, 2008, MOONBAT MESSIN’ on a HOT SUMMER NIGHT Usually mid-August in Washington is hot, humid and quiet as the final weeks of summer vacation wind down. Severe showers were predicted but only a few sprinkles appeared which didn’t dampen our high spirits. Tonight at Walter Reed, a motivated and enthusiastic group of FReepers, visitors, soldiers and a steady stream of honking cars focused on supporting our troops and their families. Last week, Tom the Redhunter, wrote about crazy man and his demoralizing posters in our area. We took down a couple of posters that had...

<p>Most all motorists either ignore or wave or honk to us.</p> <p>Most all passers by either ignore or make a polite comment to us.</p> <p>Occasionally we get the "bring them home!" shouted at us as a car drives by. Sometimes we hear this from someone walking by us as well.</p>

Chris, VictoryNY, Dan, CTS RonGKirby CTS, 3D-Joy Lurker Bill, 3D-Joy, Pasquale VictoryNY ATTACKS! PleaDeal, John Miska, Chris, CTS PleaDeal, CTS, Chris Before we got situated, Chris and Dan, both patients at Walter Reed paid, us a visit. You can see them pictured in the upper left photo. Mrs T and VictoryNY talked with them for a bit. Found out they both grew up at Schweinfurt Army Garrison as a couple of Army brats. They were friends growing up. Both enlisted and went their separate ways. They both ended up together again as patients here at Walter Reed. Weather was...

<p>They come wearing motorcycle leather and business suits. They sport crew cuts and ponytails, some wearing long un-trimmed beards, others clean shaven. They park their Harley’s, Gold Wings, and three wheelers in rows flying the Stars and Strips and the black POW/MIA flags. Many bear scars and tattoos commemorating their service in Vietnam .</p>

July 25, 2008, Soldiers and Visitors Drop ByA mid-summer’s Friday evening, not too hot, but a little humid. Traffic seemed not as heavy as normal due to vacations. Our group was enthusiastic and the passers-by honked their support throughout the evening. The moonbats did whatever they always do, generally be obnoxious. (More about this later). We have identified one moonbat as a paid traveling loser. He travels with his suitcase and catches the Greyhound on Georgia Ave to the next paid protest. We were joined by Danny, her sister Mandie and Danny’s three children. They are from Alaska and moving...

A top Iraqi official visited wounded American troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., Tuesday to thank them for their part in ending Saddam Hussein’s rule in his country. “We have come … to express our gratitude and appreciation for the sacrifices made by these great warriors, soldiers, in freeing the Iraqi people and in helping us in Iraq recover from tyranny and dictatorship,” Jawad Karim al-Bolani, Iraq’s minister of the interior, said through a translator to a handful of journalists in the lobby of the medical center. “We also want to express our gratitude to the...

It's blazing hot in Washington DC this time of year while the sun is still up, but the sun certainly does make our MOAB look good. The soldier works at WR and was going home and stopped to talk and say Thank You. Of course, we profusely thanked him in return. Having done this for almost three years myself, I've spoken with many of the troops and one thing that's always struck me is that they want to thank us - while our intention is to thank them. Honor Roll of Attendees Our regulars tonight were your author Tom the...

LoRo, Greg, Matthew, TomTheRedHunter Lurker Bill, PleaDeal, Chris, and VAFlagWaver LoRo, a Freeper, has been very busy working as an intern for the Heritage Foundation. She was able to join us on a fairly regular basis last summer. A few weeks ago she did a little recon and saw that we were still out here keeping Code Pink pushed down the street away from the gate. So she sent out an email to all her associates and friends at Heritage and asked if anyone wanted to join her at Walter Reed on the 11th. We were fortunate that she...

As Sen. Barack Obama beefs up his national security and foreign policy creds with a speech today on Iraq and Afghanistan -- his campaign Web site purged his former views critical of the surge in Iraq. The Daily News is reporting that Obama's campaign scrubbed his presidential Web site over the weekend to remove criticism of the U.S. troop 'surge' in Iraq. The Daily News reports that the "presumed Democratic nominee replaced his Iraq issue Web page, which had described the surge as a 'problem' that had barely reduced violence." Obama's old plan stated that the 'surge is not working.'...

WOW and DOUBLE WOW is the only way I can describe the Patriotic Americans that attended the Walter Reed and Olney FReeps. It’s Saturday afternoon as I started this combined AAR and my heart still pounds with pride over all those who came out, especially to Walter Reed on the evening of the Fourth. Since I’m honored this week to write the Walter Reed AAR and usually write the Olney AAR, I had to combine the two because of their similarities. Several weeks ago a question as to who will be at Walter Reed came up. About 4 or 5...

Today the President attended the groundbreaking ceremony at Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. The nearly one billion dollar project will expand the Bethesda Naval Medical Center in Maryland, and lead to the closure of the current Walter Reed Army Medical Center just five miles away in Washington. In the afternoon he went for a bike ride at Bethesda. Pray for President Bush -- Day 2850

The Trooprally's drive in heavy rain on the way to WR In a few weeks PrezUSA222 (Chad) will no longer be able to stand with us at Walter Reed on Friday nights. He's got new responsibilities. Responsibilities that will require 12 weeks of basic training, several months on job training, and then a probable tour in Free Iraq. Chad answered the call. He's in the Army now. We presented him with a plaque of a photo montage of most of the troop support signs we've used over the years. The montage is an original creation by iMacMan. After I...

WASHINGTON, July 2, 2008 – The cast of the Lifetime cable network drama “Army Wives” graced the red carpet at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here yesterday to help kick off the July Fourth week and salute servicemembers’ often-forgotten spouses. Actress Sally Pressman talks with one of her youngest fans, Mark Crate, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in Washington D.C., on July 1, 2008. Pressman, who plays Roxy LeBlanc on Lifetime cable network's hit program "Army Wives," was in Washington for a red-carpet screening of an upcoming episode, part of a celebration of the July Fourth holiday and...

MANDOZI, Afghanistan - Army Pvt. Justin Fillmore has some family military history. Yet he didn't really know what to expect in his first overseas combat mission. He is here in Afghanistan, he says, because he wanted to give a break to other soldiers, some of them on their second, third or fourth combat deployments. "I'm young enough, I can handle it," Fillmore, 23, of Latrobe says as he sits by a Humvee, smoking a cigarette. "I'm happy it happened, that I got to go while I still had the mind-set for it."

DURAGI, Afghanistan -- Early morning, and 14 U.S. soldiers stand in a semi-circle for a mission briefing. Four Humvees, engines running, rumble beside them. "We're going to Warshallah today," Army Capt. Sam Karr, 28, of Manhattan, Kan., tells his platoon. "I guess it has, like, 200 bad guys in it. That's nothing, dudes -- we've got 14, so we're good."

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is scheduled to pay a solemn visit to wounded Iraq veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington on Saturday, Politico has learned. The visit will be Obama’s third. Obama’s staff is keeping his trip low key. It is not on his public schedule, and his campaign would not confirm it. A pool of reporters will go with him, but will not accompany him inside. (snip) McCain occasionally visits soldiers at Walter Reed on weekends when he is in Washington, most recently May 31. McCain’s visits are usually unannounced to the press, and sometimes he...

A few weeks ago we had a series of very powerful thunderstorms that sent trees tumbling all around the region. One was on the easement by the street just by where we put up the MOAB, and in typical Washington DC fashion the government hasn't gotten around to doing anything about it. If we'd have been out that night our MOAB would have gone the way of Dorothy's house. However, tonight was a nice evening so we got the MOAB up no problem, and soon the flags were flying behind it Honor Role of Attendees Your author Tom the Redhunter,...

Over the past two years, Estes, 43, has conducted a free golf clinic for the [catastrophically wounded] soldiers every Saturday morning in the spring. A section of the range is cordoned off for use by the men and women who make the 30-minute trip from Walter Reed. Every week, in a more formal group session, Estes focuses on a different aspect of the game: bunker shots, chipping, putting, the driver. But he and other staff members also offer individual instruction for anyone who asks. Somehow, Estes manages to find a way to get them to make contact with the golf...