Private First Class Bowe Robert Bergdahl, United States Army. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
So we’re a week away from Rolling Thunder XXV, and I’m reminder by recent news articles just how important it still remains that every year we highlight the issue of MIA/POWs. Whilst the Vietnam War is still a big presence hovering over the event, the MIA/POW situation is still important because there is at least one live soldier who is not yet home - Bowe Bergdahl.
The news for the past few days has been full of articles, and a myriad of comments, regarding Sarah Palin attending Rolling Thunder and the start of her east-coast bus tour.
This has gotten beyond a feeding frenzy. That conspiracy theories would raise their heads wasn’t exactly unexpected, given Palin’s involvement, but it’s beyond ridiculous now.
So here’s the take of one Veteran and regular participant at Rolling Thunder since 2003.
So What?
Let’s look at this rationally (if the people who are likely to read this from either side can ever be considered “rational” on such topics).
I was discussing Veteran’s issues and the like with a friend on Google Talk the other evening, and the conversation got around to regalia. In the context of the conversation, it was in regards to my regalia I wear to Powwows, and the significance behind it, the story it tells in how it appears. Thinking about the way riders would decorate their ponies in olden times gave me the idea to extend the regalia, and my story, to the Tank itself.
Regular visitors to my blog might recall one I made three years ago regarding the Military Covenant in the UK, and how it was being broken on a regular basis by the powers that be and ignored by the majority of the general public.
Yesterday, BBC News Online ran an article detailing how the current Conservative/Liberal Democrat government was planning on making the Covenant part of British law.
I am not very happy right now. Watch these to find out why:
So basically the government commissioned a study and told the people they hired to conduct it to reach the result they wanted? It wouldn’t be the first time.
Most casualties returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are the result of concussive attacks – bombs. There may be more TBIs than there are physical injuries as a result.
Tricare is pandering seriously to “lowest bidder” by denying coverage to what is going to be at least the second most common injury.
Poetry is not my strong suit, but on the way home from Rolling Thunder in 2006, I kept having words turning and in the end let them have free reign to come out.
When I originally wrote this, a friend who wrote for a biker magazine on the West Coast suggested it be submitted, and it was accepted and published that same year.
I apologize the poetic style isn’t what you’d consider very good – but not for the words and what they mean.
Wreaths Across America took place this morning, at Arlington National Cemetery just outside DC, and at locations across the US, and overseas.
Wreaths Across America
This was the 18th year the Worchester Wreath Company has provided the wreaths, brought in by 18-wheelers all the way down from Maine, provided by themselves and through donations from many many others.
It’s hard to describe the event – it seems so simple, it went flawlessly, but there’s so much behind everything that words aren’t really adequate.
This coming Saturday morning, December 12th, several thousand people won’t be home in the warm, cuddled up in their beds all comfy and toasty.
Instead, they’ll have made their way early that morning to Arlington National Cemetery, as well as other locations spread out across the United States, Iraq, and other foreign locations.
Silent Rest - Arlington 2008
This will see the final phase of the annual Wreaths Across America project to completion for the 18th year.
The trucks, carrying over 150,000 donated wreaths, are in transit as I write this entry, escorted by the Patriot Guard Riders, and many others – organizations and individuals.
There’s nothing quite like a Powwow to help bring you back on track inside your own head – Especially when you go to two of them in the space of three days, both social ones.
The second one, George Mason University’s Veteran’s Day powwow, is going to be one of the “memorable” ones.
After two years of effort and work, and with the help of 10+ pounds of steel, I finally got to dance standing up (Well, dancing if you use a rather loose interpretation of “dancing”).
With gratitude to all the stick jockeys who fly into all kinds of hell to keep the faith – everyone goes come.
SysAdmin, Geek, 3D Artist & animator, Author, Wheelie, Smart-ass, Veteran and Patriot Guard Rider
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