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thedrifter
03-31-09, 06:01 AM
Military support event planned for Saturday
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March 30, 2009 - 6:20 PM
MOLLY K. DEWITT

The Eagles are preparing to land in Jacksonville.

The North Carolina chapter of Gathering of Eagles is putting on Operation Celebrate America's Military II from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday on the sidewalk in front of Wal-Mart on Lejeune Boulevard.

"The main thing is, we want to basically show our support for our troops, letting them know that unlike a lot of other people, there's a lot of people out there that do support them and their effort and what they're doing and why they're doing it," said Robert "Cody" Griffith, coastal coordinator for the North Carolina Chapter of Gathering of Eagles.

Friends of the military will gather with signs to show support to Camp Lejeune Marines and service members in general, but the event is not a rally, said Ross "Bubba" McDowell, state coordinator for the North Carolina Chapter of Gathering of Eagles.

"It's not a rally where you have speakers and PA systems and all that," he said. "The people that are coming to this, they don't need motivation, they know why they're here ... we're coming just to be there, just to show our support."

Along with their support, the group will erect a 20-foot American flag on a portable flag pole, play the national anthem and recite the pledge of allegiance.

The organization held a similar event, Operation Celebrate America's Military I, in January 2008 when the Westboro Baptist Church, a controversial organization known for picketing funerals of military service members, came to Jacksonville to "picket the filthy,lawless Marine Corps."

"We didn't gather anywhere near where they were because we didn't want to counter to them, we wanted to be an alternate to them," McDowell said. "One group of people protesting the Marine Corps and another group of people, much larger, much more enthusiastic, much nicer ... that were demonstrating a lot of support to the Marine Corps."

McDowell said because the previous event garnered such a positive turnout, the organization was inspired to put together a second one.

About 300 people from across the state as well as South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia and New Jersey, attended the original event, McDowell said.

"People thoroughly enjoy that kind of event because there is so much affection and support for our military from the average American that they want to participate in that kind of event, so ever since then ... we've been getting e-mails and phone calls about putting on another one," he said.

While the main purpose of the event is to show support for the troops, Griffith said it is also to show support to military families.

"It's not only to support them, but to support their family members and show them there's people there to give them help and support them if they need it and tell them to come join us, we're a family," he said.

Griffith, a former Marine and Vietnam veteran, said the event is also a way to make sure today's troops don't experience what veterans of his time did when they returned home from battle.

"Most of us are Vietnam veterans and one of our main sayings is ‘Never again, not on our watch,'" he said. "We're not going to let these troops of today come home to what we came home to ... this is 100 percent thank you for what you're doing and we appreciate what you're doing. We've been through it, we know what you're going through and we understand and we thank you."

McDowell said, unfortunately, there has been a lot of negativity towards the military in recent years including the attacks on recruiting offices in Berkeley, Calif., and Times Square in New York, but the Gathering of Eagles hopes to counteract those with their message of support.

"They just show so much disrespect for the people that fight for their rights and it enrages people like us and normally we would respect and appreciate our troops anyways, but that kind of activity that we've seen for so many years now gives us an extra hunger to do something for our troops to show them that those crazy people do not represent the majority of Americans," he said. "We want them to know that they are appreciated and respected. We want them to know that Americans have gratitude for the sacrifices that they make for their county."

Because of that, the theme for this year's event is "This Ain't Berkeley," McDowell said.

"Those (troops) over there in Iraq, they have television and they get the news and when they see a couple of thousand people waving their ‘Bush lied, civilians died' signs ... that can't help but hurt their morale," he said. "So, if they also get news that there are just as many, or more of people like us out there with the American flag ... with signs that say how much we love our country, how much we love our military, as well as a few signs that tell those (protesters) to go to hell, that can't help but heal some of the wounds caused by these unpatriotic ingrates."

While he hopes the turnout will be as good, if not better than the previous event in Jacksonville, McDowell said he'll take what we he can get.

"My permit said anywhere from 300 to 1,000, I'm hoping for 1,000 but I'll be pleased with 100," McDowell said. "But if nothing else, they'll be two people there, me and my wife. If anybody else comes, I will greatly appreciate it."



Contact Jacksonville/Onslow government reporter Molly DeWitt at 910-219-8455 or mdewitt@freedomenc.com.

Ellie