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MAF Presents: The Daily File Blog
Here at the Move America Forward Daily File we chronicle the good news on the War on Terrorism you might
not have heard about on the evening news. We also shine the spotlight on those whose conduct against our
country and our military is unbecoming.
Friday, September 30, 2005
Day 6: Columbus Ohio
Day 6, Columbus, Ohio
The final day of the cross-country “We Support the Troops and Their Mission” bus tour kicked off with a press conference in the Westin Hotel in Columbus, Ohio. Despite occasionally heavy rain and a spectacular lightning display, several hardy supporters came down early Saturday morning to hear remarks from Deborah Johns and Joseph Williams.
Several people greeted the bus as it pulled into Columbus. Norm Emmets and his wife Barbara were there showing off the banner he and his wife have been holding on a street corner in their hometown of Hilliard, Ohio. Since the war began, he has missed just three days, and his current streak stands at 261. As the bus pulled away in the morning, Emmets stood in the rain holding an American Flag to send the tour on its way. “Without veterans, there would be no America,” he said.
The record, to this point, for distance traveled to see the tour goes to Murray Braden, who came all the way from Erie, Pennsylvania, about four hours from Columbus. She has two sons, one of whom served as a recon Marine at Camp Pendleton in California. The other served with the 82nd Airborne and is currently in New Orleans helping with the cleanup from Hurricane Katrina.
Jeff Hall, of Westerville, came out to support the troops and to send Cindy Sheehan a message: “Stop dishonoring your son and his ultimate sacrifice,” he said.
The tour will conclude today with stops in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, site of the crash of Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. From there it continues on to Baltimore, Maryland for a rally at Johns Hopkins University and then on to Washington, DC to complete the trip across the country.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Pro-Troop Tour Arrives in Cincinnati
Day 5, Cincinnati
The “We Support the Troops and Their Mission” Bus Tour concluded its fifth day with a rally in front of City Hall. Despite the drops of rain, supporters turned out and were excited to offer their support. “We can take this weather…the boys over in Iraq have to put up with worse,” Deborah Johns said. Joseph Williams also addressed the crowd.
Melva Gweyn and Mary Kuhl, both of Cincinnati, braved the elements because Cindy Sheehan does not speak for them. “Everybody should be supporting our troops. We’re all benefitting from their efforts,” Gweyn said. “Cindy Sheehan needs to shut up,” added Kuhl.
Leslie Ward came down because Cindy is offensive to her. Ward’s son, daughter, nephews and husband have all served in the armed forces. Her son went to Iraq and fought in Mosul with the 101st Airborne. One of her nephews was in Baghdad in the opening days of the war. Her other nephew is scheduled to leave in three weeks for Iraq along with the 101st. Ward came with Bonnie Hines, whose son is already on his second tour, but cannot say where is currently.
Also turning out was Peggy and Richard Gautraud, of California, Kentucky. The Gautrauds made a banner to bring to the rally, signed by children of Calvary Christian Elementary in Taylor Mill, Kentucky. The school’s principal is a United States Air Force chaplain and recently returned from Iraq. Their son is a Marine, and was in Iraq during the initial invasion with the 11th Artillery in Baghdad.
The tour will stay the night in Columbus, Ohio before heading off to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, site of the crash of Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. From Shanksville, the bus heads to Baltimore, Maryland for a stop at Johns Hopkins University and then arrives at long last in Washington, DC for the large rally scheduled for this Sunday.
Indianapolis, Indiana Stop
Day 5, Indianapolis
Day 5 of the “We Support the Troops and Their Mission” Bus Tour continued in Indianapolis, Indiana with a stop at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial downtown. The impressive Monument Circle provided a spectacular backdrop for the rally and press conference. Supporters flocked to the capital from as far as 100 miles to see Deborah Johns and Joseph Williams.
Jack and Joan Billman, of Greencastle, came 50 miles to see the tour stop. They had also brought with them a homemade banner with signatures and messages of support for the troops. The Billmans have followed the tour’s progress online and would like to be in Washington, DC for the rally on Sunday.
John and Donna Powell drove to the state capital from 100 miles away in Marion, Indiana. John served with the United States Marine Corps, and his wife served with the United States Air Force. The Powells closed their shop to be at the rally, so if you find yourself in Marion, stop in and seem them at Natural Gifts and Healing.
Edytha Hall came with her daughter Natisha Cooper and her granddaughters Dani Braunton and Gabrielle Cooper. They believe in the troops and that Cindy Sheehan should be ashamed. Hall left with Move America Forward a posterboard signed by residents of her neighborhood. “I don’t have family over there, but I claim every one of them,” she said.
Lucy Brixey turned out to support her son Ben who is in the 82nd Airborne. Ben will be deployed to Iraq at the end of this year, or early next year. “I really admire what they’re doing over there, ever one of them,” she said.
The tour makes its final stop of Day 5 in Cincinnati, Ohio, in front of the city hall. Following an overnight in Columbus, Ohio, the tour travels to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, site of the crash of Flight 93 on September 11. Move America Forward continues to invite anyone to bring homemade bedsheets signed or unsigned to any of the tour stops along the way.
Day 5: Chicago, Illinois to Start the Day
Day 5, Chicago, Illinois
The “We Support the Troops and Their Mission” Bus Tour commenced its fifth day with a press conference at the Downtown Marriott in Chicago, Illinois. Deborah Johns and Joe Williams gave brief remarks to the gathered media before heading off for the first rally stop of the day in Indianapolis, Indiana. Supporters showed up in spite of the early hour and downtown location. The media received a great deal of criticism from both Johns and supporters alike.
Mary Alger, of Crystal Lake, some fifty miles distant, hopped on a 6 AM train to Chicago to offer her support. She also brought a banner she had made which she left with Move America Forward to be sent to Iraq or Afghanistan. Her son, Joe Alger, also served in Iraq from February 2004 to February 2005. He served as a journalist with the 1st Infintry Division (www.1id.army.mil). Alger questioned why the efforts of people like her son to chronicle the progress being made in Iraq go overlooked by the mainstream media. “All they [the media] have to do is look for the 1st ID’s website. It seems like we have to do the media’’ homework for them,"” she said. Brian Jacobson came out in the early morning because he wanted to support the troops and feels it is very important to do so. Mr. Jacobson runs a pro-military blog, www.FreedomFolks.com. Judy Ott, of Oak Lawn is a Marine Mom and has a son, PFC Benjamin Kunst who is nineteen years old. She also has another son, a 17-year old, who wants to join the Marine Corps. “Both of my sons knew there was a war going on, and both wanted to protect their country.” The tour will continue Friday with stops in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Cincinnati, Ohio. After a stay in Columbus, Ohio, the tour makes its way to Shanksville, PA to pay their respects to those who brought down Flight 93 and to all those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
Rockford, Illinois Rally Stop
Day 4, Rockford, Illinois
The “We Support the Troops and Their Mission” Bus Tour ended their 4th day with a rally and press conference just outside of Rockford, Illinois. Despite the crisp autumn wind and occasional drop of rain, dozens of hardy supporters turned out to offer their support to the troops and Move America Forward’s cross-country bus tour featuring Deborah Johns and Joseph Williams.
Bryan Dishner, of Rockford, was surfing the internet a few days ago and ran across the tour itinerary. He was excited to see Rockford listed as a stop. He called it a shame that the mass media has focused on, “an incoherent message from the far-left,” and wanted to support the troops. “I bin the first believe in the cause of freedom and America’s mission in the world,” he said.
Brian Wilmot, also of Rockford, wanted to see the tour. Wilmot served in Iraq at Camp Anaconda and returned safely in March. “I’m very glad to see people doing this [the tour],” he said. “It will be a big morale booster.” Sherman Tipton first heard about the tour in the Rockford newspaper. He served in the first Gulf War and believes it was good then, and it’s good now. “Al Qaeda is over there too. They don’t talk about that,” he said.
Meredith Kelly came all the way from Lyons, Illinois, some 2 hours distant. Kelly has 2 nephews who are veterans of Iraq. One returned safely 3 weeks ago to California. The other has already served 2 tours and is likely to sign up for a third. Kelly’s husband is also a veteran, having served as a helicopter medic in Vietnam from 1966 to 1967. She herself has been a nurse with the Veterans Administration, but is currently on sabbatical.
The reason for her sabbatical is a 7-day a week job running Operation: Stars and Stripes (www.OperationStars.com). Like Operation: Care and Comfort, Operation: Stars and Stripes sends care packages to soldiers, including those who are at Bethesda and Walter Reed Hospitals. She has been working on this current project for over 2 and a half years now, beginning in March of 2003. They have even sent putters and golf balls to a group of soldiers who used them to set up a 6-hole miniature golf course. Currently they are gearing up for the holidays and already have over 400 Christmas stockings ready for shipment at the end of October.
She has also adopted a group of soldiers in Afghanistan and has a message for them: “To McCoy and PRG 61- we are so proud of you.” The flag she brought to the rally was flown over Balad on the Afghan Election Day.
The tour will stay the night in Chicago before setting off for its fifth day on the road. Rallies are scheduled for Chicago, Indianapolis, In, and Cincinnati, Oh. Banners will be available at each stop for signing messages of support for soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Tour T-shirts will also be available for sale as well. At the conclusion of the tour on September 25, the banners will be sent to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Rally Stop in Des Moines, Iowa
Day 4: Des Moines, Iowa
The “We Support the Troops and Their Mission” cross-country bus tour made it’s third stop on a very busy day 4 with a in front of the Iowa State capital in Des Moines. Deborah Johns and Joe Williams spoke to a sizable crowd, then took questions from media and supporters before heading to Rockford, Illinois for the final stop of the day.
In the crowd was Cheryl Thompson of Des Moines. Thompson has three brothers who served a total of 42 years in all three branches of the armed services. She also has a nephew in the army who has served in both Iraq and Afghanistan and another who has just finished bootcamp and will be sent to Fort Hood, Texas. Once there, he anticipates deployment to Iraq within six months. “You only hear about the bad, like car bombings. You never hear about the good things that happen over there. Our guys are doing a good job, and you don’t hear that.”
Catherine Lien, of West Des Moines, brought her two young sons, Travis and Tanner, out to sign a banner and send a message that her family does not support what Cindy Sheehan is doing. This is her first pro-military rally and came out because she believes things are getting out of hand.
Several people heard Deborah Johns’ radio appearance on WHO radio in Des Moines Thursday morning and decided to use their lunch break to support the troops. Vince Vanderneck, wearing a Rush Limbaugh “Club G’itmo” shirt came down because of a growing belief that we are doing the right thing in Iraq. Tim Phillips heard the interview and came down to see what Move America Forward was all about. “We need more people like Deborah Johns and Joe Williams,” he said. “The media just doesn’t cover it.” Marlin Darr, of Johnston, Iowa, wanted to stress that when your country is at war, there is no neutral ground. “You’re either in support of your country, or in support of the enemy.” Mr. Darr’s nephew served in Iraq north of Baghdad, training the Iraqi police force. He has returned home safely.
The tour makes its first stop east of the Mississippi River with a stop in Rockford, Illinois to conclude day 4. Banners will be available for signing with messages of support for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Move America Forward invites anyone to make a banner and bring it signed or unsigned to any tour stops.
Pro-Troop Rally Stop in Omaha, Nebraska
Day 4: Omaha, Nebraska
Day 4 of the “We Support the Troops and Their Mission” Bus Tour resumed with a stop in Omaha, Nebraska at Memorial Park. The beautiful scene provided an inspiring backdrop for the rally and press conference. Deborah Johns and Joseph Williams spoke to the crowd, and military families continued to turn out.
Brad Socha, of Omaha, wanted to come out to support the troops because he has two cousins in Iraq. One is scheduled to return in four weeks, while the other’s has not yet been determined.
Also coming out was Lorraine Denherder, and Gloria and Ryan Dahlquist. The trio came out to support the troops and the President. Denherder has a nephew in the Marines, who will be deployed to Iraq in January. “Nebraska is very behind the troops and President Bush,” they said. “If we want to keep our freedom, we better take care of business. We can fight terrorists over there or over here.”
Jim Breeling, also of Omaha, was quite outspoken. Sporting a Michael Savage T-shirt which read, “Liberalism is a mental disease,” he took time off from work to turn out and add some reason. “We [the supporters attending the rally] weren’t bused in here. We’re not paid to be here. We have jobs; we have lives. We’re not part of some group with an agenda. We’re Americans.”
Showing to represent his fellow members of the military was SA Jered Kotschwar, of Omaha. He is currently on leave from the United States Navy and is stationed at Great Lakes, Illinois. SA Kotschwar is a hospital corpsman, a job which works very closely with the Marines. This makes it highly likely that he will be deployed to Iraq in the very near future.
Day 4 will continue with a rally and press conference in Des Moines, Iowa in front of the State Capital. From there, it heads to Rockford, Illinois before stopping for the night in Chicago. At each stop banners will be available to be signed with messages of support for the troops, and tour t-shirts will be for sale. The banners will be sent to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Day 4: Lincoln, Nebraska
Day 4: Lincoln, Nebraska
Day four of the “We Support the Troops and Their Mission” Bus Tour kicked off with a press conference in Lincoln, Nebraska outside the Cornhusker Hotel. Marine Mom Deborah Johns gave some brief remarks, then took questions from the Lincoln media, not letting even a passing skateboarder keep her from getting her message of support for America’s men and women in uniform.
Though not intended as a rally, a few people did manage to arrive at the early hour to sign the banner. One, a Vietnam veteran happened to be coming past the conference and was happy to take the opportunity to send his thoughts to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Also showing up was Dave Wolf. Mr. Wolf is the other son of Chris and Bob Wolf, who came to the Cheyenne, Wyoming stop on the morning of the third day. His brother and their son, James was killed on November 6, 2003 south of Mosul in Iraq. Dave is a student at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He came out at the early hour to sign the banner and to read some of the messages left for soldiers.
Day 4 will cover three states, continuing in Omaha, Nebraska followed by rallies in Des Moines, Iowa in front of the capital building, then continuing on to Rockford, Illinois before stopping for the night in Chicago.
Banners will be available for signature with messages of support for the troops and Move America Forward’s tour t-shirts will be available for sale. Anyone attending any stop along the tour route are encouraged to decorate a bed sheet and bring it signed or unsigned to the rally. Move America Forward will be happy to send it along with the rest to our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan following the large rally in Washington DC on September 25.
Friday, September 23, 2005
Day 3 in Denver, Colorado
Day 3: Denver, Colorado Stop
The “Support our Troops and Their Mission” tour wrapped up its third day across the country with a stop in Denver, Wednesday. Deborah Johns and Joseph Williams appeared live on KOA AM-850 AM with host Mike Rosen, followed by a rally in front of the Capitol building in downtown Denver. Military Moms, WWII vets, and Freepers helped to create an energized crowd. There was some great news media coverage of this event. CLICK HERE to read the Rocky Mountain News account and then CLICK HERE to read the Denver Post’s story on the bus tour and rally.
Four mothers of soldiers came as representatives of Rocky Mountain Military Moms. Mary Gilmer’s son, Corporal Alex Gilman, will eventually be deployed to Iraq. Jean Hines son Corporal Brian Douglas is currently serving in Iraq. Cheryl Turners son Lance Corporal Alex Klima is currently in Afghanistan. James Cochran, son of Ellen Alis Saxl, has, fortunately, returned safely from a tour in Iraq. All four soldiers are in the United States Marine Corps.
As the tour travels across the country, it continues to meet the families of soldiers who lost their lives over the course of the War on Terror, and Denver was no exception. Gerald and John Risner father and younger brother of James Risner, turned out for the rally. James was killed in Iraq on August 18th, 2004 serving with the 10th Mountain Division.
The MAF rally also brought out two veterans of WWII. Joe Cheney of Denver served in the European theater for 22 months. He landed on Normandy shortly after the D-Day invasion and advanced as far as the Elbe River before his tour ended. Levi Martinez served 4 years in the Pacific Theater in New Guineu and the Phillipines. “These are the real heroes today, though,” he said.
Also showing up in front of the statehouse was state senator Tom Wiem. Senator Wiem’s district includes the United States Air Force Academy. He was out to show his support for the troops. The bus tour has continued to receive tremendous support from FreeRepublic.com’s Tony Jivolin, who showed up for the morning’s Cheyenne rally, and then continued on to Denver. Tony posted his account of the Denver stop at Free Republic - you can CLICK HERE to read his report and view more photos. In addition, several other “Freepers” also turned out for the Denver Rally, including Jan Freeman of Longmont , CO. “My Free Republic group doesn’t have any family in the military, but we have adopted the military.” She also came as a representative of the Longmont Republican Roundtable. “You wouldn’t think there are many Republicans up near Boulder, but there are.” You can read Jan’s account of the rally and see some GREAT pictures just by CLICKING HERE.
A very vocal supporter supporter who showed up was John Coyner, of Littleton. Mr. Coyner is angered by the way the media is covering the War on Terror and doesn’t believe in what Cindy Sheehan is doing. He has three sons-in-law who served in Vietnam, all of whom returned from the war to become sherriffs deputies. One Jason Schwartz, died in the line of duty. “It [The Iaq War] is for freedom, not oil,” he said.
The tour moves on to Lincoln, Nebraska for a rally and press conference set to kick off day 4. It will be held in front of the Cornhusker Marriott, from there it heads to Omaha, Nebraska, Des Moines, Iowa, and Rockford, Illinois, before stopping in the night in Chicago, Illinois. At each stop banners will be available to signed with messages of support, and Tour T-Shirts will be available. The banners will be sent to troops In Iraq and Afghanistan.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Day 3: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Day 3: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Day 3 of the “We Support the Troops and their Mission” Bus Tour kicked off with a well-attended rally in front of the Wyoming statehouse. Marine Mom Deborah Johns and Gold-Star Dad Joseph Williams addressed the crowd and KGAB morning host Dave Chaffin led the crowd in a rousing chant of U-S-A! “Cindy does not speak for Wyoming!” he said. Despite the early start time of 7 AM, Cheyenne turned out to support the troops and sign banners, with lines of 20 people forming in front of the table.
Diane Turner, of Cheyenne, heard about the rally and wanted to come out to support the troops. Her son is in the United States Navy and served a tour in the Gulf. Her daughter and son-in-law are also members of the United States Air Force. Phil (United States Air Force, retired) and Kay Griggs, also of Cheyenne, have a daughter and son-in-law serving in the Air National Guard, and both served tours in Afghanistan. Mr. Griggs said, “ Ive been there [he served in Southeast Aisa], and I appreciate what they’re doing.” Viola Ose served twenty-three years in the United States Air Force reserved and spent a tour of duty in the Middle East during the first Gulf War. “I volunteered for service, and I never regretted one minute of it. There were also a few special attendees at the capitol building this morning. Don Edmonds, like Joseph Williams, lost his son defending our freedom. SP/4 Jonn Edmonds was killed in Pakistan on October 19, 2001 serving with the 75th Rangers. Chris and Bob Wolf’s son James was killed on November 6, 2003 in Iraq, north of Mosul.
The tour also thanks the efforts of Tony Jivolin of www.FreeRepublic.com. Mr. Jivolin (FReeper “ajolympian2004 “
 More of Our Wyoming Supporters! The cross-country bus tour continues its third day with a stop in Denver Colorado. Deborah Johns and Joseph Williams will be live on the air with KOA host Mike Rosen before a rally at the Colorado state capitol building. Banners will be available to sign with messages of support for the troops. Tour t-shirts will also be on sale. The banners will be sent to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
 Deborah Johns Addresses the Crowd in Cheyenne, Wyoming
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has been working to get the word out about Move America Forward rallies from Cheyenne to Washington, DC. He also drove all the way from Boulder, CO to attend the Cheyenne rally.
