Operation America Rising, Run for the Wall,

Flying with the Eagles

By Judi McLeod

Saturday, May 12, 2007

If you look up, you can see them: The eagles that perpetually soar over Washington, D.C.

Eagles took a permanent place in the skies over Washington on March 17, 2007--the day when pro-troop Americans finally turned the tide.

The Gathering of Eagles, whose members made a miracle in Washington on St. Patrick's Day, opened the floodgates and left them open for the Silent Majority, who soon took up their noble battle cry.

Standing down the anti-war crowd at the Wall, they pulled out the stopper from the bottle called American patriotism for once and for all.

Thanks to the steely determination of a ragtag group that cried out a clarion call to fellow Americans, "Come protect the nation's War Memorials," a revival started moving inexorably toward Cindy Sheehan's way.

A flame was lit and flickers to this day.

Up in years, Gathering of Eagles members knew something that the media never did: Patriotism is catching. Ever since their Washington stand, patriotism has been traveling house-to-house, town-to-town, and state-to-state.

It's a legacy that transcends Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Jane Fonda and Sean Penn.

After this year's Independence Day, Operation America Rising (www.operationamericarising.com) will take place on July 7--in every capital city in America at the same time.

Operation America Rising is a non-partisan organization that is made up of volunteers.

"This national salute to our troops will be a gleaming observance of America's patriotism. People of all ages will show our troops that we are behind them and their mission and that we are not the silent majority anymore," promises the OAR.

Then there's the magic of that sound that comes around every Memorial Day, including the one next weekend, when a cavalcade of motorcycles rides from Los Angeles, California to Washington, D.C. honoring Prisoners of War (POWs) and the Missing in Action (MIA).

The Run for the Wall brings cheering Americans to the curbside waiting for the sound that sends pride running through human veins. Run for the Wall XIX is taking place from May 16 to 27th this year.

"We ride for those who can't" is the indelible motto of Run for the Wall (www.rftw.org).

RFTW has a mission statement that calls out to the American collective conscience. It is "to promote healing among all veterans and their families and friends"; "to call for an accounting of all Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action, and "to honor the memory of those Killed in Action (KIA) from ALL wars."

The trip takes ten days to reach the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where the Run traditionally ends on the Sunday evening before each Memorial Day.

With inspiration that long outlasts each event, comes the Rolling Thunder Parade in Washington, D.C. on Sunday with 350,000-plus motorcycles starting from the Pentagon parking lots, parading through downtown Washington and ending at the Wall.

Along the way, Run for the Wall participants make stops at Memorials, Veteran's Hospitals and schools, leaving behind a kind of magic that never evaporates.

Getting the yellow ribbon treatment everywhere they turn up, Run for the Wall participants range in age from eight to 80. They include mothers, fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers, and as RFTW originators James Gregory and Bill Evans point out, "some of whom ride their own bikes at any age." Veterans from World War 11, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq Freedom and Afghanistan, plus active military, supporters, friends and family plan months ahead for Memorial weekend's Run for the Wall.

History, mercifully outlives anti-American politics, and history will record that it took a single threat by the anti-war movement to desecrate the Wall for the veterans of all wars to join forces as the Gathering of Eagles.

Touching human hearts everywhere, the Eagles came to stay.

The Cindy Sheehan's and Jane Fonda's were up against it when the first Eagle heart stirred in defense of America's sacrosanct war dead.

Then again, anti-war activists can only be drawn out to protest whenever their political masters call them, while troop-loving average Americans make defending the troops part of everyday life.

While the anti-war movement leans on a handful of self-made celebrities, pro-troop Americans lean on each other, inspiring each other.

Meanwhile, the message never dies only the messenger and old soldiers never die, they just fly with the Eagles.

Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com

Pursuant to Title 17 U.S.C. 107, other copyrighted work is provided for educational purposes, research, critical comment, or debate without profit or payment. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for your own purposes beyond the 'fair use' exception, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Views are those of authors and not necessarily those of Canada Free Press. Content is Copyright 1997-2024 the individual authors. Site Copyright 1997-2024 Canada Free Press.Com Privacy Statement