More from Yesterday at Camp

UPDATES ON CINDY SHEEHAN VISIT TO CRAWFORD
Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2005
(Reverse Time Order — More Recent Entries Toward Top)

VOLUNTEER REBEKAH PATNODE of Wendell, Massachusetts, a volunteer with The Peace House, and Keith McHenry from Tucson (who is a volunteer with Food Not Bombs) helped feed supporters.
— Iconoclast Photo By Gene Ellis

VOLUNTEERS Robin Handelsman of Atlanta, Ga., Rex Powell and Lauren Sullivan (Volunteer Coordinator), both of Lawrence, Kan., manned the artists' check-in tent at Camp Casey II.
— Iconoclast Photo By Gene Ellis

GEORGE McANANAMA and Peter Bronson, V.P. and President (respectively) of the NYC Chapter of Veterans for Peace arrived at the camp to aid Carl Rising-Moore with coordinating veterans' affairs.
— Iconoclast Photo By Gene Ellis

CARL RISING-MOORE is a certified Med Tech who is performing a variety of jobs at both Camp Caseys these days. He is also acting as liaison between the McLennan County Sheriff's Department and the two camps. He is in touch daily with the legal counsel for Ms. Sheehan, Buddy and Annie Spell.
— Iconoclast Photo By Gene Ellis

SUPPORTERS OF PRESIDENT BUSH spent a hot afternoon across "The Triangle" from Camp Casey I. From left to right, they are Earl Johnson of Seattle, a 911 survivor, Kathy Todd of Valley Mills, Bethany Berry of Crawford, Mary Hitt of Valley Mills, Parrish Stevens of Marion, Indiana, an independent contractor (who guards army materials) on vacation from Kuwait, and Steve Silvas of Temple, whose brother is currently serving in the military.
— Iconoclast Photo By Gene Ellis

CROSSES at The Yellow Rose in Crawford, Texas (the unofficial Pro Bush headquarters).
— Iconoclast Photo By Gene Ellis

OVERNIGHT VANDALISM of a Pro Bush sign on the side of The Yellow Rose in Crawford.
— Iconoclast Photo By Gene Ellis

9 p.m.
Gene Ellis reporting for The Iconoclast

Ann Wright, camp coordinator, attended a meeting at the County Commissioners' offices held today. There have been requests by some county residents who want a countywide ordinance to close more roads in the area near the two Camp Caseys. If they are successful in their request, it would affect parking at both camps. No word yet on the outcome of the hearing.

It is very hot in the tent at Camp Casey II despite the shade it provides. It seems there is more breeze at Camp Casey I. Some Camp Casey supporters continue to cool off at "the swimming hole," a natural pond at a park near The Peace House.

Parking during the early morning hours is light at both camps. Later in the day, it is recommended that visitors park at The Peace House and take one of the many shuttles to the camps.

Twenty-five veterans are arriving tomorrow at Camp Casey I on the White Rose bus, the bus on which Cindy Sheehan first arrived. They want to keep the original message going. Dennis Kynd will also arrive and speak at a time TBA.

Various groups with related concerns have joined both camps. There has been some discussion as to the possibility of setting up another, smaller tent, so these groups may be separated from the original sponsoring groups.

The Peace House volunteers have been doing an outstanding job providing food, water, and other non-alcoholic beverages to visitors to The Peace House and Camp Casey II. The supplies are purchased with donations. The preparation is provided by volunteers. Food Not Bombs rolled into Camp Casey I last week in its bright blue van and started feeding Sheehan supporters there.

There is a now a well-organized Artists' Check-In Tent at Camp Casey II. All persons hoping to provide entertainment should stop in as they enter the camp. Lauren Sullivan of Lawrence, Kan. is the volunteer coordinator for the camp.

Patrick Miller, a veteran from Moline, Kan. and the man on duty the day Gary Qualls removed his son's cross, has been working with traffic control and security at Camp I. He reported that both days and nights have been quiet lately. However, today the Bush supporters on the other side of "The Triangle" played loud recordings of Rush Limbaugh. Miller praised the McLennan County Sheriff's Department deputies for they wonderful job they have done from day one.

At 5:30, there was a planning meeting for the peaceful protest to be held Wednesday at the V.A. Hospital in Waco to urge the government not to close V.A. Hospitals around the country. The deputy mayor of Waco and a representative from Congressman Chet Edwards' office are scheduled to attend. Anyone planning to caravan from the Crawford area can meet the group at 11:15 on Wednesday morning at the intersection of State Hwy. 6 and 185 (in Speegleville). There is a Ranch Branch Bank (First National Bank of Valley Mills) on the corner.

There was vandalism sometime late Monday night to a large pro- Bush sign on the side of the Yellow Rose in Crawford, the unofficial pro-Bush headquarters in the area. A small, Hitler-type moustache was drawn in black on the face of the man.

Several crosses of deceased soldiers said to have been removed by disgruntled widows or families from the line of crosses at Camp Casey I have been placed in front of Camp Qualls, the pro-Bush tent. The pro-Bush group claims that Cindy Sheehan supporters have repeatedly replaced the names of those fallen soldiers whose families have asked that their loved ones' crosses be removed. The pro-Bush group is displaying the duplicate crosses in question. The names include Qualls, for whom Fort Qualls is named, as well as Ernest E. Utt, Robert C. Thornton, Kevin A. Cuming, Sean P. Sims, and James Bekstrand. There is at least one other cross standing with the group that seems to have been added by a family member who simply wanted his son's name to be displayed on a cross at this location.

Jim Goodnow of Veterans For Peace from Terlingua is part of the team that tends to the crosses at both camps. He said the requests to remove names are honored immediately, and that no names have been put back once there has been a request for removal. He said the paper containing the name is simply removed from the cross and another name put in its place. The crosses were not, to his knowledge, ever given to family members.