The choices you make decide what kind of life you will have. I'm glad I made the choice to go to the march on DC. I can't explain the high I am on and will probably feel for days. It was great! It is an experience that energized my soul. I was with THOUSANDS of people. What kind of people you ask? If you can think of them, they were there. From little babies to old people who could hardly make the walk on the march. There were all colors there...of hair. Any color you could think of. They were all there, walking together, for the same thing. To stop the killing, to end the war. To bring our troops home.
I caught a flight out of Ft. Lauderdale Friday about the time my kids were getting out of school. I was thankful my mother picked them. I arrived in BWI in time for rush hour traffic. I thought it would be better to fly in and out of BWI since so many would be using the other airports. I caught the B30 bus down to the Greenbelt. One of the decisions I made before I went was I would take a taxi from the Greenbelt Metro to Cheverly where my hotel was because I wanted to make the candle light vigil they were holding at Camp Casey. I wanted to save time and not ride the Metro rail down and back out again. It was only 6 miles away. Second guessed that decision when it took 45 minutes to go the 6 miles because the taxi driver got lost. I was happy when he turned off his meter after he missed the exit 3 times. He was totally turned around.
I made it to my hotel in time to check in, open the door to my room to drop my bag and off to the hotel shuttle to the Cheverly metro station. Took the metro down to the Smithsonian station. I walked down to the ellipse where they were holding Camp Casey and the candle light vigil. My first sight when I walked up was the Washington Monument all lit up. It is a beautiful site. This was my first time to DC. I have always wanted to go but never have.
I found Camp Casey. The first thing I noticed were all the crosses. There were so many, not as many as the number of our fallen today. I think if you were to put the true number on the field of the ellipse it would be filled. The second thing I saw were a group of people in a circle all holding candles. They were many faces I have seen before. The same faces at every Camp Casey. The same peaceful warriors spreading their peace, their stories. When I walked up they were all telling their storyin the middle of the circle. I arrived late to hear them speak. My first thought was to find Carlos Arredondo. As I got closer to the circle I saw Carlos speaking. He said a few words but I didn't get to hear what he said. When he was done I walked up to him. He look at me like he knew who I was but knew I was out of my element and it took him a few minutes to say "CINDY" and throw his arms around me. We both hugged and wore big smiles. He was happy to see me and I was happy to see him. He walked me over to where he had Alex's cross, boots, picture and dog tags. His pockets were filled with copies of a letter Alex had sent to him. ( HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX! ) He was passing them out. I told him I had brought the same letter to hand out to people. He was very busy holding a big picture of Alex talking to as many people as he could.
I found where they were giving out the candles and came across the girl handing out the flowers. They had already started waking down to the Vietnam Vet Memorial. I took a few pictures and got in the long line to the walk. I walked a few steps and heard the two girls behind me talking about going to Crawford. We started talking about everything. It was a very long walk, a hot walk. I really wish I remembered their names but I don't. I am so bad with names. I will never forget a face but always forget names. They found it easy to remember my name since it is the same as Cindy Sheehan's. I get that a lot lately. People remember my name because of her's. And I can't tell you how many people told me I look like her after I would tell them my name.
After our long walk with wonderful conversation we made it to our destination. It really was a beautiful sight to see what I would say was around 200 people walking with candles. We made it around the wall. It was so special for me to be there with the Vets. To see them find their friends names, sit by the wall, hug and some cried. Joan Baez was there with her head against the wall in her deep inner self. She didn't notice the people walking by, some taking pictures. She was with the person she wanted to spend time with at the wall. At one point the wall gets to be so high, full of names. That's when the tears flowed from my eyes. I can't take all the death from these wars. With deep breath and tears, walking with my new friends. I ran into Carlos holding his big picture talking to more people. He saw me and we hugged again. He asked me towait for him to make the walk back. He needed to talkto the person he was staying with. I took that opportunity to call home to let them know I was in DC and at the wall. I spoke to my kids. It was nice to be standing there talking to them.
After a while of waiting I decided to walk back down the wall to find him. He was running towards me asking if I saw a group of kids. I told him yes they were right behind me. The group of kids had walked up to the statue. Carlos ran up to the teacher and asked if he could speak to the kids. She said yes. He held the picture of Alex and told his story. He didn't tell them about the fire,( Alex needs an Angel for his father) only about Alex. Some of the kids had tears. I think he might have saved a few lives in that crowd. We made the long walk back to Camp Casey talking to Vets he has met on the bus tour along the way. When we got back to the camp Carlos introduced me to Cindy Sheehan's assistant. And again, I am so bad with names but I will never forget her face. I told her how I was friends with Cindy and we have become email friends since January. She laughed and said Cindy has a lot of email friends and she gives her a hard time about it because she couldn't know who these people are. I told her she knew me and she knows my family even though we have never met in person. We talked for a while. She's a really nice girl. I found Carlos again holding his big picture talking to more people. He introduced me to another mother who lost her son. She was sitting by her son's cross crying. I sat down next to her and gave her a hug. She said she cries all the time. I told her they were tears of love, the love she has for her son. I think like so many parents their tears will never end. Every time I saw her she was crying. I found Carlos again and told him I was going back to my hotel. I was very tired and it was going on 11 o'clock. We talked about seeing one another the next day and said our goodbyes.
As I was walking back I hear "Look it's Cindy". It was my new friends from the walk. They were sitting by the impeach bus from the bus tour. I walked up to them to talk for a few minutes and asked them if they would like to sign my book of well wishes forCindy Sheehan. They were the first from DC to sign the book. I left them and walked forever. Ok, so I got a little lost going back to the metro entrance. I came across a couple lookingfor it also. We found it together. I was told by the hotel shuttle bus driver to go down to Landover station to get a taxi back to the hotel. They stop running the shuttle at 9pm. I don't have much experience with taxi's. I wondered why his meter already read 1.50 when I jumped in. I thought it wouldn't be more than $5 and was happy when the meter read 5.75 until he hit a button and I ended up paying $10 for a ride. But, what was I going to do at midnight alone in a place where I have no idea where I am? Just suck it up. I didn't get much sleep that night. A lot was going on at the hotel that kept me awake.
I woke up in the morning very hungry. I hadn't had any food since my salad before I got on the plane. I was ready for a good breakfast before I headed back on the shuttle/metro rail to the big day. I only wish there was a place to eat around the hotel. There was noting. The only thing to eat was a few things they had there in the lobby. I decided on a cup of coffee. I'm glad I did because while I was making it there was a roach crawling across the counter top, nasty! While I drank my coffee I talked to a woman who had on a Camp Casey Crawford t-shirt. She was going to the rally. We talked for a while waiting for the shuttle to take us to the metro rail. She and her friend came from Alaska to be in DC for the march. I got them to sign the book for Cindy while we rode the rail. We stayed together on the walk over to Camp Casey where I said good bye and I hoped to see them later. I came upon piles and piles of signs on poles for people to grab. I got my sign and started to the crosses. I headed right for Alex's cross to find Carlos. He was there with his big picture of Alex and his pockets filled of letters to hand out. He had a lot of energy. He was very excited to be telling the story of his beautiful son. It keeps Alex alive to tell his story. Alex was very much alive Saturday September 24. I sat next to his cross and put the pile of letter I had brought to hand out by his picture. I talked to people who were there and told the story of Alex and Carlos. I gave them letters to take with them.
After a while of sitting there I got my book of well wishes out and headed out to get people to sign it. I walked around for 3 hourstalking to people, getting them to sign the book. I came across a older couple with what I thought to be their daughter and asked them if they would like to sign the book. The mother looked at me with this god awful look and said "no, why would I want to do that". They were standing by the pictures of the fallen. I had heard some families showed up and asked to have their children removed from the memorial. Some pictures did have tape over them. I wondered if they were one of those families.
I walked over to the small stage where they had people speaking before the march. As I walked I ran into Ray. He was the guy doing the busses from South Florida. He told me where the Florida people were so I headed that way. I walked around and got more people to sign the book. I talked to a guy who told me about Amtrak from NY was canceled and around 1000 people couldn't get down to DC. (wonder why they canceled it..really why?). Cindy came on stage and spoke to the crowd. The stage was small. I was close but because of all the people holding signs I never got to see Cindy, I could only hear her. As I was walking out I ran into Jim from anti-war Broward. He told me it took them 24 hours to drive from Florida. I sure was glad I decided to fly up and not take the bus.
I was so hungry, no dinner or breakfast. I had to put something in my belly before we started walking. There was nothing around for food. They did have a couple of hotdog stands in front of the museum. Hotdog and soda it was since I couldn't find anything else. I walked back to the starting point of the march and walked past the women in black. I have seen pictures of them but it was nice to see them in person. I had an older couple that stopped me and asked if they could take my picture in front of the cops on horses. They liked what my shirt said "choose life, bring our troops home". I made my way through the masses of people to the start of the march. While I wiggled my way through I came across the group from Sarasota Florida. They were easy to find all in orange shirts. When I was talking to the group a girl and her father came up to me yelling " your the one that did the vigil. I came to your vigil". ( My Vigil in Dania Beach on Wednesday ) It really was nice to run into them. I remember them very well. Her and her father had a lot of passion when we all spoke that night. Man, I wish I could remember their names :) I'm so bad with names.
Waiting for a while with the masses of people we all wondered what was the hold up. It was almost noon.The plan was to start walking at 11am. Uncle Sam on a pair of stilts walked by and pointed in the direction of the front of march and yelled out "Cindy Sheehan and the start of the march is right there". I made my way over to see her since I haven't come across her yet. She was standing next to Jesse Jackson with security in front of them. I made my way over to her and yelled "HI CINDY, it's me Cindy from Hollywood. She walked over and grabbed my hand and said hello. Her assistant was standing next to her and yelled at me "we were just talking about you". It made me smile.
For some reason they were holding up the march. People started chanting MARCH, MARCH until some of us started walking. It was great walking with ALL KINDS of people wanting the same thing, chanting "Do you know what democracy looks like? This is what democracy looks like". All yelling as loud as they could. We walked down to the White House before we were stopped. I saw them bring Cindy down the sidewalk in front of us to the front of the White House where they were giving interviews. We were held up there for a while. I decided to keep walking. I found a wall to sit on and rest my feet for a few minutes. I had been on them for hours already. I was very tired. I didn't know how the old people there were doing it. I was exhausted and here they were with their canes hobbling down the street. As I sat there it started to rain. I sure was happy I brought a rain coat. It didn't rain hard or long. I sat on the wall and watched all the people go by. Then I saw Cindy with all her security round the corner. It was time to start walking again. I yelled her name out and waved HI to her. She waved back and smiled. I walked with them for a while before they decided to disburse the leaders of our walk before we hit the counter protesters.
The counter protesters were about maybe 150-200 people. All in a single line along the street. I read their signs saying how they were the majority. Giving us all the looks we have all seen before. Saying we are not for the red white and blue. As soon as we saw them we started yelling SHAME ON YOU. When we stopped saying that I started a chant "go sign up, gosign up, go sign up" Icould hear them still saying "go sign up when I turned the last corner back to the ellipse.
It was about 4pm and I was hungry again. I heard someone say there was food in the museum so I made my way in there to grab a sub and drink. I walked down to Camp Casey again and sat in front of Alex's cross. Most of the letters I had put out were gone and Carlos had thrown some letters around the cross for people to take. I sat and told the story of Carlos and Alex several times. Many people walked away with Alex's letter. I am so happy a piece of Alex left with so many people. He was a wonderful person. I only wish I could have known him in person. It was time to hear some music. I walked over and sat on the field while I ate my sub and drank my soda taking in everything around me while I ate. It's hard to describe being around masses of people like that. Masses of different kind of people wanting the same thing, "We The People".
I spent the next 4 hours walking around holding up the book asking if anyone would like to sign it. I talked to so many people and heard so many stories. The parents who's daughter was in Iraq right now. They told me she was home for 2 weeks. She went back a week ago. Her dad told me how all she wanted to do was drink a beer when she got home. I guess she drank a few because he said they woke up the next morning with her passed out on the sofa with her uniform still on. They were very nice people, I could have sat and talked to them all day. While I talked to them Cindy came on stage to speak. She can always energize people with her words. She got the loudest cheers out of anyone while I was there. And I didn't hear everyone speak. Did anyone record it from C-Span? I really need to find out if I can get a copy of it.
I came across an older couple sitting in some chairs under the trees. They wanted to sign the book. I sat and talked to them for a while too. They were brother and sister were from different cities but met each other there to be apart of the rally. He was from California and told me how he had gone to see Cindy speak in L.A. He told me the story how there were over 200 people there. He waited around to meet Cindy. He made the remark to her "you know your speaking to the choir". She said "I'm making the choir sing to others". He said that has stuck with him and he admired her so much for what she was doing.He was the last person to sign the book for Cindy.
The sun was going down. It was much colder then the night before. I walked back over to Camp Casey. The first person I saw was Carlos giving an interview to the press. He tried to get me a bus tour shirt but he was told they didn't have any. I asked him if I could give him the book to give to Cindy. He took it from my hands and said "sure". I walked around a little longer.It was almost 8pm and there still was masses of people everywhere you went. I decided I didn't want to pay for another taxi so I started back to the metro to catch the last shuttle to the hotel. Though I was exhausted I wished I could have stayed with the masses of people. I could have stayed there all night if I had a better way to get back to the hotel.
I awoke at 6am. I think I was so tired I couldn't go back to sleep so I turned on the news. I heard how they had shut down the yellow metro rail for repairs. They only shut it down for the weekend. They said thousands of people had trouble getting out of the city. Humm, Amtrack and Metro Rail being shut down. Makes you think they tried real hard to keep people away. I made the 8 am shuttle to the metro rail but I missed the B30 bus to BWI. I didn't want to miss my plane so I got another taxi. It was $43 to get me there. So, I've spent a lot of money on ground transportation in the past couple of days. This taxi driver was a joy. His car was clean, we talked politics and he offered me a banana. He must have known I needed food.
My family picked me up at the airport. The first thing my daughter said to me was "knock, knock" I said "who's there" she said "Anita".. Anita who? She threw her arms around me and said I need a hug. It's great to be her mom.
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Bring Them Home Now Tour : From the Boston tour stop
From the Boston tour stop
September 23rd, 2005My step-son Alexander was killed in Najaf, Iraq on 5/25/04. It was my husband Carlos' birthday. When he received the news, he wanted the Marines toleave.
He, in his anguish, burned the Marine's van. Our whole family supported Alex' efforts. I include myself in this despite being a pacifist and devout Catholic.
Parents, even step-parents, support their kids out of love. Everyone has the right to learn from their mistakes and grow as individuals.
Sadly, it was not so much Alex' choice to be Marine that led to his demise, but the lack of appropriate gear provided by the USA that killed him. He was shot
in the temple by a sniper. I am from Boston, MA. Last year, we watched the Red Sox win and the police put on their riot gear to control the crowds. Such gear
consists of face masks, helmets that cover the whole skull and ballistic neck coverage.
The US public have heard about how the military has not provided vehicles with armored protection for the troops. Secretary Rumsfeld's response about "going to war with the army we have and not the army we want" made me very upset. The technology exists in our country. Indeed, US citizens designed the technology. Yet, it is used to protect dignitaries (often on the citizen's tab) and not for
the US troops.
Be well, peace and patience...
See you in Washington...
Mélida Arredondo
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