Gathering of Eagles

Below is an article from the June 2007 issue of the American Legion Magazine.

A community-service organization which now numbers nearly 3 million members.

http://www.legion.org/

The American Legion Magazine

http://www.legion.org/?section=publications&subsection=pubs_mag_index&content=pub_mag_eagles_0607
June, 2007

A Gathering Of Eagles

BY JANET ST. JOHN

Temperatures hovered near freezing on March 17. Groups on both sides of the Iraq war public-opinion spectrum fought the cold to state and defend their positions. On one side, led by antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan, were groups Code Pink and Act Now to Stop War & End Racism, or ANSWER. They planned to march from the Vietnam Memorial to the Pentagon. On the other side was a grassroots group, largely veterans, in Washington because antiwar activists had spray-painted anarchist graffiti onto the steps of the U.S. Capitol during a demonstration earlier this year. The grassroots movement is known as the Gathering of Eagles. Its stated goal: “To stand silent guard over our nation’s memorials, in honor of our fallen, and in solidarity with our armed forces in harm’s way today.”

Both camps assembled in the morning chill at their pre-designated staging areas surrounding the Vietnam War memorials. Those attached to the Gathering of Eagles gave marching orders to newly arriving supporters and members. They were advised where to gather and which monuments and memorials to guard. The antiwar protesters were not as organized. The sheer number of veterans and supporters of the Gathering of Eagles contained them to their zones.

International media covered the antiwar protesters while giving the Gathering of Eagles only passing mention. And in many reports that followed the day’s demonstrations, the protesters were referred to as “antiwar” while the Gathering of Eagles was labeled “pro-war.” And while the antiwar protest was well-funded and promoted by George Soros – benefactor of MoveOn.org, along with Hollywood celebrities and antiwar politicians – the Gathering of Eagles was self-funded and self-promoted through the Internet, by word of mouth, and across the blogosphere. Media estimates of war-protester numbers were typically exaggerated in the media, while the number of those participating in the Gathering of Eagles received scant attention. Fox News reported that the Gathering of Eagles outnumbered antiwar demonstrators at least 3-1.

Veterans who assembled at the Vietnam Wall fell into two camps: those who support ending the Iraq War and those who support nothing less than victory in Iraq, honor for those who have fallen, and protection of monuments. The high turnout for the Gathering of Eagles was unexpected by antiwar demonstrators, who had estimated they would attract 100,000 or more to their march. Cold weather was blamed for holding the antiwar group’s attendance to about 10,000.

Thousands of veterans, meanwhile, traveled from all over the country – many by motorcycle – to show their support for U.S. troops fighting in the war on terrorism and to prevent damage to monuments and memorials. The antiwar march was supposed to follow the same path traveled by Vietnam War protesters 40 years ago: across the Potomac via the Memorial Bridge, past Arlington Cemetery, ending at the Pentagon. This time, however, the march was not dominated by one opinion. On the grounds of the Lincoln Memorial, and lining the street to the Memorial Bridge, counter-protesters waved signs in support of President Bush, U.S. soldiers and their mission.

Voices shouted out “USA! USA!” to counter “Impeachment!” and “Out of Iraq Now!” Antiwar demonstrators carried pre-printed signs, posters of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara and an effigy demonizing President Bush. Several protesters carried coffins with images of soldiers on them. The last of the antiwar marchers began crossing the Potomac 30 minutes after the official start, but between the morning rally and the Pentagon arrival, protester numbers dropped drastically. Only about 1,000 diehards finished the 2.8-mile hike. Other than some name-calling and a few skirmishes with police, the protest and counter-protest went off without altercation. It was over before 4 p.m.

The day after I attended the events, I was dismayed to see the national media portrayal. The Gathering of Eagles was treated like a group of thugs in biker jackets who came to tear up peace signs.

That is not what I observed, nor was it what happened that day. Rather, I witnessed several thousand proud men and women honoring the memory of all the soldiers lost and injured in service to our country.

I spoke at length with many veterans who were later mischaracterized as “pro-war” when in fact they know well the price of peace. They understand Thomas Jefferson’s quote, “The tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”

I observed from all the veterans in attendance absolute dedication to our men and women in uniform. I observed unabashed patriotism. It’s too bad other media didn’t pick up on it. It was something to see.

Janet St. John is a Washington-area photographer.

The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic, mutual-help, war-time veterans organization. A community-service organization which now numbers nearly 3 million members -- men and women -- in nearly 15,000 American Legion Posts worldwide. These Posts are organized into 55 Departments -- one each for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, France, Mexico, and the Philippines. http://www.legion.org/?section=our_legion&subsection=ol_who_we_are&content=ol_who_we_are