Ft Irwin Day 2, 3rd stop!
We are sad and subdued entering Ft. Irwin. We have dropped Cindy off at a 50's dinner in Barstow. She can not face going to Ft. Irwin, the last place she visited her son before he was killed.
We continue to the base as it is on our schedule and we're hoping press and others might be meeting up with us there. The road is desolate, not a building or home anywhere to be seen, just wide open desert and mountains. We are climbing up and up and up.
We get to a fork in the road - trucks are prohibited on one side, cars only on the other side. Just beyond on the left, is the parking lot for 'visitors'; and farther beyond that on the right is the wall proclaiming the name of the base we are approaching. This time there are 2 large tanks facing into the desert!
The wind has kicked up again - not as bad as Travis, but we do struggle to get our banners in place. This road is very well traveled compared with the two other bases we were at.
A soldier pulls over to the side of the road. His girl friend sits in the passenger seat, a very small, very sad smile on her face. He leans out the window and asks if we accept donations. Then he says in an emotion-laden voice "Thank you". He takes the letter we have written and we tell him to check out the resources on the back.
We are much heartened by his gesture, and saddened as he is going to Afghanistan very shortly. We proceed to the tanks and our rage, our helplessness, our sadness for this soldier's predicament, not to mention what is in store for Afghans should our president go forth with his horrific surge, erupts as we climb all over these most horrific and terrifying machines of terror, death, destruction.
We want to paint the tanks hot pink like they did in England a few years ago; we want to stuff flowers into the end; we want to disarm disarm disarm disarm every bloody weapon western mentality has 'created'.
We cannot make a fast getaway so we are happy with just getting our picture taken!
The military police arrive as we are loading banners and signs onto the truck and getting into the bus. They willingly take our letter to soldiers, promising to spread it around the base.
We're on time, on schedule to arrive at Nellis by 5:00pm. We pick up Cindy, fill up, and head on out!
We continue to the base as it is on our schedule and we're hoping press and others might be meeting up with us there. The road is desolate, not a building or home anywhere to be seen, just wide open desert and mountains. We are climbing up and up and up.
We get to a fork in the road - trucks are prohibited on one side, cars only on the other side. Just beyond on the left, is the parking lot for 'visitors'; and farther beyond that on the right is the wall proclaiming the name of the base we are approaching. This time there are 2 large tanks facing into the desert!
The wind has kicked up again - not as bad as Travis, but we do struggle to get our banners in place. This road is very well traveled compared with the two other bases we were at.
A soldier pulls over to the side of the road. His girl friend sits in the passenger seat, a very small, very sad smile on her face. He leans out the window and asks if we accept donations. Then he says in an emotion-laden voice "Thank you". He takes the letter we have written and we tell him to check out the resources on the back.
We are much heartened by his gesture, and saddened as he is going to Afghanistan very shortly. We proceed to the tanks and our rage, our helplessness, our sadness for this soldier's predicament, not to mention what is in store for Afghans should our president go forth with his horrific surge, erupts as we climb all over these most horrific and terrifying machines of terror, death, destruction.
We want to paint the tanks hot pink like they did in England a few years ago; we want to stuff flowers into the end; we want to disarm disarm disarm disarm every bloody weapon western mentality has 'created'.
We cannot make a fast getaway so we are happy with just getting our picture taken!
The military police arrive as we are loading banners and signs onto the truck and getting into the bus. They willingly take our letter to soldiers, promising to spread it around the base.
We're on time, on schedule to arrive at Nellis by 5:00pm. We pick up Cindy, fill up, and head on out!
posted by Xan @ 3:24 PM
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