Friday Morning at the Pentagon
By JOSEPH L. GALLOWAY
McClatchy Newspapers
Over the last 12 months, 1,042 soldiers, Marines, sailors and Air Force personnel have given their lives in the terrible duty that is war. Thousands more have come home on stretchers, horribly wounded and facing months or years in military hospitals.
This week, I’m turning my space over to a good friend and former roommate, Army Lt. Col. Robert Bateman, who recently completed a year long tour of duty in Iraq and is now back at the Pentagon. Here’s Lt. Col. Bateman’s account of a little-known ceremony that fills the halls of the Army corridor of the Pentagon with cheers, applause and many tears every Friday morning. It first appeared on May 17 on the Weblog of media critic and pundit Eric Alterman at the Media Matters for America Website.
“It is 110 yards from the “E” ring to the “A” ring of the Pentagon. This section of the Pentagon is newly renovated; the floors shine, the hallway is broad, and the lighting is bright. At this instant the entire length of the corridor is packed with officers, a few sergeants and some civilians, all crammed tightly three and four deep against the walls. There are thousands here. This hallway, more than any other, is the `Army’ hallway. The G3 offices line one side, G2 the other, G8 is around the corner. All Army. Moderate conversations flow in a low buzz. Friends, who may not have seen each other for a few weeks, or a few years, spot each other, cross the way and renew.
Everyone shifts to ensure an open path remains down the center. The air conditioning system was not designed for this press of bodies in this area. The temperature is rising already. Nobody cares.
10:36 hours: The clapping starts at the E-Ring. That is the outer most of the five rings of the Pentagon and it is closest to the entrance to the building. This clapping is low, sustained, and hearty. It is applause with a deep emotion behind it as it moves forward in a wave down the length of the hallway.
A steady rolling wave of sound it is, moving at the pace of the soldier in the wheelchair who marks the forward edge with his presence. He is the first. He is missing the greater part of one leg, and some of his wounds are still suppurating. By his age, I expect that he is a private, or perhaps a private first class.
Captains, majors, lieutenant colonels and colonels meet his gaze and nod as they applaud, soldier to soldier.
Three years ago when I described one of these events, those lining the hallways were somewhat different. The applause a little wilders, perhaps in private guilt for not having shared in the burden. Yet now almost everyone lining the hallway is, like the man in the wheelchair, also a combat veteran. This steadies the applause, but I think deepens the sentiment. We have all been there now. The soldier’s chair is pushed by, I believe, a full colonel. Behind him, and stretching the length from Rings E to A, come more of his peers, each private, corporal, or sergeant assisted as need be by a field grade officer.
11:00 hours: Twenty-four minutes of steady applause. My hands hurt, and I laugh to myself at how stupid that sounds in my own head. My hands hurt. Please! Shut up and clap. For twenty-four minutes, soldier after soldier has come down this hallway – 20, 25, 30. Fifty-three legs come with them, and perhaps only 52 hands or arms, but down this hall came 30 solid hearts.
They pass down this corridor of officers and applause, and then meet for a private lunch, at which they are the guests of honor, hosted by the generals. Some are wheeled along. Some insist upon getting out of their chairs, to march as best they can with their chin held up, down this hallway, through this most unique audience. Some are catching handshakes and smiling like a politician at a Fourth of July parade. More than a couple of them seem amazed and are smiling shyly.
There are families with them as well: the 18-year-old war-bride pushing her 19-year-old husband’s wheelchair and not quite understanding why her husband is so affected by this, the boy she grew up with, now a man, who had never shed a tear is crying; the older immigrant Latino parents who have, perhaps more than their wounded mid-20s son, an appreciation for the emotion given on their son’s behalf. No man in that hallway, walk ing or clapping, is ashamed by the silent tears on more than a few cheeks. An Airborne Ranger wipes his eyes only to better see. A couple of the officers in this crowd have themselves been a part of this parade in the past.
These are our men, broken in body they may be, but they are our brothers, and we welcome them home. This parade has gone on, every single Friday, all year long, for more than four years.
Did you know that? The media hasn’t yet told the story. And probably never will.
I don’t understand why this has not made the news but it definately should. My father, three brothers and myself served in the Navy. True support for our service personnel lacks in many places in our country and it is a travesty. God bless them all.
I never knew this was happening. Tears ran down my face reading about it. My son is a career Navy man and our family is so proud of him. God bless all of our service men.
We as the citizens of this great country need to see more of these kinds of writings. This honorable tribute to our Heros, provided on a weekly basis, serves in some small way to say “Thank you”, to all our service men and women for your commitment, devotion, sacrifice and love of country. God be with you all!
It was my honor to serve my country, there is no greater country than the good ole USA, proudly applaud all service personnel.
I do not understand why this article has not been printed in a newspaper, or aired on any television news cast ….. I’m sure I’m not the only parent who would like to know WHY !!! And why are there no ceremonies, such as the one at the Pentagon, in other parts of the country honoring our brave men and women? Every state should do something similar for our military.
We have a daughter in the Air Force ( 20+ years) who has been in many of the “hot spots” overseas…… and no one knows how proud her father and I are of what she’s doing. We also have a granddaughter (new recruit) in the Army who is looking forward to deploying …….. she’s READY to go and do whatever is necessary to protect our country and our way of life.
We as a country need to recognize the sacrifices that these men and women are making to keep us safe.
With all the hype about the “waste” of men and women who are serving our country, I am so glad to hear that this is happening. I, too, believe more of this type of recognition needs to be made of our service personnel. This great country IS a great country because of those who serve. The entire world is a better, safer place because of the terrific men and women who make up our military. Thanks and God Bless you to all American service members…past, present, and future!
I want to thank the blogger very much not only for this post but also for his all previous efforts. I found familiesofamericanmilitary.org to be extremely interesting. I will be coming back to familiesofamericanmilitary.org for more information.
Well, folks, one reason you haven’t seen this in the papers lately is that the article has been around awhile. I think I first read it on Memorial Day in 2007. At least that is the date on my archived copy.
One of the worst scars left over from the Viet Nam war is the vilifying of the press when someone forwards an email and we haven’t seen it. My checks have found that a huge proportion of the REAL articles were, indeed, published. A bigger portion of this types email are outright fabrications with some agenda.
I grew up and army brat, served in the army during the Viet Nam era, and married an Army nurse who served in a MASH unit in ‘Nam. I’m proud of our current military, from bottom to top, and these “ceremonies” in the Pentagon are just one data point in the then-vs-now differences. I’ve found our press to be generally supportive of our troops, but very narrow in what is chosen to portray.
Lynda, and others,
t says men, but I think you would agree that more than a few women have thrown themselves into harms way, and come home broken to their way down that hallway. I’m more than a bit disappointed and surprised that the writer is not recognizing our servicewomen who have sacrificed themselves.
Nam Vet Been there…never had this….all we got were cuss words, stuf thrown at us…..
proud of you guys for doing this….
They should be reporting this above many of the stupid crap that seems to be so popular these days.
The shame is totally resting on the media that stories like this aren’t making major headlines.
I’m married to a disabled Navy man with several nieces, nephews and cousins currently enlisted. 1 sister, 2 brothers-in-law, 1 cousin, and 2 step sons that are all former military (all branchs). I can’t begin to tell you how proud I am to have these men and women in my family.
God bless our country , the flag and the people who defend it.
I am so proud of our service men and women for without them where would we be and under who’s rule.
Maybe if everyone would flood the news papers and television stations we could get this out there.
I for one am sending this to them!
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This should be televised live on national TV every friday.
God bless em’ all. I am proud to have served in the
armed forces of this country and beam with pride when I hear about events such as this. Semper Fi to all
our fighting men and women. Safe tour and safe home!
As a proud WWII Vet, I applaud efforts like this. It makes my blood boil to see some of the demonstrators. I’d like to turn a battalion of marines with billy clubs loose on them. I’m glad congress voted to allow Veterans to salute the flag instead of hand over heart. It distinguishes us from non-vets.
Not enough can be done for those in this wheel chair parade.
Why does snopes.com claim that this information is undetermined. Is it the truth or not???
If it is the truth, why don’t people know about this. I never even heard a tidbit of information about this happening. Sheesh! What a shame.
It isn’t reported or broadcast by the media because the media only cares about selling the crap they peddle every day and it is all about negativity. The media can’t sell “nice” and make money. They really suck. No more Edward R. Murrow’s, Walter Cronkites, Harry Reasoner’s. Those days are long gone and in their place we are stuck with connivers, scum suckers, climb over someone’s back and leave them in the mud types of reporters. Talk about William Randolph Hearst and his yellow journalism. The reporters of today would call him naive and simplistic and would stomp him in a mudhole today.
WOW!
This article WAS published by a member of the media, Robert Bateman and republished here by Joseph Galloway.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/inteldump/2008/09/fridays_in_the_pentagon.html
The last portion (Did you know that? The media hasn’t yet told the story. And probably never will.) is NOT part of the original article and is disclaimed by the author as someone’s political agenda.
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McClatchy Newspapers Over the last 12 months, 1,042 soldiers, Marines, sailors and Air Force personnel have given their lives in the terrible duty that is war…..
Теперь стало всё ясно, большое спасибо за информацию. Вы мне очень помогли….
This week, I’m turning my space over to a good friend […….
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McClatchy Newspapers Over the last 12 months, 1,042 soldiers, Marines, sailors and Air Force personnel have given their lives in the terrible duty that is war…..
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