Day Seven: What a Day! May God Bless Our Veterans!

Oh what a beautiful day! I could not have planned it any better. The weather, the camaraderie, the good veterans, the good hospitality from so many!

No I'm not talking about the initial hospitality some members of the San Antonio police had in mind. But even the near arrest of myself and my companions, although serious at the time, made the successful completion of the 250 mile march (a new and more accurate mileage) all the more sweeter.



During the commotion yesterday that was best described in The Monitor even the police and constables were having a hard time doing their job (enforce some permit regulation) because the cause of these veterans was just. One veteran told me a constable pulled him aside and told him that they were instructed to participate in the arrest of the veterans, if the need arose. He was told they refused. I must commend the officers who tried to do their duty as they were instructed. I'm just glad they received new instructions that allowed the veterans to proceed.

I want to thank Dawn Ann Larios, field director for constituent services in Mayor Hardberger's office, who had the difficult job of making a difficult instantaneous decision of what to do with the veterans when things reached a boiling point. My appreciation for her efforts comes because the moment the decision was made to allow the veterans to continue, this proud daughter of a Marine, picked up a parade flag and marched 15 miles with the veterans. She also insured that the veterans would be escorted to their final destination by police escort.

I have some great pictures and I'll have them up soon. For the moment the feeling is one of elation and success. Make no mistake, there is no delusion about the difficult and rocky road ahead. A moments glory does not mean my people of Deep South Texas will garner the full respect they earned with their sacrifice and the loss of so many young soldiers. This does not mean a hospital will soon rise above the plains of South Texas.

Notice should be taken however that we are a determined people that will sacrifice all in order to achieve a goal. The fire that has always burned in these soldiers now burns in me and a multitude of others who now believe. It should be noted that the passion in these and many other veterans will not be extinguished. In the future I would hope that before we spend billions in constructing roads to nowhere in Alaska, that great caution will be taken before our veterans are passed over again.



For now, I must rest and reclaim my family. I will return with some of the great personal stories I witnessed on this most wonderful of travels. As time passes, I will never forget these good brave Americans and the personal sacrifice they made for a small, but important piece of America.

Happy Veterans Day!