A friend of mine just sent this to me.\u00a0 It’s by Joe Galloway - Co-author of \"We Were Soldiers Once... And Young\"<\/tt><\/p>\n
FRIDAY MORNING AT THE PENTAGON<\/tt>
\nBy JOSEPH L. GALLOWAY<\/tt>
\nMcClatchy Newspapers<\/tt><\/p>\n
Over the last 12 months, 1,042 soldiers, Marines, sailors and Air Force<\/tt>
\npersonnel have given their lives in the terrible duty that is war.<\/tt>
\nThousands more have come home on stretchers, horribly wounded and facing<\/tt>
\nmonths or years in military hospitals..<\/tt><\/p>\n
This week, I'm turning my space over to a good friend and former<\/tt>
\nroommate, Army Lt. Col. Robert Bateman, who recently completed a<\/tt>
\nyearlong tour of duty in Iraq and\u00a0 is now back at the Pentagon.<\/tt><\/p>\n
Here's Lt. Col. Bateman's account of a little-known ceremony that fills<\/tt>
\nthe halls of the Army corridor of the Pentagon with cheers, applause and<\/tt>
\nmany tears every Friday morning.\u00a0 It first appeared on May 17 on the<\/tt>
\nWeblog of media critic and pundit Eric Alterman at the Media Matters<\/tt>
\nfor America Website.<\/tt><\/p>\n
\"It is 110 yards from the \"E\" ring to the \"A\" ring of the Pentagon. This<\/tt>
\nsection of the Pentagon is newly renovated; the floors shine, the<\/tt>
\nhallway is broad, and the lighting is bright.\u00a0 At this instant the<\/tt>
\nentire length of the corridor is packed with officers, a few sergeants<\/tt>
\nand some civilians, all crammed tightly three and four deep against the<\/tt>
\nwalls.\u00a0 There are thousands here.<\/tt><\/p>\n
This hallway, more than any other, is the 'Army' hallway.\u00a0 The G3<\/tt>
\noffices line one side, G2 the other, G8 is around the corner.\u00a0 All Army.<\/tt>
\nModerate\u00a0 conversations flow in a low buzz.\u00a0 Friends who may not have<\/tt>
\nseen each other for a few weeks, or a few years, spot each other, cross<\/tt>
\nthe way and renew.<\/tt><\/p>\n
Everyone shifts to ensure an open path remains down the center.\u00a0 The air<\/tt>
\nconditioning system was not designed for this press of bodies in this<\/tt>
\narea. The temperature is rising already.\u00a0 Nobody cares.<\/tt><\/p>\n
10:36 hours: The clapping starts at the E-Ring.\u00a0 That is the outer most<\/tt>
\nof the five rings of the Pentagon and it is closest to the entrance to<\/tt>
\nthe building.\u00a0 This clapping is low, sustained, hearty.\u00a0 It is applause<\/tt>
\nwith a deep emotion behind it as it moves forward in a wave down the<\/tt>
\nlength of the hallway.<\/tt><\/p>\n
A steady rolling wave of sound it is, moving at the pace of the soldier<\/tt>
\nin the wheelchair who marks the forward edge with his presence.\u00a0 He is<\/tt>
\nthe first.\u00a0 He is missing the greater part of one leg, and some of his<\/tt>
\nwounds are still suppurating.\u00a0 By his age I expect that he is a private,<\/tt>
\nor perhaps a private first class.<\/tt><\/p>\n
Captains, majors, lieutenant colonels and colonels meet his gaze and nod<\/tt>
\nas they applaud, soldier to soldier.<\/tt><\/p>\n
Three years ago when I described one of these events, those lining the<\/tt>
\nhallways were somewhat different.\u00a0 The applause a little wilder, perhaps<\/tt>
\nin private guilt for not having shared in the burden. Yet.<\/tt><\/p>\n
Now almost everyone lining the hallway is, like the man in the<\/tt>
\nwheelchair, also a combat veteran.\u00a0 This steadies the applause, but I<\/tt>
\nthink deepens the sentiment.\u00a0 We have all been there now.\u00a0 The soldier's<\/tt>
\nchair is pushed by, I believe, a full colonel.\u00a0 Behind him, and<\/tt>
\nstretc hing the length from Rings E to A, come more of his peers, each<\/tt>
\nprivate, corporal, or sergeant assisted as need be by a field grade<\/tt>
\nofficer.<\/tt><\/p>\n
11:00 hours: Twenty-four minutes of steady applause.\u00a0 My hands hurt, and<\/tt>
\nI laugh to myself at how stupid that sounds in my own head.\u00a0 My hands<\/tt>
\nhurt. Please! Shut up and clap.\u00a0 For twenty-four minutes, soldier after<\/tt>
\nsoldier has come down this hallway - 20, 25, 30.\u00a0 Fifty-three legs come<\/tt>
\nwith them, and perhaps only 52 hands or arms, but down this hall came 30<\/tt>
\nsolid hearts.<\/tt><\/p>\n
They pass down this corridor of officers and applause, and then meet for<\/tt>
\na private lunch, at which they are the guests of honor, hosted by the<\/tt>
\ngenerals.\u00a0 Some are wheeled along.\u00a0 Some insist upon getting out of<\/tt>
\ntheir chairs, to march as best they can with their chin held up, down<\/tt>
\nthis hallway, through this most unique audience.\u00a0 Some are catching<\/tt>
\nhandshakes and smiling like a politician at a Fourth of July parade.<\/tt>
\nMore than a couple of them seem amazed and are smiling shyly.<\/tt><\/p>\n
There are families with them as well: the 18-year-old war-bride pushing<\/tt>
\nher 19-year-old husband's wheelchair and not quite understanding why her<\/tt>
\nhusband is so affected by this, the boy she grew up with, now a man, who<\/tt>
\nhad never shed a tear is crying; the older immigrant Latino parents who<\/tt>
\nhave, perhaps more than their wounded mid-20s son, an appreciation for<\/tt>
\nthe emotion given on their son's behalf.\u00a0 No man in that hallway,<\/tt>
\nwalking or clapping, is ashamed by the silent tears on more than a few<\/tt>
\ncheeks.\u00a0 An Airborne Ranger wipes his eyes only to better see.\u00a0 A couple<\/tt>
\nof the officers in this crowd have themselves been a part of this parade<\/tt>
\nin the past.<\/tt><\/p>\n
These are our men, broken in body they may be, but they are our<\/tt>
\nbrothers, and we welcome them home.\u00a0 This parade has gone on, every<\/tt>
\nsingle Friday, all year long, for more than four years.<\/tt><\/p>\n
Did you know that?\u00a0\u00a0 The media hasn't yet told the story.\u00a0 And probably<\/tt> A friend of mine just sent this to me.\u00a0 It’s by Joe Galloway – Co-author of “We Were Soldiers Once… And Young” FRIDAY MORNING AT THE PENTAGON By JOSEPH L. GALLOWAY McClatchy Newspapers Over the last 12 months, 1,042 soldiers, … Continue reading
\nnever will.<\/tt><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"