I sit in awe of the events occurring at Camp Casey

Amy Branham, Gold Star Families for Peace; A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION [Excerpt]

I went back out to Crawford this week to see for myself how things are going and what it’s like there now. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was just absolutely amazing.

I left in the wee hours of the morning Saturday to get there, in a caravan with members of Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) from Houston. I think it was about 10 a.m. by the time we arrived at the Peace House.

There were so many cars and people there that I had to drive to the stadium to park my car and catch a shuttle back to the Peace House. I was told there was going to be a rally at noon at the stadium and that I needed to be there.

When we finally got to Camp Casey I was stunned. When I left a week ago this past Sunday, there were about a dozen people there, a few folding chairs, banners and signs. It looked nothing like it does now. The place has been transformed. There were more people than I could possibly count. People had come and set up tents and chairs in the ditches to stand in solidarity for Cindy and the cause of peace. It was amazing.

On the road back to Camp Casey I was pleasantly surprised to see most of the counter protesters gone.

When I initially drove up Cindy was standing at the end of the triangle, looking down the road to see all of the cars, stretched out for miles, coming to support her.

I rolled my windows down to wave at her and she came running, calling out my name. I asked Tammera to park the car for me as we were holding traffic up. Juan and I jumped out to hug Cindy and Dede (who was with Cindy) and were immediately surrounded by cameras snapping our picture as the four of us hugged and cried.

Cindy asked me if I could believe what this had become from what we started, her, Dede and me, a week ago.

I stayed with Cindy for a little while, talking in front of the cameras, before stepping out of the crowd. I wanted to see for myself what was going on, to wander around in the crowd and take in the energy of the place. It was amazing. I hadn’t seen the crosses except in pictures. I hadn’t seen the tents set up under the canopy or the dozens upon dozens of flowers sent by well wishers when I had gone in earlier that day. So, as I wandered up the road by myself I started to weep.

I wept for joy that so many people from all over the country and the world would join Cindy and lend their voices to her cause, to our cause. I wept with sorrow at the tremendous loss we had all suffered. I wept because I no longer felt alone in my grief and anger at the loss of my own son. At that moment I felt that Casey and Jeremy would be proud of their moms for what they were doing.

As I stood there on the side of the road, tears streaming down my face, a stranger came to me to see if I was okay. She didn’t know who I was because I didn’t have a GSFP shirt on. She comforted me, brought me Kleenex to dry my eyes and wipe the tears, made sure I had water to drink. We introduced ourselves to each other. For the rest of the day, she was pretty close by if I needed anything.

The camaraderie at Camp Casey is unreal, almost surreal to me. Members of GSFP only have to state a need and it is met almost immediately. Sometimes we don’t even have to say anything, people keep an eye on each other out there and if one person sees that another person is getting overheated, seems to be struggling or in some kind of distress, they are taken care of right away.

The whole time of the rally there was a Sheriff’s helicopter circling round and round above Camp Casey. At first they kept their distance and it wasn’t any big deal. When Cindy got up and began to speak, the helicopter got down closer. It seemed they were trying to drown her out. I would certainly hate to think that was why they got so close. A couple of times some of us thought they were going to land nearby, but they never did.

While Cindy was speaking the counter protesters across the street, who by now had dwindled down to less than a dozen people, tried to taunt us and Cindy. For the most part we ignored them although there was at least one or two people that I know of that did have a little discussion with them. They were quickly led away to cool off.

When Cindy asked for a moment of silence to remember America’s fallen, the counter protesters kept yelling and taunting. I couldn’t believe the disrespect they showed, but I shouldn’t have been surprised by this.

The people coming to Crawford are amazing. One lady, Lorraine, flew out from California, complete with cooking supplies, to cook for Cindy for the week. Others dropped everything when they heard what was going on, driving across the country just to hug Cindy and tell her thank you. Many times they would rest up a bit before turning right around to go back home. Still others are spending their vacation time at Camp Casey.

Cindy is amazing. She spent all day long with reporters, giving interviews and having her picture taken. Never once did I see her turn down a request from someone who came to see her. She hugged every man, woman and child who came to say thank you. Everyone wants something from Cindy, but I think she receives as much from her supporters as she gives to them. Cindy is absolutely, one hundred and ten percent, dedicated to her mission of ending this war and bringing our soldiers home.

Today, once again, I sit in awe of the events occurring at Camp Casey. Once again I am proud to be an American, proud to be from Texas and proud to be part of something larger than myself.

Thank you America for your support, your encouragement and your love.