Needless to say, the Wheeling celebration went on well into the night, with veterans of Vietnam and Desert Storm joining in the gaiety. Even Jil joined in; as she moved into "party mode", the dancing, drinking and debauchery flooded the VFW post, its ample parking lot, and even flooded over into the streets. Local police decided to look the other way, considering the community was marking the return of its soldiers, and even assisted in barricading the street in front of the VFW. When motorists couldn't get through, it only served to attract more celebrants. Food was running short, so a local supermarket donated brats and hot dogs. Fortunately, the November night was moderately cool, but it probably wouldn't have made much difference as hot-blooded women partnered with all-too-eager men for a night that many would remember - and some would never remember. Even the local beer distributor came to the rescue when the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. and VFW supplies ran low. It brought a beer truck to the party and invited everyone to help themselves.
By 4:00 a.m. Friday, November 14, 2008, the party was winding down. The lime green fleet that Jil had commandered had become motel rooms on wheels as couples crashed wherever they could find a nook or cranny. Some found the back seats of cars to more accessible; others just passed out in the parking lot, or inside the VFW post. Yes, these parties were 'excessive' at times - and, yes, it was against the grain of the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. organization which advocated moderation in all things. But, the country deserved some time to 'let its hair down', especially with the return of the soldiers from war-torn Iraq and Iran. It was time for wild-and-wooly celebration, and Jil Adams was just the perky person to put such parties all together. Her energy, demeanor and organizational skills were bound to make these 'welcome home' events memorable to every U.S. veteran. This tour was the epitome of honor toward our troops, a modern-day version of the Bob Hope/Bing Crosby tours that took place during World War II, the Korean Conflict and Vietnam.
By 8:00 a.m. Friday, Jil was waking up the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers and getting them on their feet, ready for the next leg of the tour. Bob Ryan, Phil Baker, and Ron Oetting were hardly in any condition to move, much less make any meaningful contribution to coordinating the effort. But Jil's constant prodding billeted them in a sluggish kind of action that helped to get the show on the road. Phil grunted, farted, and belched; Bob kept rubbing his eyes as if he was trying to see if they were still part of his head; Ron tried his best to stand upright. Reluctantly, the tour busses, the bands, and the volutneers were rolling toward the next stop before noon on Friday.