Tuesday's trip took the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. troupe east on I-80, then north on I-81, through Scranton, and into New York state. Just south of Syracuse, the lime-green O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bus fleet stopped in a town called Little York. By now, everyone had turned their attention to this next segment of the 'victory tour', where eight soldiers had just returned from Iraq, all from this rural New York area. The ceremony was scheduled to take place in a small outdoor park, under an open pavillion that would shelter participants from any inclement weather. Fortunately, it was another bright, brisk, November day and most people were comfortable in lightweight jackets or sweaters. The AROB group expected this to be an uneventful day, with members from a nearby American Legion post were on hand to officiate; little did they know what surprises were in store for the whole community.
Shortly after the ceremonies were underway, a United States Army helicopter circled overhead, and landed on a broad expanse of vacant field adjacent to the pavillion. To everyone's amazement, out stepped General Colin Powell, in full military regalia. Completely unexpected, the AROB group and the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers didn't quite know what to think. Jil took over, attempting a crispt military salute as Powell disembarked from the huge aircraft. He returned the salute, then asked if he could address the small crowd of approximately 400 people. "I'm here today because of a special situation which we just learned about," he announced. "Hours before these eight soldiers left their stations in Iraq, they did something quite unheard of in the analogues of war. These eight courageous soldiers found themselves under heavy enemy fire on a roadside just north of Baghdad. After about two hours of returning fire, they had managed to bring the exchange to a halt. They could have walked away at that time, returned to their unit, and prepared for their departure from Iraq. Instead, they cautiously approached what appeared to be a pile of five dead Iraqi insurgents. As they neared the bodies, it was evident that most of these young men were still alive, but suffering with severe schrapnel wounds. Our U.S. team immediately went to work to try and dress the wounds as they could, then radioed for assistance. They stayed with the five injured men until professional medical help arrived, even though they knew they might become targets of more insurgents at any minute. War is a terrible thing; but, even in war, there is room for civility and human compassion for others. I have come here today to bestow upon these eight young soldiers our highest medals medals of honor for their bravery and service to America, but also for their humanitarian priorities in light of grave danger to themselves. I have been a soldier all my life, and I recognize how war can tear at one's heart, diminish one's soul, and desensitize us to the human condition. I commend these fine, upstanding soldiers for what they did, even though it's not part of any military combat manual or not typical of our troops in the field. War - particularly these two wars in Iraq and Iran, where killings have gone on for far too long, is an especially ugly thing. To these eight young men, I say, 'Welcome home, soldiers, and thank you for a job well done!" Jil's ocean-blue eyes turned to a sea of saltwater tears as she tried to comppose herself, standing next to Powell on the makeshift podium. Even in war, there is no reason for human beings to be discompassionate to other human beings. It was a powerful message, particular coming from an American military commander. It was a stunning sign of how America was gradually returning to what George H.W. Bush, the country's 41st President, had promised in his inaugural address, but never delivered: "a kinder, gentler nation".
As one-third of the Presidential triumverate, Powell had made a bold statement, a statement intended to send a comminique to the world: America would no longer initiate 'wars' for reasons other than protecting itself from an attack on its own shores.
There would be no 'war' unconstitutionally and illegally declared just because a bunch of bungling blunderheads wanted to steal oil, or other natural resources, from another sovereign nation.
As Powell's helicopter disappeared into the bright blue skies, the eight soldiers approached Jil one at a time and personally thanked her for making Little York, New York one of the stops on her 'victory tour'. Jil's eyes teared up again. Even Oetting, Baker, and Ryan were touched by what had just taken place - as they sat their drinks down and offered a heartfelt salute to eight young heroes who had made such a grand and caring effort.