 |
The person walking at the front of the file was constantly
rotated to give everyone an opportunity to carry the symbolic
torch or flag, but Martin's "pointman mentality" and background
as a squad leader was apparent in the bold, visionary style
of his leadership and in his ability to quickly adjust to
adverse or dangerous circumstances. And "Ol' Deadeye" wasn't
one to balk or back down in the face of a confrontation,
either.
As they marched through the Texas towns and cities, Martin
would yell, "Let's tell 'em who we are!", and begin barking
out a cadence;
| "I'm tellin' you if
you don't know...(Each line repeats)
Somethin's comin' down the road...
We call ourselves the Last Patrol...
We come to bring our people home...
Sound off! One-Two! Sound off! Three-Four!
Bring 'em all home! 1,2,3,4,1,2...3,4!"
["Last Patrol Cadence" (c) 1985 M.J.Martin/T.Holiday/R.Walker] |
Martin
and Holiday were dubbed, "General (E-1)" and "Admiral
(E-1)", respectively, because of their roles, but they had
no real rank or authority. It was wit, tenacity, imagination,
talent, and a commitment to what they're doing and that's
what gained them the respect and faith of the men and women
who walked with them all those long hard miles.
The Last
Patrol attained more credibility with each step. The
media were initially skeptical about prospects of a bunch
of mostly middle-aged men actually completing the trek.
They didn't recognize the collective courage and fortitude
of these people, at first. None-the-less, the story was
still newsworthy and coverage was good all along the way
on a local level. But, they were 200 miles into the journey
before the national media began to take note. That was when
their old commander, Gen. William Westmoreland joined
the march on the north side of Austin. Rush hour traffic
came to a stand-still as people stared gape-mouthed at Gen.
Westmoreland, flanked by Gen.(E-1) Martin and Adm.(E-1)
Holiday at the front of a long column of marchers. Obviously
enjoying himself immensely, "Ol' Westy" set a brisk pace
for the final four miles of the day.
After spending
the evening sharing food and camaraderie at VFW post 8787
with the group, Gen. Westmoreland rejoined them on the steps
of the Texas Capitol the next day with former first lady,
Lady Bird Johnson. He made a stirring speech on the
subject of "stout-hearted men". He also made the statement,
at that time, that it was, "quite likely" that there were
still POW in Vietnam.
Governor
Mark White and Attorney General Jim Mattox presented
proclamations and praised the efforts of the men and women
of The Last Patrol. The two singers then performed
a concert that culminated with, "Will the Circle Be
Unbroken?", as a circle of people joined hands.
They played again that night with Jerry Jeff Walker
at Waterloo Park for more vets and a "bunch of old hippies."
That memorable
day demonstrated the scope and the spirit of the march.
No one who cared enough to be a part of this was to be excluded.
What was happening transcended political rhetoric. It went
beyond the eternal debate of the rights or wrongs of the
war. It came down to the Brotherhood... people caring about
each other.
|
|
