On Tuesday October 28 Kylie was nearly bursting at the seams laughing as spun in a circle with giggling twins Sonny and Rayne clasped in her arms. Larry, Evelyn, Rachel and Tony exchanged perplexed frowns as they watched the bizarre behavior. When she noticed she was being watched she stopped spinning to smile at them.

“Callie’s going to be released,” Kylie squealed with delight as she bounced up and down on her toes. “The lawyer from Texas called! He determined Callie was so wracked with guilt by the murder she simply pled guilty to the chargers and that her public defender merely accept her guilty plea. No one even questioned if she knew her boyfriend intended to commit a crime. When he questioned the boyfriend he laughed declaring that Callie had no idea what he was doing and that no one had ever asked him that question. The lawyer presented the evidence to the Texas Attorney Generals office for review declaring his intention to pursue charges against the incompetent public defender, the overzealous prosecutor and the judge for gross misconduct for railroading an innocent victim. Once they reviewed the case and questioned everyone they fired the public defender and sanctioned the prosecutor and judge. Callie’s conviction has been overturned and all charges dismissed! They’re processing her release and will let us know when so we can make arrangements for her to fly home!”

The news of Callie’s pending release flew through the Clan Wells Point bringing joy to everyone. The CWP made arrangements with their Texas lawyer to make arrangements for Callie to come home upon her release.

*****

As the Days approached for the Halloween Dance the CWP Organic Farm harvested a supply of corn stocks to be made into corn shocks and other decorations in and outside the barn. The trees along the entrance to Wells Point Lane were wrapped in corn stalks as were trees along the lane leading to the barn. Deciding against any type of haunted house they went with a country theme. Bales of straw were arranged to serve as benches and serving tables.

With CWP Engine & Mechanical Repair moved out of the O’Brien barn on October 8. The long side of the forty feet by hundred feet barn ran parallel to Wells Point Lane. Behind the barn was what had been a concrete barn yard. On the south east side of the barnyard twenty feet from the barn was an open sided shed fifteen feet wide and seventy feet long ran parallel to the barn. Next to that but fifty feet back from the barn ran a second open sided shed twenty feet long and seventy feet long that had been divided in half with the eastern portion being enclosed with garage doors on east end to serve as a garage for the DUKW. With the back doors of the barn open and if Halloween night was clear and starry, the entire barnyard would be used as a massive 7000 square feet dance floor. The site was large enough to accommodate every student and a guest plus chaperones.

With the Halloween Dance scheduled for Friday, maps on how to get to the O'Brien barn were posted on the school bulletin boards and available as fliers. The dance committee and at least one adult faculty advisor came out each school night the week of the dance to decorate the huge building. The excitement at the school built all week as the decorating committee reported their progress each day. The response was so great the school felt obligated to remind the students that only students from their school and a date could attend any school sanctioned dance. Any date who was not a student in grades seven through twelve in another school had to be pre-approved. All who attended would have to present a current school photo ID or equivalent to get inside. The dance began at seven and no one would be admitted after eight. The music would end at eleven and the dance would close down by eleven thirty.

The night of the dance the weather cooperated with a temperature of 62 degrees and clear skies.

Like the previous year Robert arranged for ten port-a-potties and an old moonshine still was set up to dispense Mountain Dew. Three quarters of the teachers signed up with their significant others had agreed to be there as chaperones as did many parents, especially those of the CWP. It wasn’t that the chaperones were needed, it was the adults simply wanting to see the teens having a good time. It didn’t hurt that there were enough chaperones so they could take one hour turns on duty and enjoying the dance themselves. A section of the outside dance floor was set aside for the adults.

For four of the CWP teens the dance dredged up bad memories. The previous Halloween Freddy Grant, Barney Flint, Phil Abott and Dwayne Harper had been amongst the worst of the trouble making redneck hooligans in the school. They had been drinking and smoking pot while vandalizing the Bay Hundred area before the dance. As they were driving a Chevy Colorado crew cab down Wells Point Lane to crash the dance they saw the police checkpoint that had been set up to check dance attendees for illicit booze and drugs. Spinning around they took off back to the main highway with the police giving chase. Wells Point Lane meets the Bozman Neavitt Road at a sixty degree angle. Emerging from the uneven gravel surface of Wells Point Lane onto the flat blacktop of the Bozman-Neavitt Road at ninety MPH was a booze and pot hazed mistake. The unyielding black top didn't allow a sliding skid the way gravel did. The truck skipped sideways and rolled. After that their memories blurred.

In their hospital beds they learned the pickup truck rolled three times before slamming into the trees on the western side of the Bozman-Neavitt Road. Since they were too macho to wear seatbelts they were all ejected at some point during the rollovers. The pursuing police stopped broadside in the center of the road with their lights flashing to stop traffic. Seeing the horrific wreckage one officer called for EMTs, rescue and ambulance as well as back-up while the second officer jumped out to check the bodies strewn helter-skelter amongst the wreckage across the road and berm.

Freddy had been driving and flew out the driver’s door unfortunately his right foot became entangled in the steering wheel. Knocked unconscious almost immediately, half in the vehicle and half out he rode through two rolls. The first impact crushed both femurs, the second splintered his right femur shredding the muscles. The momentum then ripped the leg apart flinging him twenty feet while his foot and lower leg remained lodged in the steering wheel. His life was saved when an officer saw the blood spurting from the stump and ran over to apply a tourniquet.

Barney was the first to be ejected. Flying out of the front passenger door he flew thirty feet before impacting the asphalt knocking him out resulting in a nasty compound fracture just above the elbow of his left arm that had severed an artery. An officer saved his life by applying a tourniquet.

Dwayne ended up on the berm about twenty feet south of the wreck. A stopped motorist knelt by the boy semi-conscious and dazed boy keeping him still until the EMTS arrived. Fortunately despite the pain he was lucid enough to tell the EMTs there had been four in the truck.

Freddy, with his torn off leg, and Barney were airlifted out while Dwayne went out by ambulance. The EMTs, police and firefighters began a frantic search for the missing Phil. After ten minutes of combing the wreck debris area and beyond they couldn’t find the fourth boy. Finally one of the rescuers heard a faint moan from above. Flashlights stabbed into the leafy boughs of the trees above the path the tumbling pick-up had followed. It only took a few seconds until they located the bloodied youth entrapped in broken branches about twenty feet above the ground, five feet above the lowest limbs. Spotlights and ladders were brought and the EMTS and rescue personnel climbed up to check on Phil. They immediately saw both arms and at least one leg were broken. They also saw they could not extract him without causing more injury. They had to wait twenty minutes for a pair of bucket trucks to arrive to get him down.

The months of pain and agony that followed was hellaciously hard on the four guys who discovered they weren’t as tough as they’d thought. The school itself changed as the students read the newspaper reports of the horrific crash. The ‘cool’ ‘tough guys’ were shown to be ignorant jerks. It came out all four boys were drunk and high on weed and the two older also had amphetamines in them. The four boys were seriously injured. The two with amphetamines in their systems had been medi-vaced to John's Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore where Barney’s arm had to be removed and Freddy’s severed leg was too damaged to be re-attach. The younger boys were in Memorial Hospital in Easton with numerous broken bones and concussions. The stupidity of their actions while the vast majority of the school had been having a good time at the dance shook up the entire student body. Together they exerted extreme peer pressure to force the remaining arrogant rebellious redneck teens to moderate their wild behavior. That coupled with the positive influences Krista had brought to the school virtually eliminated bullying. As for the four bashed up boys, they now freely admitted that Krista and the CWP had saved them. The CWP Youth Rehab Hostel was founded to treat Barney and Freddy. The horrific crash changed their lives and brought them into fellowship with the Clan Wells Point.

A fifth person was also greatly effected by the previous year’s Halloween dance, Jamie Ewell. Seeing Krista and Kylie enjoying the dance had ripped apart the jock facade of the star soccer player. As his mask crumbled James Ewell fled the dance running into the swampy wetlands behind the barn where he intended to drown himself only to be saved by Krista. The later confrontation with his dad, Dick Ewell, when James was revealed as transgender ended up with the bigoted man assaulting his wife and Leroy in his role as deputy. With his dad jailed Jamie began transitioning and she and her mother Ruth joined the CWP. By the Christmas dance Jamie and Freddy were dating as were Dwayne and Phil.

The night of this year’s dance, signs were posted on SR579 directing students and chaperones onto Wells Point Lane. Larry had parked a corn stalk decorated tractor across each side lane with a big sign and arrow pointing in the direction of the O'Brien barn. There was enough room to drive past the tractor if the residents needed to get in or out. The behavior and attitude of the student body had improved so that unlike last year there was no need for police, sheriffs deputies, a drug sniffing dog or a police sobriety checkpoint. Larry directed the arriving vehicles into the nearby fields to park.

Of the school’s three hundred ninety students, three hundred eighty five showed up and brought an additional one hundred forty two guests. There were fifty two chaperones for a total turn out of five hundred seventy nine, all of whom were costumed. This was the best attended dance in the school's history.

Traditionally the school's stage crew set up and operated the DJ system for every dance and did so tonight. Just like last year they were delighted with the open dance floor and ran wires to set up speakers all over the place which enabled the volume to be kept down so conversations could be held yet was loud enough to dance. The smiles on the faces of the students and chaperones left no doubts that once again the effort to hold the dance in the barn was a good one. One addition from the previous year was hay rides. From the CWP Landing two old style wooden hay wagons drawn by four horses each were available for half hour rides in a loop down Longs Cove Road to Locust neck Lane to Wells Point Lane back to the start at the barn.

Seniors Jamie and Freddy double dated with Barney and Melinda Willis, daughter of the owner of Charisma Clothing Boutique. The two couples thoroughly enjoyed the dance and hayride. Eighth graders Dwayne and Phil enjoyed the dance and hayride with their classmates Krista and Tony, Jasmine and Jimmy, and Jenny and Sam. The eight CWP friends enjoyed kissing and cuddling in the straw.

Overall the Halloween Dance was a roaring success. The fact they were able to donate $18,870.00 to Toys For Tots, the excess from the raffle tickets was icing on the cake. Harry Halls, the reporter from WBOC-TV Channel 16 in Salisbury had learned about the large donation and the Halloween dance during the concert for the vets. Contacting the school and the CWP he requested and received permission to do a filmed report on the dance and sizeable donation. The filmed report was picked up by the Fox news network of which TV16 was an affiliate. The report was very well received.

*****

Callie was released from prison Friday morning the day of the Halloween dance. Instead of flying out that day she arranged an overnight stay and a Saturday morning visit to her ex-boyfriend at the prison he was serving his life sentence. By 9:00 am she was seated in the visiting room. Just like on TV crime shows the room was divided in half by a glass security wall with counter tops on either side. The counter tops were partitioned into individual partitions with telephones so the prisoner and visitor could talk but not touch.

With mixed emotions Dustin Ritter smiled when he saw Callie come into the room and sit opposite him. “You’re free now?”

“Yes,” Callie answered. “My conviction was voided and I was released yesterday.”

Dusty sighed with ill concealed jealousy. “That’s good. Callie, I’m really sorry for getting you involved with my stupidity. How are your babies?”

Callie was caught off guard. “You know about the twins?”

“Yeah,” Dusty nodded. “You never told me you were knocked up... am I the father?”

“Yes,” Callie answered. “I only found out I was pregnant when I was in prison. At that point I was too pissed off to let you know. The main reason I came to see you was to tell you about the twins and their adoptive parents. Did the prison notify you?”

“No, I received a letter from someone named Krista Scott,” Dusty explained. “She seems to be a very caring woman.

Callie smiled and shook her head. “She’s an amazing fourteen year old. A year and a half ago her family was about to become homeless and her cancer ridden mother was too weak to go on so she walked into the ocean to drown herself after telling Krista to take her sisters from Cape Cod to the Maryland Eastern Shore. She was twelve and her twin sisters were nine when, with only $50, they set out to WALK over four hundred fifty miles. Of the next thirty four days they walked on twenty six and did odd jobs to earn money on the days of rest. They used garbage bags as ponchos. When one sister shredded her poncho Krista gave her’s to the sister and got soaked. That brought on a fever but she pushed on for four more days before she stumbled onto the road and was sideswiped by a car before collapsing. The woman driver took the three girls home, nursed Krista back to health, then she and her husband drove them to their grandmother just outside Neavitt, Maryland. What was ironic is that when they set out Krista was the brother of the twins. During their odyssey no one wanted give him a job until a baker who thought he was a girl. To survive, he unhappily accepted pretending to be a girl. As each day passed the unwanted masquerade became more real until she realized she was transgender.”

“That makes her letter a bit clearer,” Dusty said. “She explained your mother came to get our twins after they were born to save them from being put up for adoption despite the fact she was dying from cancer but promised to see the babies went to loving parents. Krista explained that her uncle and his bride were your classmates but that the bride was a transsexual who had the surgery and their wedding was televised as part of a boat festival. When your mom saw them, she knew they could not have children of their own and knowing their families realized they would make great parents. Then she wrote that she and they were all part of a self made clan called Wells Point.”

“They go by the name The Clan Wells Point,” Callie explained. “They’re the most wonderful caring people you’ll ever meet.”

“That’s what she said in her letter,” Dusty nodded. “She wrote that they provided hospice care for your mom in the same house as the twins, Sonny and Rayne, that she was able to cuddle and love them until she passed.”

“Yes,” Callie said as she wiped away tears. “The Clan made arrangements to have deputies escort me back home for the funeral. I was able to cuddle Sonny and Rayne for three days. The funeral they had for my mom was absolutely beautiful. They said a person doesn’t die, they graduate to heaven.”

“Maybe you will but I’ll be going to hell,” Dusty sighed. “I really screwed up. Until I dried up in here I didn’t realize how stupid using drugs made me. Now I have to pay for taking another man’s life. I’m getting what I deserve.”

“Yes, but you can evade Hell if you honestly confess your sins to God,” Callie replied. “The Clan Wells Point taught me that much. The three days I spent with the Clan Wells Point made any doubts that God cares about us disappear. They started the ball rolling to get my conviction overturned.”

“Krista had that in her letter,” Dusty smiled. “She said I’d most likely be questioned about your role in the robbery and murder and that it was vital that I told the truth, whatever it was. That really surprised me. I don’t understand why she didn’t coach me on what to say.”

“That’s easy,” Cassie nodded. “The Clan Wells Point is based on honesty and helping others. If the truth wouldn’t free me, then I didn’t deserve to get out. The clan is all about integrity.”

“That seems a bit harsh,” Dusty frowned. “But I guess it works for them. When they came to question me about you I told the truth. Now you’re free so you can go back and get the twins.”

“No,” Cassie said. “I’ll go back but Larry and Kylie are better parents than I could ever be. Maybe someday I’ll make a good mom but I’m not there yet. The Clan Wells Point wants me to join them so I’ll be near Sonny and Rayne and interact with them but as an aunt. I’ll keep you up to date on them.”

“In her letter that’s what Krista said you’d do,” Dusty solemnly declared. “Look Cassie, I need to apologize for getting you involved in my craziness. Now that I’m free of drugs I can think clearer and realize I really screwed up and dragged you into it. You didn’t deserve to be jailed. It was all my arrogant drug fueled stupidity.”

“Yes it was,” Cassie agreed. “But it seems like your time in prison has matured you.”

“That it has,” Dusty sighed. “Being sober has helped. I still can’t understand why I let drugs take over but I did what I did. I can’t deny I killed the man.”

“The first step to redemption is by accepting responsibility which you’ve done,” Cassie smiled as she placed a hand on the glass separating them.

“I’ve done that,” Dusty sighed as he placed his hand against hers. “But I’ll spend the rest of my life in prison.”

“Not necessarily,” Cassie looked deeply into his eyes. “If you show your remorse and stay out of trouble, the lawyer who got me freed said you’ll be eligible for parole in thirty years.”

“That’s a long time,” Dusty griped. “But it’s better than the rest of my life. But to get parole I have to have a place to live and a way to support myself. How will I be able to do that? My family and friends have written me off. Without outside support I’ll never get out.”

“Dusty, you HAVE outside support,” Cassie declared with a grin. “The Clan Wells Point has your back.”

“Yeah, right,” Dusty huffed clearly feeling hopeless. “They have no reason to help a murder they’ve never met.”

“Yes they do,” Cassie smiled. “Sonny and Rayne are members of the clan. That makes you a person of interest for them. In all honesty you are Sonny and Rayne’s sperm donor just as I’m their egg donor. Kylie and Larry are their mother and father. The twins will be told about us. Just as I’m their aunt, you are the twin’s uncle.”

“Wow,” Dusty gasped with surprise. “So they’ll help me at a parole hearing?”

An announcement came over the PA system announcing visiting time would end in two minutes.

“Yes,” Cassie assured him. “When I return home, I’ll make sure the Clan discusses setting up regular communication with you so they know in advance when you become eligible. When the time comes they’ll coordinate a good lawyer for you just as they did for me. To give you a bit more hope, I’m the fourth person they’ve gotten or kept out of jail. The first two are Clan members serving out work release parole. The woman is considered an aunt to her daughter and the man is considered an uncle to his three daughters and two sons. The third had her murder conviction overturned to manslaughter and was sentenced to time served.”

“So there is hope for me,” Dusty mused. “Thirty years is a long time. I hope I can do it.”

“You can do it,” Cassie assured him. “I’ll make sure you get photos of Sonny and Rayne. They’ll be your motivation.”

Dusty nodded his head. “Krista included a photo of the twins and their parents in her letter. Look, I’ll do my best. I guess it’s too much to ask if you’ll be waiting for me?”

“I’ll be there and will be your friend,” Cassie replied. “But I can’t promise to wait for you.”

“Fair enough,” Dusty sighed. “Thanks for being honest.”

“It’s what the Clan Wells Point does,” Cassie declared.

With that a guard collected Dustin to return him to his cell.

By 2:00pm Cassie was boarding the jet to fly to DC where she’d be met by Leroy and Krista.

Carrying the two suitcases containing all her worldly possessions Cassie walked out of the arrival area at the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. With a huge grin she received a welcome home hug from Krista. The pair hugged then each carried a suitcase to Leroy waiting by the curb in his F150 crew cab pickup. Leroy put the suitcases behind the front passenger seat then assisted Cassie as she sat in the seat. Krista slipped into the rear seat behind the driver. It was nearly 7:00pm when they set out on the trip home. The hour and three quarter trip stretched another 45 minutes as they stopped at Ava’s Pizzeria in St. Michaels for supper. Cassie was once more impressed with Krista. When she learned Cassie’s arrival time the spunky girl had asked Kylie and Larry for suggestions about Cassie’s favorite food that would be unavailable in prison. It was 9:30pm when they arrived at the main farmhouse. Tony, Kylie and Larry came out to welcome Cassie. Tony and Krista carried the suitcases inside to the spare bedroom where Cassie would be staying overnight.

The renovations to Susan’s Place B&B had been completed. On Sunday November 2 the Evans family moved into the apartment above the garage. Mary Ann would be running the dual office for the B&B and CWP Charter Fishing Boat. Callie was delighted to be offered the then vacated crew position on the Coconut Island and moved into the other apartment. That evening the Clan Wells Point had their first meeting meal in the O’Brien barn. Cassie was brought to tears to learn her mother had requested she inherit her shares and was granted membership into the CWP. The Clan Wells Point now had ninety members. The Clan was also excited about the upcoming Veterans excursion to DC. Nearly everyone who would be available next Saturday decided to carpool to follow the bus caravan.

On Tuesday Jenny received a call from Jason Lieberman. The estate of her grandparents was ready to be sold and closed. If she wanted anything from the estate she had two weeks to retrieve it. A very sullen Jenny sat down with her mother and big sister to discuss options.

“I don’t want anything from the estate,” Jenny began. “But am I cutting off my nose to spite my face? Will I want any of the photos and other mementos a few years from now? God! Even with them dead they still haunt me!”

“We can’t tell you what to do,” Ruth sighed as she felt for her adopted daughter. “But what you said about cutting off your nose could be true. I don’t mind taking you back to Pennsylvania. Just because you do go back doesn’t mean you have to take anything. If you do bring anything home you can store it away. If at a later time you decide to get rid of it we’ll do so. What I’m saying is you have multiple choices. Some are final, some buy time. But if you don’t at least look now, you may remember something you might have wanted in the future.”

“Sis, you life in Pennsylvania was hell,” Jamie declared. “The fact you’ve emerged from that the wonderful caring sister and person you are is fantastic! But you can’t just shut the door on your past. You need to deal with it. Mom and I will help you do it. Sis, you’re not alone in this! We have your back.”

Jenny bit her lips as tears began to trickle down her cheeks. “It’s not fair to you,” she blubbered. “You’ve done so much already just taking me in. I can’t burden you with any more.”

Ruth and Jamie moved to envelope Jenny in protective hugs. “Baby, if you need more help that Jamie or can give you we can get professional help. You ARE my daughter and Jamie’s sister! We love you unconditionally! Sweety, you never dealt with the fact your grandparents tried to kill you! You’ve buried it and it’s still eating at you. Jamie and I can see it. You never take time to just relax. You throw yourself from one activity to another with no downtime. WE need to deal with your anger about your birth family as a family.”

“BUT I KILLED THEM,” Jenny sobbed. “My failure to be the son my dad wanted led to him beating my me and my mother! Then when he jkilled her I KILLED HIM! I TOOK HIS LIFE! ME! Then I killed my grandparents when they tried to kill me! I’m responsible for all four deaths! ME! I did it...” Jenny totally broke down.

Lung emptying sobs shook her body as well as Ruth and Jamie as they cuddled her with love. From the back of the now fenced in back yard Snoopy, Spike, Andy, Olaf, Marbles and Belle began howling and baying jumping against the door to the screened in porch in desperate effort to get to their beloved mistress.

The baying echoed across the area. Larry and Kylie ran from the farmhouse to see what was going on. Frank, Heather and Jasmine ran from the north from the Landing. The five saw each other heading to the Ewell home. Larry and Kylie headed to the back yard to calm the beagles while the other three headed for the front door. It was plain to see the beagles were frantic about getting into the house.

“I... I need to tell the dogs I’m okay before they break in,” Jenny whispered as she managed to pull herself together. As Ruth and Jamie stood helping the trembling Jenny to her feet a loud knocking came from the front door. Realizing the neighbors were concerned about the chaotic baying Ruth went to the front door. Larry and Kylie were swarmed by the desperately baying beagles as soon as they entered the yard. The energetic jumping dogs immediately began to herd the two humans to the back door knowing they could open it so they could get inside to help Jenny.

As Ruth welcomed Frank, Heather and Jasmine in the front door Jamie helped Jenny to the back door. Hearing the latch turning the beagles abandoned Larry and Kylie. Their already frantic baying rose in urgency as they rushed the door as it opened. As soon as the door was opened enough to jamb a snout in the opening all five dogs forced their way inside. Jamie and Jenny were swamped by the leaping beagles who promptly nosed Jamie away as they pulled Jenny to the floor to cover her with doggy kisses, cries and whimpers. Jenny’s tears returned only now they were tears of happiness as she returned the doggy hugs and kisses to the eager Beagles.

The neighbors quietly headed home when they realized Jenny had an emotional meltdown. Her beloved beagles were the best short term solution. No one even questioned why she broke down. Nearly every one in the CWP had been concerned for her wondering how long she could bury her angst.

*****

The next week was hectic as all the detailed preparations were completed for the veteran’s trip. Two hundred seventy two vets had signed up! With a guest each and a student volunteer for each vet that meant eight hundred seventeen needed to be transported! With coverage of the fund raising concert for the vets’ trip by Harry Halls and the WBOC TV 16 film crew there were numerous family members of the vets who also wanted to accompany the tour. It was understood they would provide their own transportation. The band director had checked with the DC National Mall security to see if the band could put on a mini concert for their vets near the WWII Memorial. Upon finding it was possible he had no trouble convincing the school administration to allow the forty member band to perform.

Between student volunteers to be assistants for the veterans and the band three hundred twelve students were needed. Fortunately nearly the entire student body stepped forward to help. The students council, school advisors and volunteers began arriving at the school parking lot at 7:00am. The six tour buses provided at cost by Delmarva Community Transit needed to be supplemented by ten school buses. The tour buses could carry forty eight passengers and the school buses fifty two for a total capacity of eight hundred eight on the buses. With consultations with the leadership of the VFW and American Legion the oldest vets and those with special needs were scheduled for the more comfortable tour buses. Each vet was allowed one guest, (their spouse, a family member or a friend) to accompany them. The CWP handicap accessible van carried nine power wheelchair bound vets and seven passengers. The CWP also provided three crew cab pickup trucks with five people each to transport six personal power scooters each for those who needed assistance walking distances. The CWP also provided a sixteen feet long by seven feet wide stake bed truck to carry one hundred transport wheelchairs for vets who might not be able to walk the distances in the National Mall. The chairs were borrowed from churches, funeral homes, nursing homes and rehab centers across Talbot County. In addition there were twenty one personal vehicles with an average of five people each. Last was the WBOC TV 16 News Van with Harry Halls and a two man crew. A total of one thousand fifteen people were in their group.

At 8:30 the forty four vehicle caravan set out. Arrangements had been made to reserve parking spaces for the vehicles in a parking lot just south of the Jefferson Memorial. It was a bit after 10:00am when the caravan offloaded on Ohio Drive SW midway between the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials. The day was a sunny sixty one degrees with barely a breeze. The wheelchairs and transport wheelchairs were offloaded and when they saw the distances involved those families that brought wheelchairs for their vets did the same. The initial walk to the National Mall was half a mile. The Korean War, WWII and Vietnam War Memorials were located around the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pond with a walking distance of nearly a mile between them.

The large group stayed together. Those vets with additional family joined the vet and guest with student assistant. Most of the vets were quiet and solemn as the import of the visit struck home. The massive group walked up Ohio Drive SW to Independence Avenue SW which they crossed to Daniel French Drive SW. The Korean War Memorial was just off that street.

Docents explained the haunting 19 stainless steel statues represented an advance party. They are approximately seven feet tall and represent an ethnic cross section of America. There are fourteen Army, three Marine, one Navy and one Air Force members. The statues stand in patches of Juniper bushes and are separated by polished granite strips, which give a semblance of order and symbolize the rice paddies and terrain of Korea. The troops wear ponchos covering their weapons and equipment. The ponchos seem to blow in the cold winds of Korea. The adjacent Mural Wall consists of forty one panels extending one hundred sixty four feet. Over two thousand four hundred photographs of the Korean War were obtained from the National Archives. They were enhanced by computer to give a uniform lighting effect and the desired size. The mural, representing those forces supporting the foot soldier, depicts Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard personnel and their equipment. The etchings are arranged to give a wavy appearance in harmony with the layout of the statues. The reflective quality of the Academy Black Granite creates the image of a total of 38 statues, symbolic of the 38th Parallel and the 38 months of the war. When viewed from afar, it also creates the appearance of the mountain ranges of Korea. Korea
As the group walked about the monument idle chatter slowly faded. Krista was pushing Mr Jablonski’s wheelchair with Mrs Jablonski at his side. They stopped at the apex of the statues. Theo, normally a stoic man, began to shake and tears flowed down his cheeks.

Rachel was shocked and concerned by his behavior. “Theo, are you alright?”

Too choked up to speak, the man shook his head no.

Rachel began to panic fearing another stroke. “Oh God, not another stroke! Where can we get an ambulance? HELP! Can someone call an ambulance?”

Theo became agitated and gripped Rachel’s arm shaking his head no. “No ambulance... I just need... some time.”

As people gathered to see what was going on Krista stepped around and knelt in front of Theo taking his hands in hers. “Theo... these were you brothers?”

The formerly stoic man sniffed and nodded. “Brothers... my brothers...” he managed to whisper.

One of the docents had come over to see what was happening. She heard what Krista asked and Theo’s response. “He’ll be okay. He’s just overwhelmed with memories and long suppressed PTSD. This happens on a regular basis. Just give him space and time to deal with it.”

Those closest patted Theo’s shoulder reassuringly as those who had gathered dispersed.

Rachel stood by his side holding one hand gazing at the statues wondering why they had effected her normally taciturn husband.

“Mr Jablonski, you were there,” Krista said as she placed a hand on his shoulder opposite his wife. You remember the rain, the snow, the ice, the fighting, killing, watching you buddies die, the horror you couldn’t stop or control. But you endured. You came through the hell. Since then you’ve lived the best life you could to honor those who didn’t come home. You were a hero during the war and your life since then has been that of a hero. Like many veterans you never asked to be a hero, you just are one.”

Theo nodded his head as he absorbed Krista’s words of wisdom. “I never wanted to be a hero.”

“Real heros never want to be heros,” Krista declared.

“You’re one smart girl,” Theo sighed as he reached up to pat Krista’s hand. Then he looked up at his wife. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make a scene.”

“Oh Theo,” Rachel replied. “I love you.”

“There’s no need to apologize, Mr Jablonski,” Krista smiled as she stood even as tears began to flow down her cheeks. “After what you lived through with your buddies you’ve earned the right to cry. You, sir, are my hero,” With that she hugged him.

Rachel joined the hug. After a few moments they moved on to view the rest of the monument.

From there the group moved to the Lincoln Memorial, then on to the north side of the reflecting pool to the Three Soldiers Statue portraying three young uniformed American soldiers. While the military attire is meant to be symbolic and general in nature, the combat equipment displayed represents the figures as serving in either the U.S. Army, or U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. Of the three men, the lead figure represents a Marine. The man on the right wears combat equipment consistent with a U.S. Army Soldier. The man on the left is slightly less specific in the service representation of his gear and uniform, but he appears to be a U.S. Army Soldier. In order to portray the major ethnic groups that were represented in the ranks of U.S. combat personnel that served in Vietnam, the statue's three men are purposely identifiable as European American, African American, and Latino. The Three Soldiers statue was designed to supplement the somber Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

It was a short walk to the iconic Vietnam War Memorial Wall. Made up of two walls each two hundred forty six feet nine inches long etched with the names of the servicemen being honored in panels of horizontal rows. The walls are sunk into the ground with the earth behind them. At the highest tip where they meet they are ten feet high and they taper to a height of eight inches at their extremities. Symbolically, this is described as a wound that is closed and healing. When a visitor looks upon the wall his or her reflection can be seen simultaneously with the engraved names which is meant to symbolically bring the past and present together. One wall points toward the Washington Monument the other in the direction of the Lincoln Memorial. There is a pathway along the base of the Wall, where visitors may walk.

One of the most striking things the group noticed was the lack of the familiar jabbering of tourists. Instead there was a respectful silence. Nearly everyone over fifty had tears in their eyes. Many small groups of older men wearing jackets, vests, hats and pins identifying them as Vietnam Vets slowly moved along the wall as their fingertips traced the names. When they touched a name they recognized, one of their fallen comrades, their fingers lingered and tears trickled down their cheeks. The shuffling of feet and the squeak of wheelchairs was the dominant sound. Soft whispered prayers were also periodically heard. The monument was sobering for the students. It was one thing to hear statistics in a classroom that over fifty eight thousand men died in the war. It was quite another to actually see that many names etched on the walls. It helped drive home the enormity of the loss.

The group moved silently to the nearby Vietnam Women’s Memorial, the first time a memorial that honors women's patriotic service. It was the first tangible symbol of honor for American women. The multi-figure bronze six feet eight inches tall monument is a sculpture in the round portraying three Vietnam-era women, one of whom is caring for a wounded male soldier. nam

From there the group traveled along the north side of the reflecting pool to Seventeenth Street NW to approach the World War Two Memorial from the east. The monument consists of consists of fifty six granite pillars, each seventeen feet tall, arranged in a semicircle around a plaza with two triumphal arches on opposite sides each forty three feet tall. Two-thirds of the seven and a half acre site is landscaping and water. Each pillar is inscribed with the name of one of the forty eight U.S. states of 1945 as well as the District of Columbia, the Alaska Territory and Territory of Hawaii, the Commonwealth of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The northern arch is inscribed with "Atlantic"; the southern one, "Pacific." The plaza is three hundred thirty seven feet ten inches long and two hundred forty feet two inches wide, is sunk 6 feet below grade, and contains a pool that is two hundred forty six feet nine inches by one hundred forty seven feet eight inches. The memorial includes two inconspicuously located "Kilroy was here” engravings. Their inclusion in the memorial acknowledges the significance of the symbol to American soldiers during World War II and how it represented their presence and protection wherever it was inscribed.

Entering the semicircle from the east the group walked along the two walls picturing scenes of the war experience in bas relief. The wall toward the Pacific arch the scenes begin with soon-to-be servicemen getting physical exams, taking the oath, and being issued military gear. The reliefs progress through several iconic scenes, including combat and burying the dead, ending in a homecoming scene. On the wall toward the Atlantic arch there is a similar progression, but with scenes generally more typical of the European theatre. Some scenes take place in England, depicting the preparations for air and sea assaults. The last scene is of a handshake between the American and Russian armies when the western and eastern fronts met in Germany.

The Freedom Wall is on the west side of the memorial, with a view of the Reflecting Pool and Lincoln Memorial behind it. The wall has four thousand forty eight gold stars each representing 100 Americans who died in the war. In front of the wall lies the message "Here we mark the price of freedom".

The cheeks of the WWII vets were streaked with tears as those who accompanied them hugged them and listened to their whispered heartfelt and often heartrending reminisces. No one who watched the old vets had dry eyes as they watched the old men tremble as memories of fighting, watching buddies die, the unending tension of war and the comradery of the squad mates. More than one grizzled man broke down as the walls of their hidden and often denied war memories crumbled. For many families the tough old man they’d known finally showed his humanity. The raw emotions of the vets effected the students. All who were there were changed by what they shared. wwii

The somber group moved down the west side of the reflecting pool to the DC War Memorial. The monument is a circular, open-air, Doric structure built almost entirely of Vermont marble. The memorial has an overall height of forty seven feet and a diameter of forty four feet, large enough to accommodate the entire U.S. Marine Band. It was intended that the structure be a memorial and a bandstand and that each concert would be a tribute to those who served and sacrificed in the war. The memorial stands on a four feet high circular marble platform around which are inscribed the names of 499 Washington residents who died in service during World War I. The names were inscribed on the face of the platform in alphabetical order with no distinction made to rank, race, or gender. Arrangements had been made with the authorities for the St. Michael’s Middle High School band to use the Memorial. wwI

As the school band set up under the rotunda of the Monument. The large group spread out on the lawn and under the Ash Woods around memorial settling onto blankets. Brown bag lunches and drinks were distributed to the group. When ready, the band director blew three shrill tweets on his whistle. The band promptly launched into the ever rousing Sousa march Stars and Stripes Forever. From the back of the memorial, Krista led a color guard around the walkway to the front. Krista carried Old Glory with Jennie carrying the American Legion flag and Jasmine carrying the VFW flag. They formed a line with Old Glory in the center on the sixth step centered on the front of the memorial. Tony, Jimmy, Phil, Dwayne and Sam followed carrying the flags of the Navy, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marine Corps formed a line four steps down in front of the girls. Holly, Lyndi and Teri followed the flags and when the song ended replaced Krista, Jenny and Jasmine as flag holders. The three girls relieved of their burden climbed to the deck of the monument to front the band.

“I’d like to thank everyone who made today’s tour possible,” Krista spoke into the microphone. “I speak for all the students when I say we had no idea just how important these Memorials are. We want to give a heartfelt thank you to all who have served in the armed services. Please, enjoy our presentation!”

Drawn by the live music, more visitors to the area gathered to listen. While the band played the three girls sang. They played the anthem of the US Army, ‘The Army Goes Rolling Along’. Next was the US Navy anthem, ‘Anchors Away’. Then came the Air Force anthem, ‘Wild Blue Yonder’. Then came the Coast Guard theme, ‘Semper Paratus’.

Krista spoke up. “We students are thankful for the service and sacrifice of all veterans. In preparing for this trip we’ve learned a lot. Our generation has benefitted from past generations and we honor you. Because of technology we are different from past generations, but we pledge to do our part to continue your legacy. The last theme we want to play is the Marine Hymn, but in a non traditional style that speaks to our generation. This was version is performed by Madison Rising, a patriotic rock group. I hope you enjoy it or at least forgive us. This song goes out to the men and women who exemplify honor, courage and commitment! They are the few, the proud, they are the United States Marines! Semper fi!” With that the band launched into the rock version of the iconic theme. fi

“I hope everyone has enjoyed our humble presentation,” Krista declared. “If you are able can you please stand for our second last song.”

As the first notes of the Star Spangled Banner rang out people stood facing the flag. The three girls sang the lyrics of all four verses loud and clear. The listeners broke into cheers and applause.

When the cheers ended Krista spoke. “Please remain standing for this last appropriate tune.”

The band’s lead trumpet player then walked to the microphone and began to play ‘Taps’. taps

Tears were freely rolling down everyone’s cheeks as the haunting mournful notes echoed through the trees and monuments.

With an emotion choked voice Krista once more stepped to the mic. “May God bless us all!”

The band began to pack up and students moved through the crowd with garbage bags to collect the rubbish. The veterans and those accompanying them packed up. The drivers of the convoy brought the busses and other vehicles to the west bound curbs of Independence Avenue SW. It was a solemn but grateful group that boarded their transport to return home. Everyone had been forever moved by the day trip to the veteran’s memorials. Harry Halls and his film crew had accompanied the large group filming the memorials but also the reactions of the veterans. No one regretted the trip. That evening a hastily edited five minute synopsis of the trip appeared on the news and swept the nation. vet
Longer edited versions of the recorded trip were made and shared across the nation as part of the 2008 Veteran’s Day. As the chief instigator of the expedition Krista once more found herself in the spotlight.