Day 17, March 17, Leaving Hemet, Ca.
Dale – Happy St. Patrick’s day!
Well we are on the road again. We stayed for two days,
actually one day and 2 nights with John and Ann Rush. Beautiful, generous,
kind, people who are the initiators of “Friends of Peace Pilgrim”. They gave so
much and are so selfless in their work to out the message of Peace Pilgrim. We
learned a lot from their example. The car was left at their house and we
obtained more “Steps” booklets to carry with us and some tunics that say
“Walking Coast to Coast for Peace,” “Another Pilgrim for Peace” and more. We
are getting close to the desert now and have our faith in the van alone. Just
the three of us. (Dale, Tony, and ?). Today we will try and reach Rt. 62 and
then tomorrow onto Joshua Tree. There is a mountain off to my right with traces
of snow on it. I’m sure we will see more of that up on the road. Camped out
near White-Water walked 22 miles.
March 18-19, Sunday - Monday:
We are continuing down the road. Yesterday, we walked
along Rt. 62 on our way to Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree. We started off without
knowing where we would spend the night. Yet, ended up with some folks from
Joshua Tree and had a relaxing sauna and hearty meal. Al & Ann Murdy were
the names of the hosts. It was a long hard climb against the wind and lots of
uphill walking. At times it was as if you were just walking in one place. We
appreciated the beauty of this region with clear skies, good water and
beautiful sunrises and sunsets. The day before was difficult for all of us and
no one had a decent sleep. We are walking to 29 Palms today. You can tell it is
a militarized region with many Marine vehicles on the road and many short
haircuts on the drivers. I really like this country but I could see what some
might be angry at having to stay here in this place against your will like many
Marines might be. We have been told that there is a mix of people in this area,
from ranchers to liberals to those seeking an alternative lifestyle and those
seeking refuge from Southern California urban areas. This area seems to owe its
economic life to the Marine base in the area. There is not much else around.
today we will have a peace vigil at the main gate of the base. When we arrived
at the base we were unsure where to go so we went out to the main gate where a
sign was located that said that further trespassing was prohibited. The three
walkers and some local people, Terry Burke and his wife, Heidi, and her sister
and three children stood. Another person, Ray Kirkham joined us. Ray used to
work inside the base and tried to address the problems of waste-water that the
base produced. But he had since left that position due in part to his inability
to work with a Marine mindset. It was a big step for Ray as he indicated that
he knew about 1/3 of the people that were passing us in that spot. Now here he
was fully exposed to his neighbor’s regarding where he stood and with people
that reflected an unpopular viewpoint than that which his former colleagues
have. In talking with him later he indicated the challenge that he faced in
making his views known publically. Tonight, we will stay in a cabin at the 29
Palms Inn. There is an actual oasis here! Quite a few people arrived for a
potluck especially after such a short notice. Miracles never cease to occur.
March
20:
Cary –
Today we have left civilization behind for a while. Walking through the desert
is just about what I expected, hot, still, dry, lots of weeds and creosote
bushes in sand! Mountains all around, intense blue sky. We had lunches prepared
for us by a friend of Terry & Heidi and we will have dinner delivered to
our camp by another! We met both of them at the potluck last night. We have
lots of food and water. We will walk as much as we can and maybe bike the rest
so that we cover all the territory by human power and still stay on schedule.
We are all mellowed out at this time and have lots of long hours ahead and are
settling into it. The quiet out here is wonderful, when the traffic stops.
There have been more vehicles on the road than we expected. Right now, sitting
in the van and listening to the muffled sound of bombs being dropped on the
Marine reserve behind the mountains. Thunder with a clear sky. If those
mountains could speak, what would they say about what was going on over there
and what these three people were doing walking through those the empty desert .
What opinion would those mountains have of what they had seen of the human
race? We cloak them with radioactivity and strip away what little life still
clings to their sides. Would it matter to them? We could leave them alone and
the lizards and creosote bushes would keep on surviving. Does it matter to us?
Dale: Out
in the desert about 6-8 miles east of Melody Knolls. This is our great step
into the desert. Ray Kirkham came out and brought a stew and the sunset was
fantastic. This, being the first day of Spring, was a good jumping off towards
Arizona. The walk called, “On the Line” started today and I thought of them
often today. My prayers are with them.
March
23 – Out in Arizona
Dale: We
crossed the desert on the 21st on bicycle. We covered close to 70
miles by pedal power. The wind was at our backs most of the day but it was very
hot. Last night was a real nightmare as we had set up camp in a dry wash and
Cary and I went to make phone calls. We had dinner on our return and went to
bed early. It had been breezy that day but around 12:00 midnight the wind
really started to pick up. It was bad enough for me to leave and head for the
van and where IA had left Tony to the elements. However, at around 2:30 a.m.
Cary got up because she heard metallic sounds and thought that there was
something in the tree next to her and found out that it was Tony trying to
secure his tent and the wind was now howling. Cary thought the wind must be
whipping at about 50 MPH. no one got much sleep. Tony gave up the fight to the
wind and the tent collapsed. Even the next day the wind continued to howl but
mostly it was at our backs. We walked through the town of Parker and I
organized a radio interview at a local country station. The interviewer was
very interested and she wanted updates of our travels. The local paper promised
to send a photographer but no one showed. Other stations in the area were
interested and took information about the walk. Things were going pretty
smoothly and I had to make a weekly phone call updates to Doug Rand at the
Resource Center for Non-violence, the group that donated the van, “Rusty” for
the walk. We called it Rusty because it was red, rusty and sort of sad looking
but it was our fond friend. Well, Tony began to get upset and said that those
calls only enriched the large phone companies, something that unsettled him on
other occasions but I had no patience for that lecture that day and just
started up Rusty and caught up to Cary on the bike and switched with her to
ride our my anger on the bike. I was still upset because I see that some people
criticize one thing and then I see them doing the same type of thing albeit in
another form, but it is the exact opposite of what they were just criticizing
previously. I see the hypocrisy in their words and I can’t even listen to them.
No doubt we will be tested time and time again on what we preach and what we
practice.
March
27, Tuesday
Some days later since the last entry.
Back on the road again, apologies to Willie Nelson. Today
we are walking to Sun city north of the greater Phoenix area. Since last
Saturday, we have been staying at Cary’s house in Scottsdale. It has been very
welcoming to relax for the past two days. A quick review: since the 23rd,
we continued to Wickenburg on Saturday and on Friday we used the bicycle
covering long distances to a point just 8 miles outside of
Wickenburg. We found a place to camp on a ranch and talked to a man that
worked there and said that it was ok to camp there. Friday evening we had a
long discussion about money matters and it got a bit intense with Tony and
myself. We resolved to try and pay off Tony’s loan to the walk as soon as
possible and to start fresh. Cary indicated that she could pay off the
remainder of the debt and that she could be paid back a little at a time.
Coming into Wickenburg, we had no contacts, therefore we decided to walk
through the town and bike as much as possible to Phoenix. I thought to help
matters out I would fast one day, perhaps a bit of dramatic martyrdom of mine.
We spent the night at Cary’s apartment and met her mom
Barbara. It was great to take a shower again and be clean again. We talked
about her mother’s work in spirituality and had a great night’s rest. On
Sunday, March 25, we attended the Tempe Friends Meeting, relaxed and took it
easy. I thought about our current situation and attempted into a proper
perspective. Talking with Cary’s mom, I gained some insights about myself that
were related to the subconscious and the reasons why I might be having some
frustrations.
Monday it was back to our travels. A lot of media calls
to make, especially to radio stations. We set up a press conference at city
hall for 5 p.m. on Wednesday. I have been getting butterflies thinking about
this one, which is funny since I am the one that usually deals with the media,
possibly because this is the largest city we are entering since Los Angeles. If
just a few of the reporters shows up, I think I may be overwhelmed. I will just
have to trust in the universe to guide me. I think of Jerry Rubin and how he
handled the press when he walked to Diablo Canyon. He said it was not a problem
as they were waiting for him to speak and if you know why you are doing this
then you just tell them and they will take whatever you say. I will definitely
need Tony’s and Cary’s support on this one. But for today it is Sun City and
that is what I have to focus on for now. Peace & blessings.
Tuesday, March 27
It was a short day in terms of walking distance and folks
came to walk with us from Sun City AZ., close to a dozen. We took up the earth
flag for the first time they look great! Close to 30 people showed up for the
potluck from Sun City and we showed the film from Helen Caldicott and talked
about our journey and other matters. People were very impressed. We received
$100 in donations. That brings the grand total $250 from Sun City including
previous donations. We have enough money to start paying Tony back the money
that we owe him. Tomorrow on to Phoenix.
Wednesday, March 28
it was a long day to enter into the center of Sun City
was a bit of a hike to walk into Phoenix as well from Sun City. It was a long
hot day with lots of traffic. We had many honks of recognition from people that
drove past us. Space we walked up till man who was next to his disabled truck
he was staring at us all the way up to his truck. Space he spoke to us and said
he heard about us on the radio and he shook both of my hands. I also spoke with
a man earlier in the day and asked him directions. Inquired what we were
walking about and I told him we were walking across the United States. He agreed
we had enough bombs but that the government couldn't be trusted and doubted
that we would have any success, however he was open to the appeal of the walk.
On this day we walked to the governor's office received a letter from the Gov.
To continue to City Hall and pass the part that was called library Park. There
were many homeless people in the park. It was an unexpected site to see so many
homeless people in that park between the Capitol and City Hall. Space here you
see so many people that reflect the conditions of an ill society. We reached
City Hall and as usual were unsure of how everything was going to evolve. I was
surrounded by several media people and peppered by question until it became a
confusing story. It ened with "Channel 5" when the reporter wanted to
tape her story. We wanted to go to the Mayor's office however if was closed
upon our arrival. We concluded the day by gathering and singing some songs.
Thursday, March 29
Last night we stayed at Jack and Felice Cohen-Joppa's house. They produce the journal
"The Nuclear Resister." We all
contributed with getting their latest publication ready. I slept well and felt full of energy and ready
to go the next day. We started out in the downtown area. It was another bright
day with clear skies and we set out towards the Motorola plant. I took the
first two driving shifts, followed by Cary. We made good time and around 11:15
in the morning Scotty showed up. We stopped at a car dealership and Scotty gave
us information about the situation ahead. A salesman from the dealership came
walking out and started to ask questions about the walk. He heard about the
walk and read about in the paper. He shook Tony's and then my hand. He said
that his brother was the editor and publisher of the Chandler newspaper and
gave us his card. He said to get in touch with his brother. We continued to
Motorola and were joined by Leroy and Scotty. When we arrived, five more people
were waiting. The Security personnel came out, led by a no-nonsense man with a
stiff and formal attitude wanted a leader to speak to. We started to explain
that we didn't have a leader. I walked up to him and started talking with them.
We gave them the leaflet and he gave us an explanation on the legalities of our
presence. Where it was legal to stand where it was illegal to stand and what we
couldn't do. When we gathered in a circle and began the singing peace is flowing
like a river, a reporter snapped away with his camera. We maintained our vigil
while I gave out leaflets. Some of the locals were surprised that many of the
workers were taking leaflets from me. They said in the past, few people would
take them but we were somehow communicating with the workers. In my brief
encounters I was just able to say we were walking to Moscow for peace. One man
replied we've got the cleanup this country first before we can start thinking
about the Russians. Another individual stopped and said what a great thing
you're doing and shook my hand. This Motorola plant makes proximity fuses and
guidance systems for missiles. I felt really good about this vigil. We could
tell the media coverage was beginning to have an effect on people. There were
lots of honks and people on the street said they heard us on the radio, read
about us in the paper, or saw us on the TV. Our first time that we had a TV
interview and multiple radio interviews in a specific area. Six newspapers had
written stories about our journey including the Phoenix Gazette, the Arizona
Republic, the Sun City Newspaper to name a few. One key development was getting
a letter of support from the Mayor of Tempe. We stopped at Arizona State
University, but being a very conservative student community, there was little
interest. As we left the ASU, we encountered a young man on a bike and he was
impressed with our message. He was a musician with a group called Little
Britain. As we continued on our way, he returned to give a poem. We indicated
that we would bring it to Moscow. The day ended with a grand meal and plenty of
discussions and laughter about the day, much love and blessings to all.
Saturday,
March 31
Another crisp, clear, bright day. We walked close to 27
miles yesterday, all the way to Sacaton, Arizona. A very windy day. Tony walked
most of the morning by himself. We left the van and walked together through the
city of Chandler. We stopped to talk with an older man and he indicated it
wasn't the Germans or the Russians or the Chinese that were the problem, but it
was people who didn't stick around and take care of their fellow citizens. He
referred to Cain and Abel and if they worked the land together then there
wouldn't have been any conflict between them. It's often surprising to hear how
we affect people when they see us and what thoughts they want to share with us.
This man was trying to relate his knowledge of the Bible and how we can apply
those lessons that if people work the land together, we wouldn't have hunger or
war. Moving on to the Chandler, Arizona newspaper office, we had our pictures
taken by the staff photographer. I walked with Tony out of town, then hitchhiked
back to the van and when I returned Tony and I alternated walking the rest of
the day. We arrived in Sacaton at 5:15 in the afternoon and found our way to
our host's house. We'd met our hosts during our walk that day. Perry and
Dorothy, Native Americans, were impressed with our walk and invited us to stay.
When a very good feel for them and a good meal with them. Lots of chicken
salad, bread and delicious treats. I'd had a big appetite and put away more
food than I thought I would. We talked about problems with the Indian
reservation. Water is a very big issue here, never enough for fair
distribution. We also talked about the problems that the young people face on
the reservation and that many of the young people don't have much respect for
their culture. We were given dried cactus buds as a symbol of peace for our
journey to Russia. These items are usually eaten during special occasions
weddings or other family gatherings. After a great meal, I tired quickly and
had to get back to the house to rest. I left Tony with Perry and Dorothy and I
hit the sack with sleep coming quickly. The next morning Perry and Dorothy came
over for breakfast as we were staying with their neighbor. Perry brought a
small staff with him that he had created last night. They had two hawk feathers
symbolizing the two walkers currently on the journey. The hawk is the traveling
spirit and it is good protection for travelers. There were six small bundles,
which contained cedar and earth wrapped in cloth. These items came from the
Casa Grande ruins which is where Perry's people originated. The first bundle was
blue which is for the earth symbolic of our unity and healing. Second bundle, green
which stood for the plants and the life that returns again and again. The third
bundle is fire signified by its red color, followed by yellow which is the
eagle spirit, symbolic of truth and strength. The fifth bundle is white representing
the pure spirit in our journey, and the final bundle is black representing the
night, the mystery of the universe. The staff came from the arrowroot, later
which we understood was found in a lot of the Japanese concentration camps.
Perry told us whenever we have obstacles and problems, we need to pray with
this small staff for guidance. We received the staff from Perry and Dorothee
Jackson and stayed with Marilyn and Fred Walking-Badger.
Monday,
April 2
A short journey on this day, walking just about 8 miles
away from Casa Grande. During our walk, we had a lot of positive reactions from
people on the highway. Lots of waves and honks from cars whizzing by. Our hosts
were Jerry and Donna Haas, Jerry is a Methodist minister and treated us to a
meal at a local restaurant. Several couples joined us including a a
chiropractor, an artist and musician. One woman, the musician was also
macrobiotic and had been influenced by Michio Kushi, one of the leaders of the
macrobiotic movement. The next day was a rest day and we went to the early
church service. We were introduced to the congregation and many people came up
to us after the service and wished us well. One man in particular came to me
and said that it is not the Russians we have to fear or the Germans or
pollution but it is the second coming of Christ. I wasn't sure as to how he
meant that statement. I wasn't sure if he thought that we were right or wrong
in our journey but again you never know how we're going to make people react. I
spent most of the rest of the day organizing my notes and files and wrote some
letters. We spent that evening with the locals at a gathering but generally
nothing to do with the walk, which was fine with us. In our conversations with
the people, we sensed interest in the walk but not a real sense of concern. It
was a type of attitude that yes there are problems in the world but a lot of
the problems did not pose much of a concern for the group and it was best not
to talk about them because they just didn't know enough about these global
issues and besides it was out of their hands. We felt we had to bring up the
issues but were unsure as to how to do it so after things got cleaned up, I
began to talk to one man and he seemed open and listen to what I was saying.
Some people left, others were milling around and I just began to talk about the
crisis we were facing. Folks sat down and became attentive. However, you could
tell that some folks were very uncomfortable with this discussion and it just
developed into a discussion between Tony and myself. We try to open it up for
further discussion with the group but only Jerry and a few others responded.
One man, in the Naval reserves, looked at the floor most of the time. I wasn't
sure if he was just uncomfortable or possibly shamed by our attempt at
outreach, or maybe just embarrassed. We only hoped that we had planted seeds in
their minds and perhaps that's the best we can do. Later, we had a long
discussion with Jerry and Donna about what had transpired and shared a lot of
our thoughts. They thought that there were some people that were moved but for
some it was harder to tell. We have to try and realize that it this is a
long-term project that we are all involved with and have to realize that often
we are just planting seeds.
April
2-3, 1984 (Barbara Hirshkowotz. writing)
Warm day, bright sunlight in the desert here. Brian
Flagg, formally of Sacramento Catholic Worker and friend, met me at the
airport. Tucson has an active peace community, taking stands on a variety of
issues but not always united in the outlook and approaches to addressing them.
We stopped at the peace and Justice Center and talked about their production of
the Catonsville 9 that was now playing in their community. Greetings and a
super dinner put together by Kizu-Shonin, a Nipponzan Myohoji Monk that lives
and works in the Tucson region), were in order. Then it was off to a meeting of
the Pairing Project, a project where people pair a city in the Soviet Union
with this city in the United States. It was a diverse committed group that
evening and were conducting a $25 ticket fundraiser. Somewhat surprising for
the cost of the tickets. Kizu takes us on a short morning peace walk and we
stopped to greet a Lutheran minister, who speaks fluent Japanese. He will ask
his parishioners for messages for us to bring to Moscow. Joining the walk has
been smooth, filled with good feelings, the struggle now is to let go of the
past and stay open to everything as it unfolds on the road.
Wednesday
April 4
Foregone, forlorn, forever, plus a forest today. We
walked with Kizu this morning and although it was a short walk I became very
tired early. Likely not enough sleep last night. We planned to walk to
Davis-Montham Air Force base this afternoon after starting from City Hall. We
joined with another group called the "Rainbow Peace Walk to Big
Mountain". We only joined with them for a short way. We had started to
walk with this group yesterday on the western outskirts of Tucson. It really is
quite an amazing region with thousands of the tall Saguaro cactus. They stand
tall like beings from another world. It's almost as if they are looking at us
noting our progress and in some way acknowledging what we are doing is right
and good.
We had lunch at Gates Pass and the view was incredible looking
out towards a long stark valley. Kizu fixed us a wonderful dinner and it was a
good feeling to be with that very childlike crazy monk. Kizu is often playful
and quite child-like, however, when it comes time to make a point he is firm
and unshakable. It was a longer walk than we had expected to the Air Force Base
and received a lot of visual commentary not always positive but we were interviewed
with a radio reporter at the base. The reporter was very good asking excellent
and incisive questions. If turns out to be a decent interview, he indicated
that he might send it on to NPR in Washington DC. That would be great but… This
evening was interesting because one of the people we met disagreed with the way
we were approaching the Soviet Union. He was somewhat annoyed when Tony talked
about governments and the Soviets as being fascist which is how Tony sees the
world. I knew that that was going to come back to him someday but I think Tony
speaks from his heart and how he sees the world is in a very emotional and
direct response to what he has experienced in his life. Again night has come
and it is time to get some more sleep.
Wednesday
April 4, (Barbara Hirshkowitz)
Cozy evening in big rambling ranch house at the edge of
the desert. Peach sunset in third crescent moon. Long rest, (ha ha). We
attended the morning session of the trial that resulted from trespassing
charges at the local Air Force Base that stemmed from the Euro-missile test
that took place last October 21st at the base. I find the courtroom scene doll
and drift in and out of consciousness. Lunch was held at the local women's collective
restaurant and bakery, La Concha. There, news of Greenham Commons distraction
took place with a woman named Julie who came from the United Kingdom. The
afternoon was spent making press calls and writing advance letters to
prospective hosts. Then it was over to Casa Maria in time for a birthday
celebration. Brian has cooked up vegetable tacos and there is a care birthday
cake. Afterwards Lenten services were held at the soup kitchen. On this day,
the reflection concerned hunger and feeding the poor and why Christ did not
continue to turn stones into food and the thought of a very Zen concept which
included the richness of nothingness. A surprise to me encountering such
Eastern thought in this Western setting. We said goodbye to Cary Fleck as she
was leaving the walk to return to the Phoenix area. Alas, I had hardly met her.
Lots of letters in paper cranes made and now sleeping.
Thursday, April 5
We are on our way out and we've made a good number of
connections for the road ahead and get a better idea on how folks are doing in
other regions. What I'm finding out is people in the cities ahead do not heed the
mail sent ahead and really need verbal communication to realize that we are
indeed en route and on schedule!
