OK ...
First things first.
I am glad I went.
I arrived there late on Thursday (24th) and stayed in the main camp until the "big Brou-ha-ha" mentioned in Elias' update.
While I was there there was no real outward dislike of the OK faction or personnel directed at me personally.
I left to go to town for a "real shower and soft bed for one night" and the drone strike call was made while I was in town. (Mesquite, NV.) I had no knowledge of the drone strike intel or of the suggestion to "spread out - make a smaller target" that is, apparently, the source of all of the (IMO) ego based drama.
As I had been in good graces prior to my heading into town I was not considered one of the "bad OKers" and was allowed to return to pack up my gear and redeploy to the "scouts out" ring of early warning lookouts without any hassle from any of the main camp campers.
A day or so later I brought a Nurse Joyce, from Montana, into the camp to meet the Bundys and we were turned away at the Bundy security gate. (a different place than the Main Camp)
Since she is an OKer I decided to introduce her to the "Main Camp" folks and see just what and how strong their reactions would be.
Most of the folks were glad to see her and to have another licensed Nurse in their midst.
Then the "Command Structure" heard of her arrival and we were interrogated by the "Commander" and his No 1 (bodyguard, BFF, shadow ...
Jac.){No relation to OUR jac whom I have met, like and would know on sight} as well as another "officer" whom I had never met before.
The Commander [his name is in Elias' post above] had a short speech that he said he had to give us because we had identified ourselves as OKers. He wanted us to Swear, on a handshake, that we had not been sent into camp by Stewart or OK, had not been given any orders to spy on or disrupt the camp structure and that we would obey HIS Orders and no one else especially Stewart's or we could pack our gear and leave. Oath of Fealty anyone? Images of a wannabe Prince (sp?) vetting his serfs came to mind.
I thought This is a seriously power drunk puppy IMHO.
We all said
Oh Yes of course we would obey and promptly forgot the oath we had "sworn".
Nurse Joyce and her group (her daughter Lilia, aged 4? and her cousin Howard aged 70+) and I all decided to return to town. Nurse Joyce left back to Montana the next day and I stayed in Mesquite helping with the "patrols" until it was time for me to leave for home.
I never did get the camera to work. Sorry for not having photos to share but most of the videos probably show most of the area and the surrounding countryside.
Think dry Nevada desert with gravel piles as "hills". The Virgin River is the only reason for human habitation in that location.
While I was proud to stand between the Bundys and the PTB's I was never allowed to meet the Bundys and I never did see a
serious defensive combat position while I was there.
There was
ONE rifle pit constructed at the insistence of the OK leadership and there were about six other places where they would have been extremely handy but digging out a 5 foot by 4 foot rifle pit in hard pan desert gravel is not any kind of fun so .... folks walked around with their rifles on their chests in complete ignorance of the reality of infantry combat. Most wearing forest camo in a desert. I was in my Texas cowboy camo and was one of only a few who looked natural in that environment.
My overall impression was of a group of folks with no military experience being led by a group of vets with no combat experience but inflated egos as their armor. Boys playing "war" only with real weapons and real enemies. I have no way of knowing who did or did not have actual combat experience I just mention my
Opinion.
One fellow there was an Army vet whose specialty in the big green was to find and help solve security problems. (MACSOG ?) I don't have any idea so don't ask.
He went with Stewart and The Commander (and another OK Board of Directors member who gave me this story) to the top of one of the gravel hilltops that defined the main camp and was asked to explain what he would do (as the enemy) to "take out the camp". For less than three minutes he studied the geography of the camp and said (I paraphrase for I was Not present) ...
"Do you see that small canyon across the river from here? (nods all around) I would bring in two Apaches and in less than five minutes this entire camp would be ashes. This camp is indefensible.
It is a cul-de-sac with no back door. It has steep hills to the south, the river to the north and one parked pickup closes the gate on all of the inhabitants." Fish in a barrel.
Now I didn't get that kind of training from the boiler rooms of the Navy Destroyer I was on but when told the story I could see exactly what he was pointing out. The main camp is indefensible so Stewart's call to "disperse" was a good one in MHO.
In MHO the ego drama at the main camp was pretty much "by-the-book" divide and conquer for the SF (Special Forces) Green Berets or the CIA/NSA spooks. Unfortunately (in MHO) the Bundys were taken in by the tale they were told and OK was "cut - out". I don't think the Bundys cut us out I am pretty sure it was the "Private security group" that became their
Guardians Jailors.
I will be pretty busy for the next week or so getting my business back to running and caught up but I will answer any questions I can.
My gratitude to the several folks here who supported my drive over, my stay there and my return trip. I could not have gone without your help. You Know Who You Are. Thank You.
gooch
Author
Topic: Oath Keepers call to arms- Nevada (Read 44819 times)