According to the woman in the photo, who is on Mr. Chappell's left, Penny Holley (who commented under my posting of the video below on Glenn Beck's Facebook page), Mr. Chappell "drove himself to the event from Utah! All by himself!". She also said that her and some of the other marchers "tried to get him a wheelchair or cart but he would have no part of it. He was determined to march the entire way."
Penny also told me, "At first he did not realize the crowd was cheering and clapping for him and when he realized it - it gave him strength to finish the march."
How COOL is THAT!?!?!
Excellent work, Mr. Chappell and THANK YOU for your service to the USA. You and your veteran brothers and sisters are truly appreciated and admired by so many of us.
According to a post that Glenn made on Facebook last night, the "Restoring Unity" or #NeverAgainIsNow march march was the largest march in Birmingham since Martin Luther King, Jr.'s march in 1963:
I just saw a report on TV in Birmingham.
"Police say the crowd at the March was 20,000 to 30,000 and said that the Never again is Now March
IS THE LARGEST MARCH IN BIRMINGHAM SINCE MARTIN LUTHER KINGS MARCH IN 1963!!!
#alllivesmatter
#neveragainisnow
#SOMETHINGHASBEGUN
This is the video in which you can see the crowd separate and applaud "Warrior" (my nickname for him) Roger Coit Chappell as he's completing the march. Thousands of people were waiting in this line to enter the Legacy Arena where the "Restoring Unity" events following the march took place. All of them applauded Warrior Chappell as he made his way past them.
With Penny's permission, here are the relevant comments, in full, that she left for me on Facebook about this experience (I had stated under my video on YouTube that I "had no idea if this man participated in the march or not".) (ALL emphasis below, except on words in "ALL CAPS", is mine):
YES!! YES HE DID! He was in Group 13. My daughter and son were talking to him when our group started marching and I quickly saw that he was falling way behind. So my family and several others just let our group go on and we all stuck with him the entire way.
He had to sit and rest only a couple of times. As we rested the marchers passing by clapped and cheered and many stopped, shook his hand and thanked him. We tried to get him a wheelchair or cart but he would have no part of it. He was determined to march the entire way. He was getting tired by the time we reached the arena but when he saw the incredible reception he got, he just kept going. At first he did not realize the crowd was cheering and clapping for him and when he realized it - it gave him strength to finish the march.
MANY, MANY people approached him to shake his hand and thank him for his service! He is an amazing man!! It was an honor for me and my family to meet him. He allowed our entire "little group" to escort him and stay with him for the rest of the event. And after it was all over he gave my family a helping hand and drove us to our hotel! My entire family has been so blessed to have met this man!!
She also said:
I was so honored. I don't care if you use my name or not....for me it was all about him. I am on his left helping him and was so captivated by him, his life, his determination, and his spirit!!!
I forget the details of his service but his name is Roger Coit Chappell and he served in the Navy in the South Pacific. Seems like he traveled from island to island sweeping mines or something like that. It didn't take long for it to be a whirlwind of events and lots of people talking.
I'm so happy you posted video of it. THANK YOU!! We were all so wrapped up in him and helping him I got no video or pictures of us during the March at all. There were so many people taking pictures and videos......I wish I could see them all.
What do you think about if I opened a Facebook page and we spread the word to ask everyone that took pictures and videos to post them to the page? He would be so touched and I know I would appreciate pictures/videos to memorialize the incredible day. I can't believe none of us got any while it was happening.
He was hoping to meet Glenn and tell him about a book he helped write - The War Against Christianity - that's what I mean by there is so much more to the story ..... He is an AMAZING MAN!!!
He drove himself to the event from Utah! All by himself!! He was all by himself at the event......that's why I just didn't have the heart to leave him as he started to fall so far behind the group. I'm not sure about how long the walk was.......maybe a mile or so. From the 16th Street Baptist Church to the Legacy Arena.
(As of the time of the writing of this post I do not yet know if Penny is starting a page on Facebook or not. I will update this post with a link to it if I become aware that she has started one.)
Thank you to you, Penny Holley, for commenting under the video I posted on Glenn's Facebook page. Hopefully, with the help of some other Glenn Beck fans, we can get this information TO GLENN! I, for one, would dearly love to hear more about "Warrior" Roger Coit Chappell's story. (In other words, Beck fans, please post this blog post ON Glenn's Facebook page. Thank you for doing so.)
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