By Howard Wilkinson
The Cincinnati Enquirer

During the singing of "God Bless the USA" at a Fountain Square "support the troops" rally, Leah Magly began to shed a few tears and was comforted by her mother, Dana Magly. Leah's sister (and Dana's daughter), Lance Corporal Tasha M. Smith, is in Iraq. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

Tracy Keel of Independence had only one reservation about spending the noon hour Friday on Fountain Square for a "support the troops'' rally sponsored by WLW radio.

She was afraid she might miss a phone call from her husband in Iraq.

"I can't stay home all the time," said Keel, the wife of Sgt. Jonathan Keel, member of the Kentucky National Guard's 223rd Military Police Company, serving in Basra in southern Iraq.

Keel was one of about 300 people, from graying veterans of earlier wars to the children of soldiers, sailors and Marines serving overseas, who stood in a light rain for a half-hour rally that was broadcast live on WLW-AM and WXIX (Channel 19).

Her military policeman husband called from Basra one night earlier this week, but Keel and her 12-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter weren't home, and were left with a message on an answering machine.

"At least I know he's OK," said Keel, sitting in the front row with a cardboard sign bearing a photo of her husband. "I listen to the message over and over again."

The crowd that braved the elements Friday afternoon heard patriotic songs, a speech by talk-show host Bill Cunningham, words of greeting from Mayor Charlie Luken and other politicians, and an expression of thanks from a 19-year-old local Marine who was wounded while fighting in the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Cincinnati, Cunningham said, is a city that often is "divided by many things, whether it is between Democrats and Republicans, blacks and whites. But the one thing we can never be divided over is our support for our troops."

Fountain Square, Luken said, is the place where Cincinnatians gather "in times of celebration and in times of difficulty."

"Today," the mayor said, "we come here to say thank you to the people who are over there fighting for freedom."

On stage with the politicians were veterans of past wars and representatives of all branches of the military. But the one who received the loudest ovation was 19-year-old Michael Varner of Ross, a private first class in the 2nd Marine Division who, last month, was shot in the left leg and hit with a piece of shrapnel in the battle of Nasiriyah in southern Iraq.

After being treated in Kuwait and in Germany, Varner was sent home to recuperate. Friday he thanked the people of the Tristate for their concern and made one request.

"Remember there are still a lot of guys over there," Varner said. "They still need your support."