Cabbies hold rally on Strip

Tuesday, April 1, 2003 | 9:32 a.m.

Ed Wright, an active military man and a Yellow Cab driver, is anxious to ship out to Iraq so his children won't have to follow him some day.

"I've been put on standby," Wright, of the Navy Seabees 17th, said as he inched his cab into a line of taxis that stretched the length of the Strip Monday night in a show of support for the troops already over there.

About 200 drivers took time out of their 12-hour days -- and income out of their pockets -- to demonstrate their support for coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Featuring taxis draped in American flags, covered in posters reading "Support our troops" and "God bless America," and horns honking, the caravan was organized by John "Hound Dawg" Shannon and Rod "T-man" Johnson of KLAV 1230-AM.

"We want to show we support the troops," Johnson said, "whether you support the war or not."

The rally was reminiscent of one just after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when more than 300 taxi drivers paraded in an impromptu show of support for America, Shannon said.

Cabs from every company in Las Vegas gathered at Cashman Field north of downtown Las Vegas, then drove south on Las Vegas Boulevard to Belz Factory Outlet World. In addition to showing their support, they were also raising funds to help the American Red Cross of Southern Nevada send the troops personal items.

Wright, a steelworker who trained at the Naval Reserve Station near Nellis Air Force Base, said he has a daughter, 12, and a son, 17.

"We've trained to build and defend whatever we build," Wright said. "With my training, I'm kind of anxious to go. If the war goes on 12 years, my kids will have to go. I'd rather take care of it than have my kids there."

For the Reynolds family, who helped coordinate the cabbie caravan, there was no place else they'd rather be Monday at 8 p.m.

Art Reynolds, a cab company supervisor, did two tours of duty with Marine Special Forces in Vietnam.

His 72-year-old father, Arthur, and stepson Cadet Private 1st class Gregory Herszman, a ninth grader at Desert Pines High School, accompanied him on the taxi drive.

"It's unfortunate the ROTC doesn't have to go," Herszman said, standing in the Cashman Field parking lot wearing camouflage fatigues from head to toe.

Arthur Reynolds displayed one of his three purple hearts, a Navy cross and a silver star worn on a Marine T-shirt.

He said he's been to every war except Desert Storm. "I don't ride camels, that's why," the retired 1st Marine sergeant joked.

"If I was 35 or 40 years younger, I'd want to be over there," Reynolds said. "We have a Marine Corps family."

Reynolds said his wife died last July 1, but nine children, 36 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren still fill his life.

The retired Marine turned serious when he spoke about the first time he killed a combatant.

"When I was 17 years old I had the first kill, in Korea," Reynolds said. "There are some things that are best not to talk about because they make me feel bad."

Reynolds cheered up as drivers chanted "USA, USA, USA" after getting the rules of the road for the Strip drive.

The slow, steady stream of taxis surprised one woman near New York-New York.

"Are the taxi drivers on strike?" she asked, until she caught sight of American flags streaming from radio antennas and the cheering cabbies.