I imagined a bad omen chasing me as we drove south towards Georgia. I figured it was the curse of the "Marne Missile"- the bad luck that every 3rd ID soldier experiences when life has Fort Stewart involved in it in any way. Maybe it was just paranoia, but with the days getting progressively worse for me as I approached Stewart, I was afraid of what could happen when I finally got there. No A/C in the RV, GPS stolen, fire-ant attack, glass in the eye... All reminded me that- yeah, it could always get worse.

As I moped around miserably, still unable to open my eye in the sunlight, we pulled up to Maggie Martin's house. Our resident Hippie, Jason Hurd could hardly contain himself when the white, two story colonial apartment got in view with Maggie waiting outside. I'm pretty sure he didn't even put the vehicle in park before he jumped out to meet our new host with a cartoonish grin showing beneath his big mountain beard. Everyone was happy to be off the road again and at a place where we could escape the RV, but no one was even close to being as overjoyed as our Hippie.

Still I hated the fact that I was back in Georgia, the place where I was trapped for three years.

After settling in to Maggie's, where we met up with a bunch of Georgia members as far reaching as the Atlanta Chapter, we set out to Loco's to prepare for the night's concert. It was much of the same feeling I had at Winter Soldier, that comfort from being surrounded by IVAW members. The message "You Are Not Alone" felt as true as ever.

Rebel Inc had beat us to Savannah and were already setting up with Last Man at the venue by the time we got there. Last Man, a heavy metal band, came recommended by Rebel Inc, and happened to have two Gulf War Veterans manning the lead guitar and drums. With a song titled "State of the Union," they were a much welcomed addition to the tour.

By the time the show was about to kick off, I was even able to ditch the ridiculous eye patch and avoid anyone photographing me with it.

But, as soon as I let my guard down the ol' "Marne Missile" struck. The manager at Loco's got nervous when he saw the local media showing up and told us, "You can't say anything about the war, about politics, about the administration, or the Army, or we'll pull your plug." Right away Ray got on the phone with the owner of the bar to try to squash whatever miscommunication seemed to have happened. But apparently what the manager had said was the orders given by the owner. How could we have gotten stuck in a venue that would censor us when they clearly knew who we were and what we were there for? We had already had bands setting up when these guys tried to start laying down new rules with the threat of kicking us out.

Now came the decision about how we'd run the night: accept the new terms and allow ourselves - and the bands - to be censored? Were we supposed to rewrite all of Rebel Inc's songs five minutes before they go on stage? Or run the show the way we had planned and get kicked out, wasting IVAW funds on a concert that wouldn't get to finish?

Everyone's new found comfort and relaxation found in Savannah quickly eroded into frustration and confusion.

After doing an interview with the local news station, WSAV, I was up to introduce the bands and get the show rolling.

"Everybody, hey, thanks for comin' out tonight. We're about to put on a show- we got Last Man, we got Rebel Inc, two bands from the DC area and Baltimore. We are Iraq Veterans Against the War! It's an organization, it's not a political stance. We are Veterans, we've all been to Iraq, we know what it's like! And I'd like to read you something.

Then I pulled out my pocket Constitution, which was issued and stamped by IVAW.

I continued, "I, Kristofer Shawn Goldsmith, do solemnly swear, to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, from all enemies foreign and domestic, and to bear true faith and allegiance to the same."

Then went on, "That is the first line to our contract when we enlist. This Constitution right here, and all of it's Amendments, are what we swear to protect when we enlist in the military. I understand there's a little censorship issue tonight, and I just wanna let everybody know that I am personally offended when someone tries to take away my First Amendment Right.

"So- I'd like to thank the manager, I'd like to thank the owner, for letting us still put on a show. And I hope they're not truly offended by a couple veterans speaking up- cuz that's what we are."

After that we gave the cue to the bands - the leashes were off. We weren't holding them back and weren't about to submit to some civilian who was obviously just trying to take our money and profit off the bands that we brought down to Savannah.

Last Man opened up and played with the chemistry of a band that's been together forever. Rocking with the high energy of politically and socially charged tunes, they put on a fantastic performance.

Rebel Inc purposefully defied orders to avoid censorship by design - and kept on point, right on message. With intelligently crafted music that couldn't have fit the State of the Union Tour any better, they again rocked the house.

We didn't get so much as a complaint or warning from the venue staff. We (the bands and crew) continued into the night uncensored and as raw as we deserved to be: as those speaking for our rights as Americans.

So despite my initial reservations and a few road bumps, this trip to Georgia started to look better than I thought it'd turn out to be. The next morning I got into contact with my best friend from basic training, who had been in the same brigade as me for my entire time in the Army. (He will herein remain nameless for his own protection). We had been the infamous young FISTers who were constantly competing through every level of training, and we eventually became roommates when we both got our stripes and moved off post. This is a guy with whom I'd been through my absolute roughest times and vice versa. The last time I saw him was August 16, 2007 - the day I signed my DD-214 and left the Army. He'd helped me with so much in my life, and I had felt extremely guilty leaving him alone on Fort Stewart for a year.

Luckily, my pal got off work in time to make it to the BBQ/Workshop in Hinesville. A few Veterans from the Savannah area showed up thanks to Maggie's guerrilla flyering at the mall while Bill Perry ran back to back Veterans Benefits/VA Counseling workshops. Along with the southern IVAW members, the crew managed the cooking and entertainment for guests and made my old buddy feel welcome.

We spent the afternoon relaxing and catching up on old times while I introduced my old friend to my newest ones. Since I joined IVAW just over a year ago, while we were still roomies, my friend has always been a little suspicious of the idea of being affiliated with an organization such as ours. He's the one who has always asked me the hardest questions concerning our three points of unity, and he always had my welfare at the forefront of his worries.

At the closing of our workshop, Bill Perry stuck around to talk to my friend about his medical claims and his future - beyond the month and a half he has left of active duty. Sitting down with his wife, my friend got the real deal from Bill, so he'd know what to expect, what to ask for, and what he deserves from the VA. My pal had told me that before he talked to Bill, he was left in the dark by the Army about a lot of things, but his hour-long one-on-one talk had shone a light on nearly every unanswered question that he had. I can't tell you how grateful I was to Bill for being there for my friend.

As the sun began to set we left the park, much later than planned. And looking back at it, I know that day back in Hinesville with my old pal had been another step into the healing process that IVAW has helped so much to bring me. I wish that everyone in IVAW had the chance to return to their old bases as a civilian, just to take a look around and see it through the eyes of a truly free individual; as a guest, instead of as someone who feels caged and trapped behind the restriction that comes with wearing a uniform.

The following day, I woke up in the state of Georgia - happy, feeling satisfied - for the first time that I can remember ever feeling that way there. We woke up, ate breakfast together, and held our meeting to discuss our final day in Georgia, our fundraiser day. My buddy was able to make it into Savannah to hang out again, and for a few hours, for the first time on the tour, a lot of us got to sit back and just relax. Maggie Martin had opened her home not only to IVAW, but to our allies, and she hosted the event for us, taking a lot of stress off the crew.

My old Battle Buddy got the chance to really pick at the minds of my fellow IVAW members, and I just watched, seeing him put his guard down and become more comfortable as the day went on. He spent a lot of time talking to Steve and Ray, having what he later told me was "some of the most intelligent conversations of [his] time in the Army."

As the afternoon drew down towards the evening, Steve got to preform his favorite de-stressing technique by preparing us the first real home cooked meal we've had since we even started organizing this tour weeks ago. We sat down and ate as a family; the Georgia chapter members, the crew, and my old Battle. Again, I was amazed at how satisfied I could be in a location that I used to associate with so much misery.

As the fundraiser kicked off, we had Winter Soldier: Vietnam playing in the background, and a larger gathering of IVAW than I had seen since Winter Soldier on the Hill. Retired Colonel Bill Gillespie, who served in Iraq with Maggie during the invasion, spoke for a few minutes about his perspective on all the mistakes made concerning Iraq. It was the first time I heard an officer of his level speak against the war in person and have to admit it was quite inspiring. Having heard the stories of soldiers and Marines suffering in Iraq without supplies during 2003, I had never before heard the detailed reasons for why things happened the way they did from the logistics officer's perspective. Gillespie's speech absolutely filled a few gaps in the things I've always wondered about our old unit, the Third Infantry Division.

By the end of the event, the Savannah IVAW members came together to fill out their chapter application. With Maggie Martin seated as president for the new chapter, I can only imagine a hugely successful support network for the Soldiers of the 3rd ID. I'm glad that my pals from the old unit will have that option available now that they've returned from the division's third deployment to Iraq.

As supporters began to dwindle off into the night, discussions between my old Battle and the guys on the crew continued. My buddy approached me before we all racked out and said, "Man, I'm glad you introduced me to these guys. I've never been around so many like- minded Veterans before in my life. Thanks man. I can't wait to get out of the Army and start working with you guys."

I guess the stop I was so afraid of turned out to be pretty good after all.

-Kris "K-Goldy" Goldsmith
Writing on behalf of the State of the Union Base Tour Crew