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If hot dogs, apple pie and camouflage-clad soldiers mean vintage Americana, the second annual "Support Our Troops Day" held Thursday on Dunn Meadow was as American as Old Glory.\nSoldiers who just returned from a campaign handed out yellow ribbons and told war stories while they ate.\nSgt. 1st Class James Burge said he appreciated the honor and enjoyed catching up with old buddies throughout the day.\n"I'm honored by it," Burge said. "It's nice to know there are students who support us in this way. But this is also like a reunion for me. I've got lots of friends who were in the old units I've been in who are here."\nThe rally kicked off just before noon and had all the regalia of a USA love-fest. The Stars and Stripes waved proudly, although the blue-and-white field confessed the flag's age -- only 48 stars shone down on gatherers. The only thing missing was a Chevrolet. Toby Keith's "Shock'N Y'all" album blared from a boom-box next to an old Pontiac Trans Am. \n"What better way to celebrate our troops than to have a cookout in Dunn Meadow with some guys who actually served in Iraq," said Chase Downham, president of the Grand Old Cause, which sponsored the event.\nThe GOC, a conservative activism group, spends most days campaigning for conservative values and engaging in divisive repartee with and about liberals. But Downham emphasized the day's nonpartisan agenda.\n"Today is purely just for our troops," Downham said. "It's not about questioning the politics or the military policy of our country. It's about supporting our troops, and we feel that everyone, whether Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal, can come out and join together in support of our troops."\nThe celebrated troops who came and went through the event were intermingled with the celebraters. Some were dapper in their green and brown uniforms, while the rest wore more civilian shorts and T-shirts. Sgt. Nathan Bobay, a senior at IU, said the tribute was a nice aversion from war protests.\n"It's a huge honor," Bobay said. "This is where the war protests took place, so it's nice to see the opposite cause."\nOnce the hot dogs were plump, plates were passed around and everyone had their fill, war stories were told by the returning troops.\n"We kicked in doors and shot things," said Sgt. Benjamin Bass, who is also a senior. "We would conduct raids in different times of the day, and if it was a known Saddam loyalist or Baathist, we would raid the house. We would always knock first, but if they didn't answer the door in a certain amount of time, we'd kick the door down and go in."\nWhile the troops were the guests of honor, GOC's Activism Director Brent Smith said "Support Our Troops Day" was a time to remember soldiers old as well as new.\n"It's about our troops overseas," Smith said. "But it's also about all the men and women who ever served in the armed forces of the United States, from the Revolution to the Greatest Generation to Vietnam veterans to Operation Iraqi Freedom. This is about honoring everyone."\nAs the day wound down, it was time for the most American of all traditions -- apple pie. As gatherers enjoyed the dessert, Sgt. 1st Class Chris Gustafson gave a message about troop support.\n"It's important for everybody to understand that it's not the soldiers' decision to go fight the war," Gustafson said. "You might not support the act of war, but you always have to support the soldiers themselves."\n-- Contact staff writer Rick Newkirk at renewkir@indiana.edu.