(April 6, 2003, updated April 7) -- Amplified by supportive car horns and cheering drivers along busy Carson St. at Clark Ave., an enthusiastic group backing "our troops, country and president" rallied this afternoon at the northwest corner of Heartwell Park.

The event, organized by Proudamericans.org (describing itself as "the silent majority"), drew roughly fifty people as of 2:00 p.m. and was continuing to build. [Update: Proudamericans.com's Robert Kadletz says his post rally tally shows 160 people ate 220 hotdogs.] The crowd on site was augmented by openly supportive passing drivers.

With each traffic signal cycle, there was a new cacophony of car horns and cheering passengers.

Proudamericans.org's web site says it "does not encourage war, but believes that our leadership found war necessary, and it supports this war."

Rally participants flashed thumbs-up signs...and many passing cars reciprocated. We didn't see any middle fingers extended.

KTTV Fox 11 News reporter Sam Hall Kaplan interviews a participant.

KABC-TV 7 sent a camera crew.

Stereo flags.

This woman's sign says, "I see soldiers defending my freedoms, not the celebrities."

Shirley Oglesby (black sweater, foreground) told us she was very pleased to see a demonstration like this.

On a tee-shirt, being sold with proceeds promised to servicemembers' families. Seller also offered American flags. "Made here, not made in China," he said proudly.