A coast-to-coast caravan intended as a counterpoint to anti-war activists and talk in Congress of withdrawing combat troops from Iraq stopped in Raleigh’s Pullen Park this morning for a small rally.

An audience of about 25, many carrying U.S. flags, met the MoveAmericaFoward.org caravan to hear speeches backing U.S. efforts in Iraq. Among the speakers were several parents of troops serving or killed in battle there.

Deborah Johns, whose son William is a Marine in Anbar Province, compared anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan to Jane Fonda, who became notorious during the Vietnam war for visiting North Vietnam and posing with enemy troops.

“We all need to remain faith to our troops over there and support them until we win this war on terror”, she said.

The caravan started in San Francisco on March 8 and has stopped for two dozen rallies in front of small crowds along the way. It is scheduled to make just one more stop, in Richmond, Va., before winding up in Washington, D.C., where it will join several other pro-troop organizations for a rally on the National Mall Saturday marking the 4th anniversary of the war.

The same day, there will be an anti-war “Bring Our Troops Home Now” march and rally in Fayetteville.

That event begins at the County Health Center, 227 Fountainhead Lane at noon.