I was excited to be walking finally into Chapel Hill, where I first learned of pacifism. I had heard that big events were planned.

Others joined as we came into Carrboro. About fifty people were waiting for us at the post office across from the UNC campus. We received an official welcome by the mayor, people from the city council, the county commissioners, and the vice chancellor of the university. Steve Fisher also presented flowers to each of the monks. We were a little upset that only the monks had been recognized and welcomed, not the World Peace March. After the welcoming ceremony we had about fifteen minutes to rest before leading the Children's International Peace Parade. I took our water bottle to a nearby restaurant where I had once worked briefly. I recognized my old boss. I told him that I had walked twelve miles and was thirsty and that I was with the World Peace March, before asking whether he would fill the jug. He made a sour face, thought for a second, then said roughly, "Yeah, I guess I'm for world peace." Then he gave the jug to the dishwasher and told him to fill it. The dishwasher was far more genuine in his act of giving.

When I got back to the group it was about time to leave. In fact, there wasn't even enough time for everyone to have a drink.

The Children's International Peace Parade was now beginning. This parade surpassed all our expectations. There were over 500 people, including more than 300 children. Many of the children had worked for months to make the ten-foot puppets which they carried. Even Chapel Hill had never seen anything like this before. There were conferences with major speakers during the rest of the day, but the children's parade was the great event.

Doug and I decided to go to his house in Durham for the night. We were offered a ride to Durham by the local president of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, cofounded by Jane Addams. Then we were there...home...what a sweet-sounding word! To be able to relax out of public view...to take a long hot bath...to call out for a pizza. All of which we did.

Afterward Doug called Baptist Hospital and got a welcome report. The medical tests were done; there was no evidence of stroke-causing clots forming and Dad would be returning home tomorrow.

   April 5, Chapel Hill to Durham
Only 12 miles, but another busy day. Doug and I were up early and walked two miles to the bus station for the first bus to Chapel Hill. From that bus station, we walked another two miles to the Community Church. Only a few other walkers were there when we came in.

Rain was threatening and I went to my pack for my rainwear. No pack -- most of our gear had been carried to Durham, including the extra rainwear. Oh well, if it rains we just get wet.

By 9:30 all walkers had assembled and we began our walk back to the "pit" at UNC campus. There the monks prayed while the rest of us handed out literature and asked people to sign our petition. On almost the same spot, more than ten years ago, I handed out leaflets to build support for the movement against the Vietnam war. The peace movement was very strong on campus in l970. The entire school was shut down protesting Nixon's invasion of Cambodia and the subsequent killing of the students at Kent State and Jackson State. Today students eagerly took our literature and only a few people refused to sign the petition.

Before the prayer vigil, we heard that Steve had arranged a supper by university officials last night to welcome the monks. No other walkers had been told of the reception. Mary, our group leader this week, talked with Steve to try to keep these incidents from happening again.

Toward the end of the vigil, some of the campus police came over to tell us to stop praying. They said it was disturbing students, adding that we would be arrested if we continued chanting as we walked through the campus. But everyone joined in the chant as we walked through the campus.

At noon we participated in a prayer vigil in front of the post office on Franklin St. This was the site of the weekly vigil against the Vietnam war, which began in l967 and lasted until the end of the war. About 50 people came to this vigil, which we had to leave at l2:30 for lunch, since we were due to begin walking the 12 miles to Durham at one o'clock. We had a few leftovers from last night's supper for the monks, about enough for a chicken wing each.

We walked promptly at l:00. More than 50 people joined us, and 35 of them walked all the way to Durham. Because of the many children, we rested every three miles instead of five. Tim McGloin and his two children drove up at 3 o'clock. I was really happy to see Tim again, having last seen him the first week in February. He brought sandwiches, fruit, and jugs of water. We took a half-hour break, having only four more miles to go.

Tim told Morishita he had spoken with our coordinators in Norfolk. It was now impossible to add any more days to our N.C. schedule. The good news was that they could accommodate our three-day fast in Norfolk. What three-day fast?? This was the first that the non-Japanese walkers had heard of a fast, and the news divided the Japanese from the non-Japanese again. It was understandable to us why others would divide walkers into monks and non-monks. But we couldn't accept the fact that the monks were trying to assume sole decision-making authority. The unity of the walk had been fast dissolving these past two days. Many of us agreed on a meeting tomorrow night to discuss the problems.

The walk through Durham went extremely well. Every few minutes, people seemed to be getting out of their cars to join. A TV reporter wanted an interview while we were walking. This meant that he had to walk backward, carrying the heavy camera on his shoulder as he interviewed. It was hard to do a serious interview as the expression on his face showed fear of stumbling and falling at any moment. He did walk into a sign post once.

The walk arrived at Mary Immaculate Church at 5:40. The interfaith service was at 6:00. Most walkers went to the front of the sanctuary to help plan the program. Morishita and I would be the speakers to represent the walk.

Mary offered us some shelled peanuts. We were all seated. Morishita got up and walked away from us without a word. Sakamaki came up to us, red-faced and angry. "This is God's temple! Christians do not eat in God's temple!"

We thought that the events of the day before had only increased Sakamaki's self-righteous attitude. During the day's walk he got upset at Sandy for walking too close to him. He made her walk the required distance behind. We really needed the meeting planned for tomorrow night.

Many people attended the interfaith service. I gave my usual speech. But I added a few extra words to try to reconcile the differences developing among us. After the service, we had supper at the priest's house. The people of the parish had cooked a tremendous meal. Only about half a dozen other people were at the supper and this was a relaxed meal. No speeches. No interviews.

Doug sat at a table with Morishita and Nagase. Morishita said that "we sit together." The "we" meant the monks. This was such an uncharacteristic statement from Morishita that Doug did not immediately understand what he meant. After he understood, he waited for an opportune time to get up and leave. During this time, there was complete silence at the table.

Mercury did not walk with us today, because he felt weak, and had a fever. He still had the fever when we got back to the church. We thought he would rest better at Doug's house, so invited Carole and him to spend the night there. Linda McGloin gave us a ride home, and when we got there we talked for several hours about the division within the walk and what to do about it. We came up with no satisfactory solutions. go to page32