11/10/2018
From a blog post, talking about a performance yesterday.
Happy Veterans Day, and sincerest thanks to all of you out there who have served! We appreciate you more than you know!
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SO the crowd came in and filled the room. I'd noticed a few Navy shirts on some of the men, so after the first number, Hey Good Lookin', I asked if there were any veterans in our audience, and about 8 hands went up. I thanked them sincerely for their service, and the audience applauded them loudly. Then one gentleman asked if he could tell us a story. I said of COURSE. He was on a patrol boat that circled the USS Missouri to watch for Japanese activity as Imperial Japan surrendered. His description, from the rows and rows of dress whites, the loud droning of the bombers flying over in unending streams, put us right there and had us spellbound. It was living history.
And in the crazy, small-world file, he pointed to a gentleman in the front row - he was the pilot of one of those bombers overhead, and they never met or knew each other till they moved in two years ago!
The first gentleman, and darn me, I can't remember his name right now - he was tall, tanned, fit, nice head of white hear, and had a handshake that just bout crushed the bones of my pcik hand. And - he is 98 years old!!!
My job is full of surprises and rewards!
