A Night To Remember

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Okay... here's the scoop on the show. First of all, it was strange for me because it was held at the Radisson resort hotel where I worked as the Security Director just before I came back to the government almost three years ago. I knew all about the place and where the show would be held and all that... so it was kind of cool.

My daughters Anna (whom you met the other day) and Rachel were dressed in their best stuff:



















We arrived plenty early, even though we had reserved seats in the second row (okay, ALMOST front row!). The show started with the local morning show guys, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty. They are pretty funny guys and pretty Conservative, too. They did about fifteen minutes or so and then they introduced THE MAN. Highly decorated Vietnam combat Marine veteran and all-around American hero, Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North! It was spectacular.

Colonel North completely held the crowd in his hand. I've rarely seen an audience respond to a speaker like this... laughing, crying, applauding... all when he willed it. I can not possibly say enough about how motivating his speech was. Beyond awesome. I later heard many people remark that they were very pleasantly surprised at how thoroughly they enjoyed the Colonel's words... and/or that they had no idea he was so interesting. These were mainly Hannity fans who were probably not overly familiar with Colonel North, so I forgive them for their ignorance.

Here is a collage of pictures of the good Colonel. (Disclaimer: I brought the wrong camera and so my photos of the evening leave a lot to be desired.)











Then Armstrong and Getty came back out and introduced an Air Force honor detail who did an absolutely stunning and riveting tribute to our flag. They displayed military bearing that, quite honestly, I had not thought Airmen capable of. I told them afterwards that I was very, very proud of them and that it had motivated me tremendously.

Then came Sean Hannity. His part was pretty good, but seemed a bit canned... almost like he was phoning it in. He did one sketch with a guy that does celebrity/politician voices... and that was hysterical. Overall, though, Sean's part was a bit of a let down. We all felt that way. It was fun to see him in person and all, but something was not quite as we expected. TJ and I were discussing it and she thinks that maybe he is just spreading himself too thin lately or something. He was in and out in just over half an hour or so... and he did not hang around after to sign stuff and shake hands, etc. Pretty disappointing.

Here is a collage of Sean pics.









Now comes the highlight. It was announced that Colonel North would be staying to sign copies of his new book. The line was formidable, indeed... several hundred people. Like a rock, though, the Colonel was standing on a little podium signing and greeting. His assistant came through the line and informed us that the Colonel could not personalize- he could only sign. This was due to the very large crowd. We waited for a long, long time and finally it was our turn.

I said exactly what I wanted to say to him. "Good evening, Colonel North, Sir. Gunnery Sergeant KMG, USMC, Retired. It is my ultimate pleasure to meet you, Sir."

Colonel North looked up at me and smiled. Gesturing me next to him with a wave of the hand so that our shoulders were touching, he whispered conspiratorially to me, "What's your first name, Gunny? And whisper it, I'm not supposed to personalize."

Although a bit shocked, I responded immediately and he proceeded to sign my book thusly:





















After that, he put down his pen and, ignoring the crowd and the sense of urgency his staff was trying to convey, he looked down at my daughter Anna and smiled. She extended her hand and said, "Hello, my name is Anna." (I was very proud of her manners!)

The Colonel shook her hand and then the greeting was repeated with my daughter Rachel, of whom I was also very proud. Then again with TJ. The Colonel then insulted me by saying that he was very glad to see that the girls did not take after me.

Here is a picture that I won't ever be far away from (gotta love that smile on my face, eh?):




















This man was a class act and a real human being. Although I knew all that going in, it was a very pleasant thing to have it proved out in person. For those few minutes, my family and I were the only people in the world to him. That was awesome. He then said, "Semper Fi, Gunny!" and patted my arm as I walked away.

Again, I'm not much for hero-worship... but this man-- this Marine-- is a living, breathing legend.

So, there culminated one of the best nights of my life.

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