The Midnight Sun

The door slammed and in walked Dad after a long day at work that began before I woke up.  His customary "hello honey" and Mom's "hi sweetheart" would echoe through the house.  The smell of dinner was running through the house and I remember it being chicken.  That smell stays with you forever and to this day I make the same recipe and the memories always tug at me.

I was in the family room and it was a sunken room that was always a different temperature so you knew it was a garage in its former life.  My feet were up on the modern slate and chrome table and the "tube" was on.  Dad opened the door and stood at the stairs and asked where Mom was and he skipped down the stairs and plopped right down next to me. 

Mom came down the steps and Dad said he had a surprise.  Dad was working at the Defense Department and we never went on long vacations so this was a surprise.  It turned out that Dad's new boss enjoyed having his staff's family tag along for some of the international trips and Dad was bring good news about a fun couple of weeks abroad for a NATO Conference.  At the time I had no idea what that meant, but all I knew is we were headed somewhere cool.

Norway is a place that I had to look for on the globe and when I found it I got a shiver as I read about it in my Encyclopedia Brittanica which was my Google search at the time.  (I religiously read my EB every-night before bed)  It was full of snow capped mountains and everything winter-olympics about it and being a lover of warm weather it was a shocker. 

We rolled through the gates at Andrews Air Force Base and we cruised through a gate right onto the tarmac where the Boeing the big 707 was waiting for us.  It was a light blue bottom that wrapped the nose of the airplane and it read United States of America across the top.  I had seen a plane like this on TV and I found out that it had been JFK's Air Force One.

Standing on the tarmac it was really loud and windy and you could not hear anything and you had to rely on hand signals for direction.  Looking around an gazing at this awesome plane with United States of America was incredible.  I caught a hand gesture pointing to the mobile stairs and we all started scaling the 30 steps to board.  At the top of the stairs I looked back and it was so neat seeing all the people looking at us.  As we entered the plane a steward with a blue vest with a DoD insignia on it guided us to our seats and explained all the amenities on board.  

We all took our seats and when the Secretary of Defense boarded the aircraft he stood where everyone could see him and he announced how happy he was to have us on-board for the NATO Trip and how important it was for all of us to represent he United States in a very diplomatic way.  It was a way to tell grownups to be good.  The main cabin door closed and the Captain came over the intercom and asked all of us to relax and enjoy the flight with explicit instructions for Tommy Schlesinger and myself to come up to the cockpit after the Captain gave the signal.  This where a simple flight turned into a story I would tell for the rest of my years.  

I had a window seat and watched as we barreled down the runway and a rush of adrenalin came over me and before I knew it we were airborne an cruising to Norway.  10 minutes later the Captain came over the intercom and told Tommy and myself to come forward.  We walked through a conference room and there was the door to the cockpit.  It was open and we were escorted in and you could see all the dials and lights and then the world as it is see from a plane at 30,000 feet.  You are looking ahead and I had never seen the world above the clouds like this before.  The Captain turned and asked if we would like to stay a while and watch them fly the plane and I was hooked.  After about 2 hours I went to the bathroom and when I re-entered a couple of Air Force F-4 Phantoms appeared as escorts as we flew over Greenland.  It was the coolest thing I had ever seen or experienced and I will never forget it.

While in flight I learned a lot  about Norway and we were fling into a Northern City called Boda.  We came in low over the water and the boulders on the rocky shoreline raced by as we got close to the runway.  It was light out, but almost mid-night.  The midnight sun they called it.  Being North of the Arctic Circle in the Summer the sun is visible 24 hours a day so this was going to really be weird.

The first couple of days was filled with dignitary and diplomatic stuff.  There were not that many kids on the trip so that helped Tommy and I get into a little trouble.  Tommy's little Sister Clara was with us also and she had more sense than us, but she also took part in some of the fun.  

Our second stop was in the city of Bergen and were put up in a high rise building reserved for the students of the local university.  We were part of a military delegation and the Norwegian soldiers were everywhere guarding us and this is where Tommy and I thought it would be funny to drop two handfulls of pennies down the the 17 story staircase.  At the bottom of the staircase were 5 fully armed Norwegian Commandos guarding the entrance to the main lobby.  Clara hid at the bottom of the staircase 17 floors below and Tommy and I each had a handful of pennies above.  I remember looking at Tommy and then the go ahead signal.  We opened our hands and the pennies began to fall through the 3 foot stairwell and when the fist penny hit 40 more followed and it sounded like a machine gun of money and it echoed through the vertical hallway.  Al I remember is running down the hallway and slipping in the room out of breath.  Tommy and I began to laugh and then the shit hot the fan.  Evidently the soldiers did not like our little prank and this is where we got into trouble the first time.  I remember we were asked to go to Secretary Schlesingers room for a talking to.  After getting the lecture of a lifetime Tommy and I had our own Secret Service agent assigned to us...and this is where the fun really began.  

More to follow...

Another Father's Day

It has been over 15 years since I had my children with me for Father's Day and I have not had the pleasure of enjoying a morning where the kids jump on the bed and scream "Happy Father's Day!"  All I remember was when I used todo that with my Father.  I so much wanted to have the same experiences with my kids, but it was not going to be and now that the girls are older the communication has become a bit better, but there is nothing better than having ALL of my kids with me especially on a day earmarked for a guy like me.

I love being a Dad and that is what drives me to be better every day that I breathe.  Like a teacher you never know how you did until one day when you never expect and then you get the word.  I want my kids to just think about me sometimes and just knowing that makes me feel good, but sometimes when you need to hear it most it never comes...but that is what Dad's have to deal with.

My Father was missing quite a bit when I was a kid, but when it was his birthday or Father's Day I would be all over him as if it was the best day ever.  Dad was not a physical Dad...not a lot of hugging or kissing, but toward the end of his long life he began to hug harder and longer and I remember every embrace including the last one I had with him.  The energy and felling that resulted from that last hug got me through so much moving ahead without him.  The feeling never leaves and actually becomes a source of strength for me when things are not so great.

To all the Father's out there...love your kids...hug them and tell them how much you appreciate them and I can guarantee a kid that knows their Dad can express themselves makes a difference in how they will approach you.  Love is not a vulnerability, but a submission of oneself to another and I truly believe I have made my children realize that a man can has emotion while still being the pillar of the family.

Being a Father is the most incredible accomplishment of my entire life.

When a friend dies...

The last couple of weeks have been very tough and it has everything to do with surprise and the unfortunate and sudden passing of a life-long friend of mine this last week.  Rather than keep my friend anonymous his name is John Bragale.

John and I grew up in the same neighborhood and we had different friends until our paths collided as teen-agers and we remained friends.  We would see other socially every now and then and of course he was my realtor.

Although I have had a few friends over the years pass away this one affected me more personally than I thought it would.  I followed the funeral procession in a heavy rain storm and we got to the graveside it was cold and muddy.  everyone was huddled together to say a few words and then to begin casting dirt into the grave.

The cold wet feeling that day has made me think about John being gone in that grave...not breathing...no emotion...lifeless...and cold.  To think my friend is 6 feet under the ground just makes me think way too much.  Just the other day it was a beautiful day out and I began to think about the beautiful day that John is missing, but at least it is not raining.  I think of John as if he is still alive.

I miss my friend and all of his traits linger in my head only to share internally with me.  I guess I am still processing everything, but at least I know that I am normal.  As trivial as it sounds this event really woke me up.  I need to be more vigilant about all aspects of my life and the one part I need to really take care of is...learn to live.

History of the Challenge Coin

Although it is tough to definitively know why and when the challenge coin tradition actually began its true origins stem from the ancient Roman times when soldiers were rewarded with specialty minted coins from the Legion for valor in battle. 

It was said that the modern military started using the challenge coin in WWI when a wealthy Lieutenant ordered medallions struck in bronze and presented them to his unit.  One young pilot placed the medallion in a small leather pouch that he wore about his neck. 

After acquiring the medallion this young pilot was shot down behind enemy lines and was captured by a German patrol.  After being stripped of all his identification minus the leather pouch the young airman escaped during an air raid and took off into the French countryside where he stumbled upon a French outpost that was in place to capture German saboteurs wearing civilian clothing.  Not recognizing his American accent the French prepared this young pilot for execution when a one of the French captors recognized the squadron insignia on the coin and delayed his demise long enough for them to confirm his identity…rather than kill him they opened a bottle of wine and shared it with him.

After this story became known all the pilots were required to wear a medallion for identification…a crude type of dog tag if you will. 

In WWII German infiltrators were known to swap uniforms with dead American soldiers and the only way to confirm that a man was with a particular unit was to present the Unit Coin.  When a coin was presented a similar coin was also presented.  No coin and they would be denied and held for questioning.  This is the first form of two-factor authentication in the crudest way.

Today the Commanders utilize them for on the spot awards for those in their service, and the coins are often used as a heartfelt expression of gratitude.  Challenge coins in this context are often handed off during a firm handshake.  The coins are often used to identify the bearer as a member of a particular group, and in the bars the world over, the coins are used to issue challenges to fellow members and they must display their coin, or be forced to buy a round of drinks for the group. 

To all of our Veterans out there I wish I had a Challenge Coin for all of you because you deserve it.  All of us at Thursby want to thank you all for your tireless service to your country.

Growing up with a White House Level Father

I was 17 when I realized that I actually was leading a pretty privileged lifestyle considering we did not have much money, because when you have a Father that works at the White House level for 25+ years the access and network is like no other.  The power that is wielded at that level is incredibly intimidating, but my Father knew how to leverage it to his advantage for the family.  We were always going places that were strictly reserved for Government VIP's and the treatment was awesome...

The Spring break had ended and my assignment about what I did was due when I arrived back at school.  The car pool let me off and my first class was English and I turned in my essay titled "My Northern Exposure"...Dad helped me with the title.  That evening the phone rang and it was my teacher Ms. Anne.  My Mom's ear was pressed against the phone and I watched her expression change as the voice rambled on until she went from puzzled to understanding what was being said to a big long smile and she said...hold on let me get my husband.  Dad picks up the phone and goes through the same expression count with the exception of the last one which was one of power and slight arrogance.  "Honey...where are you from?"  She replied Alabama and my Father asked her if you ever took a look at her class list compared with the senior leadership of federal government...there was a pause and then my Father answered yes what I wrote was real.

The one perk we had was tagging along with Dad on some business related trips and it so happens I had to write about one of them for a class assignment and that is when I realized things were a bit different.  NATO was in full motion during the 1970's and the Cold War was hot so when Dad had to go to a NATO Conference Norway was our destination and with the Secretary of Defense on Board we got the royal military treatment from Air Force 2 to motorcades and staying at the American Embassy.  All the kids were between 8 to 17 and there were about 15 kids on the trip me being one of them.  I learned how to evade a Secret Service Details, almost get shot by friendly fire and experience the trip from the cockpit of Air Force 2...the same plane JFK flew to that fateful day in Dallas.

After my teacher read my account of what happened over the last week she called the house to let my parents know that the essay had to be fictional...and that is when she finally graduated from transplanted teacher from Alabama to seasoned veteran teacher living in the most powerful city in the world.  She was changed especially when I came back the next day.  She treated all the kids a bit differently after she researched most of the parents...quite funny, but very true.

Losing a Secret Service Detail is not hard especially when you are on a big PT Boat riding up a Fiorde in Norway.  It was misty and in the 40's so we were all on deck looking at the beautiful vertical green walls of the canyons surrounding us while we motored through the crisp clean water.  The boat was a Norwegian Military Vessel and we were running through the ship weaving in and out of men wearing sailor outfits while a plain clothed guy with a really wrinkled Columbo overcoat moved quickly behind us while trying to be discreet...we lost him until we voluntarily emerged from the sea of people on deck and he looked relieved.

The Penny incident really changed the trip, but none the less made things a bit dicey for Dad and the Secretary.  Our second day was spent in a large 18 story dormitory in Bergen.  My friend Tommy and I were a bot bored and really enjoyed pushing the envelope of our youth on those who were not familiar with our type of mischief.  Never drop 100 pennies down a stairway shaft being guarded by NATO soldiers with machine guns.  Tommy and I got the wrath of hell, but we ended up behaving the rest of the trip.

The memory that I cherish the most was flight time in Air Force Two.  At the time I had no idea what this plane was all about and just relished in the idea that you could order anything we wanted to eat or drink while aboard the aircraft.  To me that was cool, but not understanding what this planes place in history was I would have paid more attention to detail.  This plane was deemed Air Force Two because of the rank of the Senior Executive aboard.  Air Force One is reserved for President only and any aircraft he boards maintains the "call sign" Air Force One.  This Boeing 707 was the actual plane that JFK took to Dallas on that fateful day in 1963.  I learned this long after the actual trip and it now has become a bit creepy to think about.

This is just one of the various memories I have growing up in Bethesda.  More to come...

5 STEPS TO KEEP YOUR COMMUNICATION GOING!!!

BE PREPARED!!!

5 Steps / Tips to stay on line while you have no power!

1. Get Tethering / Hotspot feature on your cell phone
2. Make sure your car has a full tank of gas & good battery
3. A car cell-phone charger 
4. Get an AC/DC converter for the car for the laptop & iPad
5. Hands free device

All of these steps will allow you to have Internet access for all the people in your house if the power is out. If you leave your car idling make sure your hands free device is on just in case someone calls you.

Although this is a bit crude it does work and if you want to keep working and keep in touch with what is going on while the power is out this is how to do it.

The Real Memorial Day

Growing up in DC with a father that was a former war correspondent in WWII was very full of stories of a generation that rarely spoke of the horrors they witnessed in the Pacific and in Europe.  Fighting on two fronts with very different battlefields must have been

My Father was out to dinner with his best friend Bob Ruben when my Dad pulled a letter from his inside breast pocket and it was a telegram telling him to report for jump school before his next assignment.  Bob smiled and knew exactly what my Dad was up to.  Bob knew my Dad was afraid of heights and this assignment was not going to happen.  After a nice dinner Bob agreed to swap assignments.  Bob would jump over Normandy on June 6th 1944 with the 101st Airborne.  He trained with the division so he could do the jump as a journalist. He wrote a book about it and I have it as an unpublished piece of military history.

Soon after Bob took off for Europe Dad headed to the Pacific where he joined up with the Reuters Team in the Philippians.   They would always deploy with docking ships and head to the battles as they happened.  It turns out that if you have a case of CuttySark you have quite a bit of influence in the field.  It was not uncommon for my Dad to draw a great battle to cover.  Back then you would just travel with a unit for as long as you could.  The ships were slow and the battles were incredibly violent...seeing men die was not something my Dad really wrote about due to the censors and he just did not like talking about it.  I do recall Dad telling me about the Nuremberg Trials...as  Jew he took a tour of the camps and he told me it almost broke him.  To think that people did this to other people...he could not clearly write about it because it was so insanely cruel that words really could not give it justice.

Today is Memorial Day and Dad has been gone for over 10 years now.  This weekend always makes me think of those who have fallen and all the stories about the greatest generation.  WWII was a romantic war according to some, but war is war.  The unity of the world against a common foe was the difference.  Religion was not the driver, but world domination by another was.

Please pause for a minute everyday and remember that there are men and women overseas and here in the states doing what they can to protect us Americans from all those enemies foreign and domestic.  Americans are hard to define...where are a bot of all on this great earth.  Lets please all get along.

I was born on May 30th...the real Memorial Day and my Dad was proud for a few reasons.  How fitting.



Peter