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STARS FOR STRIPES RECOGNIZED BY PRESIDENT
BUSH
March 9th – Washington, D.C. – President Bush
I don’t
usually write Road Reports from my U.S. trips but this one is SPECIAL. I’m
in D.C. to meet with President Bush.
For 3 days, I have been glued to the weather channel. I booked a direct
flight but it was on a little jet…which I HATE to fly. Nashville was
expecting severe thunderstorms and I was convinced my flight would be
cancelled. The storms held off until after we departed but the winds were
at 30 miles an hour when we took off. It was horrible. The plane was all
over the place. I was sitting on the side where there is only one seat
almost right over the wing. What a nightmare. And, they are predicting
storms again for Saturday when I fly home. I’m checking into renting a car
and driving!
A pilot who flew me last year on the Private Military C-40 (45 first class
seats – woo-hoo!) picked me up at the airport and took me to my hotel. We
have remained friends for almost a year now and he was hoping to fly Charlie
back to Iraq this April. Unfortunately, we lost our “pull” to get the
private jet and have to fly commercial to Frankfurt and then a C-17 into
Kuwait/Iraq this year. Dropped me off at the hotel and I answered email for
two hours. Then he picked me up and took me out to dinner. I let him pick
the restaurant and we went to one near the Capitol called “Bullfeathers”.
The food was really good but it was packed and very loud. I had to yell at
him to be heard. But we managed to somewhat “catch up” on what’s been going
on since we last saw each other. Back to the hotel and several more hours
of answering emails.
I met President Bush and Lara in Osan, Korea in 2002 (got his Presidential
coin – still in the cellophane wrapping!) but that was “on my turf” –
backstage in an airplane hangar with Chely Wright. This meeting is going to
take place in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. He invited a total of
15 people to meet with him so he can thank us for what we do for our
military. It should be the other way around. We need to be thanking him
for standing up and doing what is right for America. I know how our men and
women in the military feel about him and I have the utmost respect for him
because of the hard decisions he has to make to keep America free. And I
know what the people of Iraq and Afghanistan think of him and how much they
appreciate his courage in making these hard decisions for their freedom.
Going jogging with my buddy from NW airlines early tomorrow morning. Hope
it isn’t raining! LOVE running around the monuments and the tidal basin.
Jude
Friday, March
10th – A day to Remember!
I am
struggling to write this because it was such an amazing experience. I don’t
want to forget anything and I know I will. But, here goes.
Got up early for my jog with my buddy from NW airlines. The weather could
not have been more beautiful. It was 63 degrees at 6 am! He is a marathon
runner and I am a jogger. So he had to really slow down for me. He has to
run with a knee brace. Wish I had one of those so I could blame my “speed”
(or lack of speed) on that. It was hard to run and talk and breath at the
same time. But, it was an awesome run. We went around the White House and
down to the monuments, then around the tidal basin and back..about 5 miles
in 50 minutes. Just the stress reliever I needed before the meeting with
President Bush.
Came back to the hotel and answered email, then showered and starting
getting dressed. Decided to take a taxi the few blocks to the White House
because I knew how bad my feet would be hurting by the end of the day in
those 4 inch spike heels. I put them on as soon as I got back to the room
to try and “break them in”, but it didn’t help. Taxi dropped me off as
close as possible to the gate but I still had to walk a ways. I noticed
that my new skirt was way too tight and realized the back pleat was still
sewn together. Had to rip it apart so I could walk.
We all congregated outside the Gate with the America Supports You staff.
Then people that I knew started coming in. There was a lady from the Armed
Forces Foundation who is a friend of mine and I met some more people with
the Fisher House. A guy asked me where I was from (I’m SURE my accent
didn’t give me away) and he turned out to be a soldier that I met in Iraq in
July of 2004 – Chuck Larson. I definitely remembered meeting him at
Anaconda which is amazing considering the thousands of soldiers
(airmen/women, marines, navy, etc., etc.) that I meet each trip. We had a
great time “catching up”. Also saw a lady that I had met at a meeting with
America Supports you last December. Definitely put me more at ease to know
there were “friends” with me.
When we got inside the White House, our escort told us that we were NOT
going to meet President Bush in the Roosevelt Room. He said that the
President insisted on meeting us in the Oval Office and that Laura would be
with him. We had to leave our purses, bags, etc., outside and couldn’t have
anything in our hands which totally blew my idea of “coining” him when I
shook his hand. L
We were lined up in
alphabetical order and walked through and introduced ourselves and told our
organization and where we were from. When I said Nashville, TN, he
responded, “What a wonderful place. I just love Nashville”. We all
gathered around him and Laura for a group photo and they let a “herd” of
photographers come inside and snap about a hundred photos in 2 minutes.
Then they ushered them out and it was just us and President and Mrs. Bush.
He asked us all to sit down and then he started talking. He was so relaxed
and so approachable. About 5 minutes into his speech, the outside door
opened and closed…all by itself! He never missed a beat…just said, “Oh that
was Lincoln” and kept talking. Then he said, “Not long after I got to the
White House, someone asked me if I had met Lincoln’s ghost. I told them no
that I had quit drinking 20 years ago”. He was witty and articulate and
didn’t blow any “lines” until near the end of his speech. We were allowed
to comment and ask questions but it was very informal and comfortable. He
maintained constant eye contact and that speaks volumes about a person’s
truthfulness in my opinion. Laura only got in about two sentences.
What impressed me the most and what I needed to hear is that he is focused
and committed and unwavering in his belief that he is doing what is right
and best for America. He said that if he truly believed we could not win
this war, that he would bring our boys and girls home. He has the courage
to stand up for his beliefs and that my friends, is the type of President I
want leading our country. Unlike so many of the other 14 people attending,
I am fortunate enough to be able to go to Iraq and Afghanistan regularly. I
get to talk to the troops and talk to the locals and get first hand
information on the progress we are making. President Bush reiterated so
many things that I already had information on but the others in the room did
not know. I think that he probably motivated everyone there for the next
20 years or so! He spent an hour with us and it seemed like 5 minutes.
And yes, John, as we were leaving, I whispered, “our mutual friend John
Vigiano told me to say hello”. He says hello to you, too!
After our meeting with him, we went outside to the “sticks”…the rows of
microphones where you see all the media on tv. We all had to give our names
and organizations and say a short sentence. Just what I LOVE to do…talk to
the press. NOT!!! We then went to meet with the America Supports You staff
to “recap” the meeting with the President and to thank them for arranging
this visit. They took everyone into the White House Gift Shop so they could
buy some souvenirs of the visit. I think I already have everything they had
available! We were all walking down the hallway to the exit and this guy
in a suit says, “JUDY!” and grabs me in a bear hug. It was a guy that I met
in NYC during CMA week who is the Assistant Director of the Advance Team for
President Bush (soon to be the DIRECTOR). I’m supposed to see him when I
come back next week. It was a shock for someone in the White House to
recognize me.
At 4 o’clock we left the White House. There was a guy sitting on the curb
at the exit and I offered him $100 for his tennis shoes. He just looked at
me like I was crazy. Why do women wear 4 inch spike heels with pointed
toes? It was brutal. The ultimate sacrifice for my country!
J
Got back to the
hotel and answered a few emails and called friends and family to tell them
about the visit. Then I had dinner with my friend who was a Commander in
Iraq in 2004. Took him to Old Ebbitt Grill because he had never been
there. The food was superb, as usual.
Thankfully the weather is going to be great tomorrow and I won’t have to
worry about turbulence. Will be coming BACK to D.C. in one week for more
meetings.
I am much too pumped up to sleep tonight. And, I’m wondering what I forgot
to tell you about today’s meeting already….
Jude |
