TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8-9, 2024 – TRAVELING TO POLAND:
Leaving today with Matt Scannell (Vertical Horizon) ad Vinnie Montez (cop/comedian) for shows at 4 military bases throughout Poland all compliments of The Gary Sinise Foundation! Vinnie flies roundtrip Denver and the rest of us are out of Nashville. For once, I didn’t have a super early morning departure. Had to be at the airport at 9:30 am. But I still only got 2 hours sleep that night. Vinnie had to be there for a 6 am fight though. UGH!
Vinnie left on time and I told him to go to the First Class Lounge at JFK for his 5 hour layover. We all arrived on time but once again, my TSA pre-check number did not print on my boarding pass. This time I finally got to the bottom of the reason why and it was totally our fault. The numbers had been transposed on the form we were sending to the travel agent!
We had a few minutes in the lounge and then left on time. The Delta aircraft we were on did not have Wi-Fi. I couldn’t believe they are still flying planes without that capability. That was a big blow to my “work” plans.
Landed JFK on time and went to the Lounge to meet up with Vinnie. Matt immediately booked a “shower” and convinced Vinnie to do so as well. No, they did not need a shower as they had both just showered before our flights this morning. Matt just convinced him to do it “because they could”. Matt also made use of the “chair massage”. LOL
I found one of the empty little “telephone” booth looking cubicles and was able to work for about an hour. I decided to eat in the lounge so I could immediately go to sleep on the flight. The grilled salmon and brussels sprouts were some of the best I’ve ever eaten!
The flight boarded on time and that was the second surprise. It’s the smallest Delta Airlines First Class Cabin I have ever flown in. Tiny, narrow seats and zero storage space. This aircraft is even smaller than the SAS flights. Big difference from the amazing Qatar Airlines jets from JFK to Doha.
I answered some emails while waiting for take off and then immediately fell asleep for 4 whole hours. Worked for about 2 hours before breakfast was served. We landed on time and all our bags arrived with us. Sebastian was waiting for us with the Sprinter Van and he decided to try to find parking downtown rather than parking at the airport. He found a great spot near the huge TV Tower. That was our first stop – to go to the top of the tower. The view was spectacular from up there. After that we walked a long way, stopping to take photos along the walk, to the Bradenburg Gate. It is the 35th Anniversary of the Wall coming down between East and West Germany. It is also the “Festival of Light” where artwork is projected on famous buildings in Berlin. The last night of that event is Sunday night when we return to spend the night at the hotel near the airport and fly home on Monday.
We walked back towards the van and found a really good restaurant for a late lunch. Unfortunately, they only had Pork Schnitzel – no veal schnitzel. Vinnie and James tried it and said it was good. Matt and I had the Currywurst which was excellent. We finished with apple strudel which was amazing, too.
Sebastian drove us to “Check Point Charlie” — the most famous tourist destination in Berlin — for our obligatory photos. Then it was about a 3 ½ hour drive to our hotel – the Slonowice Palace in Brzezno. We made one quick stop along the way for bottled water and to fill up with gas. That was a challenge since no one understood English and Google translate did not seem to impress them. I asked which water had “no gas” and he pointed out a bottle which I purchased and of course found out when I opened it that it does have gas.
The hotel is nice only there are no elevators and “first floor” does not mean “ground floor”. We had to carry our really heavy bags up stairs to the hotel lobby and then up another set to our rooms. The nice man at the reception helped me with mine. The hotel had held dinner for us until we arrived. There were two choices – pork schnitzel or perogies. We opted for a salad and the perogies.
When I got in my room, I locked the door from the inside with my key and then realized that I could not unlock it. It had been hard to open from the outside but impossible to open from the inside. I called Sebastian and he finally figured out that I could slide my key under the door to him. He tried and finally got it open. He tried opening it from my side of the door as well and it would not work. He went downstairs to get the hotel manager who also could not get the key to work. He switched out the lock on the door very quickly and I was able to lock and unlock it.
I settled in to get some work done only to find the WiFi not working. So, another hike back down the stairs to talk to the manager. He said they were having electrical problems and the WiFi kept going out. It finally came up but just as quickly went down again. I ended up using my T-Mobile Hot Spot because fortunately I do have cell phone service.
I can’t download any of my photos so I can’t post them because the WiFi won’t stay on long enough for me to do so. Doubt that it’s going to be any better tomorrow at the base. Sebastian said the men and women serving are between 18 and 25 years of age and on a 9 month deployment. They are here to train the Ukranian soldiers. He was stationed at Kosovo and said that is what the bases we will be visiting reminds him of. I was in Kosovo many times so know what to expect. Only one base of the 4 has “hard structures” and a tiny exchange. All the others will have tents for lodging, the DFAC, “offices” etc. We definitely made the right choice to come here and bring some love on behalf of Gary and the Foundation.
It’s 12:30 am and I’m so frustrated with the Wi-Fi that I’m closing down and going to bed. Not going to whine because I’m sleeping in a nice hotel room and I’m only here for less than a week rather than 9 months like our military.
Jude
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10TH – FIRST SHOW AT DCTC (DRAWSKO COMBAT TRAINING CENTER):
Our lobby call wasn’t until noon today so I had time to work out with my “bands” and get a little work done before departing. I have a “kettle” in my room and was going to heat water and make my “Half-Caf” coffee. Only when I looked inside the kettle, it was beyond “funky”. I think things are “growing” in it! So, no coffee for me this morning.
I forgot to mention something in yesterday’s Road Report. We were driving down what we though was a 4 lane road when Vinnie freaked out because he saw a lady walking down the middle of the road with roses in her arms. She was obviously selling them. Sebastian said we were on a “city street”, not a 4 lane major highway. Could have fooled us. There were dozens of cars parked along the sides of the road and woods all around us. Sebastian said people are hunting for mushrooms because a certain type are so good to eat! Then we noticed two females dressed very provocatively and sitting beside the road. Sebastian said that prostitution is legal here and that they had a trailer back in the woods for their “customers”!
We departed on time and the road to the base is a tiny 2 lane road and the bumpiest ever! Every time we met a car coming from the other direction, everyone panicked. Sebastian is a great driver and we made it safely to the base.
Believe it or not, we now have TEN bases in Poland with many of those becoming “permanent”. The base today is “semi-permanent” with some “hard buildings” but more tents than hard structures. Our first stop was the DFAC with LTC Thompson. He was super nice and we enjoyed talking with him. The food was surprisingly good for this location.
After lunch we made a brief stop by the MWR Tent where the show will be held. It’s a nice room and Frank and Tamina had everything set up for us. We didn’t have time to do a sound check as we had to go visit with several different units. We met with the MP’s, postal employees, leadership, Human Resources and a huge Battalion who were being instructed on “what not to do” in the neighboring town this weekend when they are “off” work.
We went back to the venue for a quick sound check and then back to the DFAC to have dinner. The men and women work 16 hour shifts! Everyone we met was so nice. Lots of people here from Ft. Bliss, TX, Ft. Hood, Texas, and Fort Carson, Colorado (where Vinnie is from!) plus a smattering of folks from North and South Carolina and Michigan.
There is a Polish Camp right beside our U.S. Camp and they have all kinds of “food” places. Apparently our men and women occasionally go there to eat instead of the DFAC.
We started the show a few minutes late to give folks time to get there. It was a FANTASTIC show. Everyone who attended said it was a great show. We impacted 489 people with our visit today! So many people came up to us and told us they had seen Gary perform at various places in the U.S. and overseas. They were so impressed that he would send them entertainment while they are deployed to Poland!
The drive home was a little less frightening since there was less traffic on the road at 11 pm than noon. Once we arrived back at the hotel, Sebastian told us to look at the sky with our iPhone camera. The Northern Lights were out! Seriously, I’ve chased them all over Alaska and Norway for decades and never once seen them. Who would have guessed I would see them in Poland of all places?
The nice owner of the hotel had changed the lock on my door and left my key hanging in the door. But, the WiFi still was not working. So, he gave me his cell phone and turned on the hotspot. So far, so good!
But…when I got ready to take my shower, there was NO hot water. Welcome to Poland. LOL. The electricity just flickered off twice so I guess that’s my sign to go to bed!
Jude
FRIDAY – OCTOBER 11TH, 2024 – PERFORMANCE IN POWIDZ, POLAND:
Two and a half hours of sleep is definitely not nearly enough. Made it down to breakfast before we departed. The nice manager of the hotel was nowhere to be found. Jasmine was trying to check out because she wanted to get to the base before us. He finally showed up and I had him make copies of my bill so I could pay for all the rooms. We departed a few minutes after 9 am and it was definitely a “rough ride”. Narrow road but an unbelievable amount of bumps. We made one stop for gas and I was hoping to buy a ginger ale to calm my stomach but no such luck!
We had to go straight to the base because leadership was waiting for us. Sebastian said he always has trouble getting on this base but for some reason, it was smooth as could be. We met the Colonel and a “female Command Sargeant Major” (same thing at yesterday’s base!) and they are so nice. Then we left the Army side of the base and drove over to the Air Force Side. We were able to tour the drones (one named The Gray Eagle), Apache helicopters, and black hawk helicopters. The guys got into the aircraft and it was a “site to see” watching Vinnie and Matt get into the Apache. Vinnie said we were going to need to run get some Crisco to get him out of the chopper. While we were there, we heard sirens and Vinnie immediately went into “Cop” mode and wanted to know what was going on and if he could help. No one was able to tell us what was happening.
We are performing in the MWR facility again. Frank was there setting up but Tamina had been denied access. For some reason her clearance form did not get processed and she had forgotten to bring her permanent pass. Jasmine worked very hard to get her cleared and she spent most of the day waiting but she was never able to get on. Frank did fine handling the show on his own though I’m sure he missed her assistance.
Matt and Vinnie did a short sound check. This time we have an actual “Green Room” – not a little corner by the stage like last night. Never realized a Green Room/Dressing Room was such a luxury, but it is. But, hey, we make the best of what is available.
We walked over to the base exchange and I purchased gloves because the temperature has dropped considerably. Then we headed to the DFAC for dinner but it hadn’t opened yet so we walked into a building to meet some more people. There was a bunch of soldiers trying to carry this huge “case” up some stairs. Vinnie immediately jumped in to help. We found out the cases are filled with guns and are being prepped to take home with the soldiers departing next week. Vinnie said it was so HEAVY….and there were dozens of cases that had to be carried up the stairs. There were “small” women carrying the cases as well.
I didn’t like the DFAC food here as much as the base yesterday. But maybe I just got the wrong thing. The people who got a hamburger said it was great. I tried the Chicken Kiev but it had cooked too long. I went back for the Vegetarian Lasagna and it was good.
We had about an hour after dinner and before show time so Matt and Vinnie finished signing the Autograph Cards and I worked for an hour. The crowd tonight wasn’t as rowdy as last nights so they had to work harder to make them laugh and sing along. But everyone did and had a great time. Everyone in the Meet and Greet line was talking about how much they enjoyed the show. I met an amazing young man and spent quite a long time with him after the show just listening to his story. He’s been through so much and I can’t help but think that God put us at the right place at the right time to make a difference in his life.
We did find out that the sirens today were for a medical emergency but that the soldier is doing fine now.
Another “SPECIAL” visit with our men and women serving – all thanks to Gary Sinise!
We have another early departure tomorrow so I’m going to try and get more than 2 ½ hours sleep tonight!
Jude
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12TH, 2024 – PERFORMANCE AT TRZBEIN:
Forgot to mention that our “impact” yesterday at Powidz was 367 people.
I got up in time to have breakfast again today and the buffet was excellent. The food in Europe is always so much better because they don’t use all the additives and preservatives that we use.
We departed at 9 am as scheduled and the first part of the drive was on a dirt road! Everyone was shocked. Sebastian uses a GPS to navigate and I thought it had given him wrong information and we were lost. But it was the correct route.
It was a 3 ½ hour drive and we made one stop for gas. I walked to the gas station next to where we parked and found Polish candy and gingerbread for my neighbor.
Once we arrived at the Camp, we learned that a lot of the soldiers are “off base” this weekend because of the Columbus Day holidays. Government employees get the Friday and Monday off! Must be nice…..
The performance is at the MWR Center again – in a tent. The stage was set and our Green Room was about 100 feet away in a different building. We stopped by there and dropped our things and then the CAV had a static display set up for us with the tanks. Nothing boys love more than playing with “guy toys”! They got to sit in the tank and turn the turret. The soldiers who hosted us were so sweet….and oh so young!
After the visit to the tanks, it was time for a quick soundcheck. The base exchange here is small and was supposed to close at 5 pm. But we got there at 4:30 pm and it had already closed. The DFAC doesn’t open until 5:30 so we had to wait a while to go there.
The meal was good but still not as good as the first camp we visited. Very few people were in the DFAC and we were all expecting we might have around 12 people at the show! Fortunately, the place was PACKED. Everyone had a great time and Vinnie and Matt put on another wonderful show. Tonight was a little more challenging as far as connecting with the audience. One big reason is the fact that there is no alcohol allowed on any of the bases here in Poland! That age demographic seems to “need “ alcohol in order to “socialilze”!
I “hiked” to the latrine before the M&G started. It reminded me so much of the times I was in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Sarajevo. There were rows and rows of tents, dirt and mud, and rows of “showers” and “toilets”!
The Meet and Greet line was longer than usual but still moved quickly. Had a chance to ask the guys were they were from while they were waiting their turn to meet Matt and Vinnie. Most of them are from Ft. Hood (I know it isn’t named that any more but it always will be for me. We were back at the hotel well before midnight. We don’t need to depart to the hotel tomorrow until 2:30 pm but we want to go into the local town and have lunch. Plus we have to check out of the hotel so we might as well eat a traditional Polish meal before we leave Poland tomorrow night after the show.
Not sure how many people we impacted today but will find out tomorrow and include it in that report.
Jude
FINAL SHOW AT ZAGAN, POLAND ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13TH, 2024:
So last night at the really small base, we still had 126 people attend.
I have to admit, it was wonderful to sleep more than 2-3 hours. I did get up after 4 hours to go for a jog but it was pouring rain and there’s no exercise equipment in the hotel. So I went back to sleep for 2 more hours.
We departed the hotel at 12:30 pm to go to the “Lew Restaurant”. Sebastian suggested it and it gets great reviews. Supposedly has very traditional “Polish” food. I was really looking forward to cabbage rolls. It was so windy and cold when we departed the hotel. I didn’t bring clothes for weather this cold.
It was a beautiful restaurant and only a few people in there eating. I was so disappointed that they didn’t have cabbage rolls on the menu. I didn’t want another pierogi so ordered the “traditional pork chop” which Sebastian assured me was Weiner Schnitzel. I also had the fresh mushroom soup which was delicious but way too much food. I only ate about ¼ of the soup so I would still be able to eat the Schnitzel. Again, way too much food so I gave Vinnie half of it. It was very good but not nearly as good as veal Weiner Schnitzel. We all decided to get the apple pie and ice cream because it will be our last chance. The waitress assured us that it was freshly made and not frozen. When we hadn’t received our pie after over 30 minutes, I told her we would have to leave and we would just cancel the order. She insisted it was coming right out. Ten minutes later she brought out something that looked like Apple Cake and was COLD. We were all so disappointed.
It was still raining and had turned even colder. Our first stop was in front of some very old tanks at the very entrance to the base. We had a nice man telling us the “history” of the tanks but it was so cold and miserable that we had to cut that visit short. This is the smallest base we are visiting…only around 1300 people total based here. The show is in the MWR Tent. The production company had everything set up and waiting for us when we arrived. Sound check was quick and easy and we had some down time before walking to the DFAC. No one was hungry after the huge meal so we got “to go” plates to eat after the show.
Even though this is a small base, we had a full house of attendees and the show was really fantastic tonight. I think it is because the base is so small and remote and everyone is so appreciative that we would visit them. In total, we met with and entertained approximately 65 people. The Meet and Greet after the show went really well with everyone attending coming up for a photo and chat with Vinnie and Matt.
We packed up as quickly as we could and made the 2 hour drive to a hotel near the Berlin airport. When we arrived, the hotel was closed and we had to use a kiosk outside the front door. All the rooms were booked in my name so I had to type in 5 confirmation numbers and each time had to enter my name, all my passport information, and address. It was supposed to generate an email to me but I never received anything since the travel agent booked the rooms. Fortunately, we took a photo of the screen once I had finished checking everyone in. There was a “code” on the screen that we had to enter in order to open our room door. There was no one inside the hotel working so I’m glad we didn’t “need” anything.
The room was “bare bones” but we only have a few hours to sleep before having to depart to the airport at 7 am. I stayed up until 2 am “sorting” out the things in my bags and re-packing.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 14TH – BERLIN TO NASHVILLE:
Got up at 5:30 am and was in the lobby by 6:45 am. There was a lady behind the registration desk but after standing in front of her for over 10 minutes, she still had acknowledged my presence. I finally asked her if she spoke English and she just shook her head “no” and walked away! I was unable to get a receipt showing I had paid for the rooms. I’m assuming the travel agent had to give a credit card number when she made the reservation.
It was a short 10 minute drive to the airport. We said good-bye to Sebastian and thanked him for taking such good care of us. Check in was easy and there wasn’t a long line. We had about an hour to stop by the Lounge. I left the guys there and went in search of “souvenirs” for the family. Sad that I wasn’t able to get them anything from Poland but we basically only saw the military bases. Our only opportunity was yesterday in Zary but everything was closed because it was Sunday.
Our flight departed on time and everyone but Vinnie had ordered the “special German sausages” for our meal. They were unusually good for airplane food. I think we all slept for most of the flight and landed early at JFK. We picked up James’s bag for him so he could do his Global Entry Interview. We had short connections, so had less than an hour in the Delta One Lounge…just enough time for Matt to take another shower! LOL. Vinnie departed about 30 minutes prior to our flight to Nashville. Everyone landed on time and all our bags arrived with us.
I hate that this trip is over because I have been looking forward to visiting the men and women serving in Poland for so long. It was definitely like stepping back in time as far as the “amenities” our service personnel have in those areas. The biggest difference in this deployment is the fact that there is excellent Wi-Fi connection which allows the service personnel to “game” in their free time and stay in closer contact with loved ones at home. Most of the bases do have really great “gym” equipment for their facilities which are all located in tents. All but one of the DFAC’s were in tents and there was only one base exchange that had more than a few rows of items.
Please keep our men and women serving around the world in your prayers. Unless you are as fortunate as I am to be able to visit them, it’s hard to understand how difficult it is for them to serve so far away from home in such austere conditions. Special thanks to Gary Sinise and the Gary Sinise Foundation for allowing Vinnie, Matt, James and I to show these bases some love. Also a sincere thank you to Jasmine for her excellent organization of the tour, to Sebastian for driving the tiny, VERY BUMPY, roads throughout Poland and for Frank and Tamica for making the shows sound so good. Most of all thank to you all the men and women serving around the world and keeping America safe and free. We owe them our sincere gratitude and respect.
Jude
