MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD – GARY SINISE FOUNDATION NFL ALL-STARS TOUR –NASHVILLE TO DC:
Left today for a week long Super Bowl Tour in DC and Virginia. James and I flew out of Nashville and we are meeting the two NFL players at the Reagan National Airport. The two cheerleaders are from the Baltimore Ravens and they live in Baltimore so no flights needed for them.
The two former NFL players are Derrick Martin (Two Time Super Bowl Champion NFL Alumni Green Bay Packers and New York Giants) and Josh Hawkins (NFL Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles Alumni) plus Brigid and Maddie (current Baltimore Ravens cheerleaders).
I arrived at the airport a lot earlier than James and decided to go through and get in the lounge and get some work done. Breezed through the Clear lane but then unfortunately one of the airport personnel directed people with Clear and Pre-Check to the regular line. Still got to the lounge in time to work for about an hour even after that delay. When I met James at the gate, he was with Brian Anderson – a triple amputee and Ambassador for the Gary Sinise Foundation. I’ve seen him at lots of Gary’s events and it was so nice to finally meet him. Amazing Hero!
While waiting to board our flight, I got the message that Derrick’s flight was delayed because of mechanical issues and they were looking for another plane. Never a good sign!
Our flight was delayed for about 20 minutes and we had severe turbulence when we took off. I was already nervous about flying into DCA on a regional jet after the incident last week so turbulence did not help calm my nerves. As usual, the seat outlet to charge my phone didn’t work. It never seems to work on Delta regional jets. At least the Wi-Fi worked for most of the flight.
It was really strange flying in over the path where the flight went down. There’s still lots of activity taking place in the area. All our bags arrived and since it was only about 30 minutes before Josh was due to land, James went to the parking area to retrieve the Sprinter van and I stayed with the bags at baggage claim to wait for him. We kept receiving messages about Derrick’s flight being delayed even more.
Josh arrived on time and the trip to the Ritz Carlton was only about 10 minutes. This is the same hotel where I stayed so many times prior to COVID. It is such a beautiful hotel and is connected to a huge shopping mall and the Metro. So convenient to everything. The only hiccup we had was our rooms were still not ready at 5:00 pm when we arrived. I was able to get Josh in his room and James and I had ours shortly thereafter. The cheerleaders had already arrived and came downstairs to meet everyone.
I rushed upstairs to get things “sorted” out in the 3 bags of GSF “goodies” that we brought with us. We had a 6 pm dinner meeting with General Anderson at the restaurant connected to the hotel. General Anderson is a dear friend and the person who literally “saved” me so many times during my 39 tours to Iraq and 14 tours to Afghanistan. Such special memories of all those visits and so thankful to still have him in my life.
I got everyone settled at our table in the restaurant and went back to meet Derrick since he had finally landed and was en route to the Ritz in an Uber. Dinner was a really nice time and the food was awesome. We went over the itinerary for the week and finished up around 8:30 pm. We have some really special events planned for the men and women serving and I’m thankful to Gary and the Gary Sinise Foundation for making this possible. All the NFL participants are so nice and very supportive of the military and they have been on multiple previous tours through other organizations.
Jude
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH, 2025 – GARY SINISE FOUNDATION NFL ALL-STARS TOUR VISITS WALTER REED NATIONAL MILITARY MEDICAL CENTER:
What an AMAZING day! We left the hotel in our Sprinter Van at 9:15 am. James does such a great job driving that huge monster. He had lots of practice driving The Zombies across the USA last year in a Sprinter Van. During the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, I would bring celebrities to what was then two medical facilites – Walter Reed Hospital and Bethesda Naval Medical Center — several times a year. The injured men and women I met through those visits became lifelong friends (Scott Lilley, Joe Bowser, Chris Bain, etc. etc.) Those visits were always life-changing.
We had an escort waiting for us at the gate. The main person was named “Juice” and he was terrific. Our first stop was at MATC (Military Advanced Training Center). After Juice gave us a brief tour of the ground floor, we went into the main center where all the patients were having their rehab sessions. We talked to everyone one-on-one and learned how they were injured, how long they had been there, etc. etc. The first man I talked to was an above the knee amputee on his right leg. He had the most advanced, newest procedure with a metal rod inserted in what was left of his leg. Then he had this big “bolt” looking thing that he unscrewed and put the leg on and off. This is fantastic because so much of an amputees first several years are spent just trying to get a leg that is comfortable. When they lose or gain weight, the have to change to a new leg. And it seemed that they were always getting infections where the leg attached to their body. This eliminates all that.
I firmly believe that we have all these wonderful innovative solutions because of our wounded men and women serving our country. We were told about a new procedure where an arm can be transplanted onto a person and the brain trained to make it work just like their original arm. But it takes years and years and a lot of “pain” to get to that point. I’m definitely not explaining it as good as it was explained to us today but hopefully you understand most of what I’m saying.
We also went into the room where they “make” the prosthetics. That was just as amazing. There is one that straps to the amputees prosthetic leg and allows them to jump out of a helicopter. And the skill needed to make these items is overwhelming.
From there we went to Tranquility Hall for a quick lunch. Had a quick tour of some of those rooms and then headed over to the gym. The first thing we saw when we walked in was a huge Gary Sinise Foundation Banner hanging high above the floor. It hangs there permanently because Gary and the Foundation do so much to support this facility. We had an “NFL Combine Event” with several different challenges including a 3 cone drill and 20 yard shuttle and a couple of other drills. Just the warm up that they put the participants through would have probably eliminated me. Josh was doing everything with them and he was huffing and puffing by the end. Josh and Derrick ran the drills with the contestants and the cheerleaders cheered them on.
At the end of the session, we showed everyone a beautiful message from Gary Sinise. It was the first time the players and cheerleaders had seen it and they were blown away because Gary thanked them by name in his message to Walter Reed. We gave prizes for first, second, and third in the 4 categories. First was an album that Gary’s son composed and recorded titled “Mac Sinise: Resurrection and Revival Part One”. There is now a “Part Two” as well. You can purchase the Vinyl at www.garysinisefoundation.org or download from the many streaming platforms and all the money goes to the Foundation. Mac lost his very courageous battle with cancer in January of 2024. Let’s keep his legacy alive by supporting his music. You can also go to Mac’s YouTube channel and see him in the studio when he was recording the songs on Part One. So that was 1st place prize and was autographed by Gary. Second prize was a nice GSF water bottle and GSF cap. Third prize was a clear fanny pack stuffed full of GSF items (sunglasses, cozy, etc.).
After the prizes were awarded, the NFL group took photos with everyone and gave them an autographed photo. We departed at around 3 pm for the drive back to the hotel. I walked over to a grocery store behind the hotel and purchased apples and carrots to give to the horses at the Caisson Stables tomorrow.
James and I walked to the Pentagon City restaurants behind the Mall and had a grilled chicken that was really good. Trying to finish up this report and get it posted and into bed at a decent hour. I have a 5:00 am wake up call for our departure tomorrow. It’s going to be another awesome day. The only way this tour could have been any better is if General Anderson could have accompanied us on our visits. I miss having him “have my back” even though I know he still always does. And goodness knows, I need it. LOL.
Jude
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH – VISITS TO FIFE AND DRUM CORPS, TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER AND THE CAISSON STABLES:
What another fantastic day. It’s going to be hard to remember everything and I hate to forget some of the really special moments! We checked out of the hotel and drove to Ft. Myer and had to go into the Visitor’s Center to pick up our base passes. We had tried to apply online but only 3 people were approved. Thankfully, General Anderson made a last minute call and Major Strickland met us and helped with the process. He also stayed with us all day. We had also been assigned a SPC to assist.
Our first stop – a special demonstration by the Fife and Drum Corps. What an amazing visit! They are super talented and were so appreciative of our visit. I met the lady who helped me set up the visit and thanked her. The demonstration by the Corps was mind-blowing. Zoe is going to be so disappointed she wasn’t here with me. Will have to bring her back in the Summer when they do their big concerts outside.
Next stop was the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I’ve been there more times than I can count but no one else in the group had ever witnessed this. And, I was able to arrange for the 4 NFL participants to actually “lay the wreath”…something even I have never done. The lady who actually made the wreath laying happen for me came by to meet me and join us for the ceremony. Due to a breakdown in communication, the ceremony was not booked for our group by my military contact for the day. So, I was trying to book it online but we were not within the two week time frame required to reserve a spot. She noticed that I had been attempting to apply and actually called me on my cell phone on a Saturday and worked it personally for me. Thank you, Kassia!!!
We met “backstage” with our hosts and they were briefed and shown a video on the procedure. Then we all walked outside and watched the “changing of the guard” – a very solemn, beautiful ceremony honoring our fallen heroes. The 4 participants went into a special area and participated in the wreath laying. I had ordered the wreath and had it delivered the day prior. It was beautiful – red, white and blue with a ribbon stating “Gary Sinise Foundation”. Gary said it is the first for the Foundation as well. I think everyone female attending the ceremony—and some of the males – were crying when Taps were played.
We were invited backstage where the soldiers live and work. Had a great “briefing” on not only the history of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier but also on their daily life there. The group got to hold some of their weapons that they wear in the ceremony. It takes a very special person to serve in this capacity. It’s too long to go into detail here but you should google “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier” and read about the history and about the “duty requirements” of the soldiers who are selected to serve as Guardians.
We departed to the DFAC but arrived there too late to have the 20 minute lunch we had planned before starting the Meet and Greet Session there. There was a funeral taking place between the Tomb and the DFAC so traffic was stopped for quite a while. But, it was fine. Meeting the soldiers was more important and we also had Air Force, Navy and Marines eating there. The group took a photo with them as they were finishing up their meals and thanked everyone for their service. Then we had about 15 minutes to eat lunch before our final visit of the day.
From there we went to another of my favorite parts of the day…visiting the Caisson Stables. For someone who is allergic to horses, I sure do enjoy visiting them. I had packed bags of apples, carrots and special “horse peppermint” for each person so they could feed them. The funniest part of the day was the fact that the NFL players were reluctant to feed the horses so the cheerleaders had to take the lead. One of the guys never fed them because he was convinced the horse would bite his hand. They were so incredibly beautiful and gentle and SMART. We had the same soldier who gave my family the brief in January of 2024 give us our brief today. He’s excellent at his job. The only really disappointing part of our visit was the fact that we were not allowed to take photos. The stables are under renovation and we were very lucky to be able to visit them.
The day was supposed to end after the stable visit but an MP we met at the Tomb had offered to give us a driving tour to see JFK and RFK’s grave as well as visit the Arlington House where Robert E. Lee had lived. The house overlooks Washington, DC and the best view anywhere of the Capitol, White House and Monuments.
We finally said goodbye to all our new friends and departed to Quantico. Major Strickland is definitely a HUGE part of making this day so memorable for everyone. And, special thanks to General Anderson for making that happen (yep, still CMA!) and to Scott Sobataka. Without Scott I would never have known about the Fife and Drum Corps or the Stables or the possibility of laying the wreath.
Of course, we departed just in time to sit in bumper to bumper traffic almost all the way to Quantico. But, it was caused by a car burning on the other side of the freeway and everyone on our side “rubber necking” to watch what was happening!
The hotel had our rooms ready for us and it’s a really nice room…even nicer than the Ritz…and this is a Courtyard by Marriot. We dropped our bags and everyone except Josh went to a Mexican Restaurant near the hotel for dinner. Josh decided to do the smart thing and work out. It has started raining and the weather is supposed to be bad for the next few days. I’m just hoping we don’t get snowed or iced in anywhere.
CHECK OUT MY VIDEOS AND PHOTOS ON FACEBOOK!
Jude
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH – MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO – GARY SINISE FOUNDATION NFL ALL-STARS TOUR:
Another early morning lobby call at 8:15 am to spend the day with the Marines at Marine Baae Quantico. The cheerleaders joined me in my jealousy of all men who can wake up at 7:45 am OR LATER and be in the lobby at 8:15 am.
First stop was at the Visitor’s Center to secure our Day Passes. There were no issues because we had applied in advance thanks to our “host” Shelly. Only took about 15 minutes total. It is very cold and raining but at least there’s no sleet or snow – yet!
We stopped at the base exchange and took photos with the base exchange staff and then stayed to take photos with the “shoppers” as they came into or left the Exchange. That early in the morning on a Thursday, there wasn’t a huge amount of foot traffic.
Following the Exchange visit, we went to the Chow Hall. We arrived before they opened so had some down time while waiting for them to open. It filled up quickly once the doors opened and the Marines came by for a photo and autograph card after they finished their meal.
Next stop was Headquarters Battalion /Training & Education Command. I was under the impression that this was a visit with the Command staff but instead we visited a Battalion Classroom. I have a feeling the Marines welcomed the interruption and everyone took a photo with the NFL players and cheerleaders.
Next stop was a restaurant in the “city”. There is a “small city” inside Quantico Marine Base and the only way to access it is through the military base. Civilians are given a special pass that they have to show to enter. There were several restaurants on one small street and we were told “Tokyo” was the best choice. Our Marine POA walked to the restaurant ahead of us to secure a large table but came back and told us the “staff” was closing in about 10 minutes for an hour so the staff could eat their lunch! Derrick decided he didn’t like that response and went back to ask them to allow us to eat there. I don’t know if it was the fact that ne mentioned NFL (all the staff was Asian) or the fact that there were 9 people ready to spend money I their facility which currently only had two people eating there. LOL! Regardless, we had lunch there and it was very good. We gave the staff autographed photos before we left.
Last stop of the day was Crossroad Elementary School for a Youth Clinic. I was expecting maybe 25-30 children but I think the entire school stayed. There were children of all ages ready to learn a cheer or catch a pass. As usual, we kicked off the day with a personal video message from Gary Sinise. Then the players took the kids who wanted to run some drills and catch some passes into a separate area and worked them (and themselves!) hard for an hour while the cheerleaders led the children interested in cheering in stretching exercises and learning a couple of cheers. This was definitely the best part of the day. I watched as one very small boy ran out for a pass and caught it. I don’t’ know who was more surprised – him or Derrick. LOL. It was obvious some of the younger students were on a cheerleading squad for their school.
After the clinic, the cheerleading group performed their cheers they had just learned for everyone including their parents who were there to pick them up. We took group photos of the cheerleaders and the football players. We also played Gary’s “welcome” video once again so the parents could see it as well. Then we took photos with the parents and their children. We gave out around 300 autograph cards as everyone was leaving! We were told that we had to be out of the gym no later than 4:30 but it was closer to 5 pm when we departed.
It was a 2 ½ hour drive to the Hampton Inn in Hampton, Virginia. We had to stop for gas and I searched some of the best restaurants for dinner. We found an Italian restaurant with a good rating and decided to give it a try. It was a good choice. Everyone enjoyed their meal and took a lot in “to go” boxes. But, when we drove into the parking lot, we had all noticed the Crumbl Cookie shop. Maddie is an expert on all things Curmbl so we headed straight there after our dinner. I’m thankful we can now purchase the “small” cookies instead of the 3,000 calorie single cookie! I did learn that Cruml sells a device that cuts the large cookies into 4 nice triangles!
The hotel had our rooms ready for us when we arrived. It’s a nice hotel with a complimentary breakfast, swimming pool, and small gym. I spent the next 6 hours working and then grabbed 3 ½ hours of sleep. Hard to believe the week is gone and tomorrow is our last day. We’re spending it at Joint Base Langley Eustis. Visiting Eustis Army base the first half of the day and then Langley Air Force Base the last half of the day. We have been invited to my friends (General David ad Sarah Shoemaker’s home) for drinks and hors d’oeuvres when our day is finished. Perfect way to end this wonderful tour.
Jude
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH – GARY SINISE FOUNDATION NFL ALL-STARS TOUR TO JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS:
So many wonderful activities today that I’m sure I’ll forget to mention everything!
We kicked off our visit at Ft. Eustis by visiting with their 5th grade students. Unfortunately, there was a “hiccup” getting us on the base even though all the appropriate paperwork had been completed. That put us quite a bit late getting into the school. We were supposed to visit with one classroom and then go into the other. But because of the time crunch, all the kids were brought into one room. It made for a very “lively” setting but actually worked out as good as two separate visits. The children lined up and had their photos taken one by one with the NFL group. Then the players and cheerleaders took questions from the 5th graders. There were some really good questions!
Afterwards, we met with the 128th Aviation Brigade students and learned what they do. Took group photos and individual photos and gave everyone an autographed photo. Brilliant young men and women who will be the future leaders of our great military.
We then transitioned to Langley Air Force base for a “Meet and Greet” at the base exchange. The base had tiny footballs that the group autographed for the attendees. General Shoemaker came by to say hello. He deserves all the thanks for hooking me up with the right people to make all these activities possible.
From there, we went to a special lunch with select airmen. It was held at the Crossbow and the food was really good. We got to talk with the airmen one-on-one and learn a little about them. We took photos and signed autographs for everyone. My dear friend – Jenn Vess – came by to say hello to me. Jenn was the person at Andersen Air Base that I worked with until her departure last November. She is definitely missed there.
We had a one hour break after lunch that seemed like only lasted 15 minutes! LOL.
Next up were two amazing events, starting with a special demonstration just for our group by the F22 demo team! The show was unbelievable. Unfortunately, the weather forecast was wrong and it was extremely cold and windy outside. But, we braved the weather and no one complained because the show was so spectacular.
Last visit was to the Bethel Manor Youth Center. A little over 100 kids had signed up for the event. Very young children and teens enjoyed catching passes and running drills coached by the NFL players and the cheerleaders taught stretching exercises and cheers. At the end of our hour, the children performed the cheers they had learned for their parents. The number of autograph cards we distributed reminds me of the days I would take duffle bags filled with photos with me to each base. We always used every card and that’s what happened on this tour — and we actually needed a few more!
And, as if it couldn’t get ay better, we were invited to General and Sarah Shoemaker’s home for a “wrap up” gathering. The spread that Sarah prepared was delicious and so much better than a restaurant. And, we had added “treats” in the form of an unexpected visit from “Gringo” and getting to meet the Shoemaker’s “baby” – Carmella! I may have tried to sneak the little bundle of energy into my bag to bring home with me.
It was the perfect ending to another amazing visit with the men and women serving our country — made even more special because of the assistance I received from General Joe Anderson, Scott Sobataka, and General David Shoemaker. Everyone except me flies home tomorrow but I’m staying over to visit with General and Sarah Shoemaker.
Jude
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