March 8, 2008 -- Now we're up to the moment that Mama Rose finally made her entrance. Whew!
For those you who don't know her, she is the mother of Fallen 9/11 Firefighter Robert Foti. I met her in Colorado Springs a couple years back, after learning that this (small in stature, but large in presence) woman had flown in from New York, bringing enough meats, etc., to feed "her boys" at the IAFF Fallen Firefighter Memorial.
I couldn't believe she would go to this much trouble, effort, and expense ... Then I got to know her, and now, nothing surprises me. ( ;
So when we extended the invitation for her to come to the PackOut, I told she was not to cook but to come enjoy herself. It was quickly made clear that it is cooking her meatballs that makes her happy.
And so it was that picking her up at SeaTac Airport meant making sure there was room for not just her juggage, but her ice chests -- filled with over 900 homemade meatballs and sausage!
We adjusted the program so that there would for the first time, be an actual lunch break. We got pots & pans from both Fort Lewis FD & McChord AFB FD. There was a big shopping trip to get the pasta and the loaves of bread, seasonings, etc., to make this wonderful meal. Everything was loaded into the kitchen at the armory and we figured that in no time the wonderful smells of an italian kitchen would permeate the armory. But, ummm, no.
For whatever reason, we could not get the kitchen cooking elements to fire up. Sigh. Calls went out for help, and even the 63rd OD tried to come up with answers. But when all was said & done, everything was loaded up into the truck and taken over the the firehouse on the flightline at Fort Lewis and they got to smell great food all night! Rumor has that Mama Rose met her match in a few of the young troops there at the station.
Because of all of this, Rose was not able to be at the opening of the PackOut. She and her band of merry mischief makers came in at around 1pm, hauling in pan after pan of deliciousness.
The armory erupted into applause for Rose as her meatball minions made their entrance.
Shortly after, before she could get comfy in the kitchen, we pulled her up on stage.
Now you need to know that while they were deployed, the 63rd OD paid Rose a huge honor, flying an American flag over their camp, and forming up to salute it. A photo was taken of this, and then the flag was sent to us in Colorado to present to her at the memorial, when her son's coin was revealed.
Part of the reason Rose came out was to meet some of the members of the "WolfPack", as they are known. She knew that the Commander and XO would be onsite., and she looked forward to giving each of them a hug.
She didn't know that there was a bigger honor and surprise coming her way.
So Rose came up and got to meet both Cpt Thomas Heilman, and 1Lt Brandan McElroy. She presented the 63rd OD with the last remaining Robert Foti coin, and thought that was all. She was ready to head into the kitchen when Cpt Heilman made the order that caused 100 uniformed members of the WolfPack to rise, come front & center and pop a salute, in formation. 
And so it was time for lunch. Sooooooooo good! And as if meatballs, sausage, pasta, and garlic bread wasn't enough ... Gordon, from Traegor Grills bbq'd up some rally good chicken for all of us! There was some good eatin' at the PackOut. Thank you to everyone who made thipossible!
On the next entry, we'll be posting up the companies and names of everyone who made this happen. You might be amazed to see how many people it took to make this all come together. It's wonderful to see how many were involved for this one Troop Morale Campaign event.
One of the coolest parts of the PackOut is the Hero Static Display. Which goes on for the entire day. It's a chance for the various supporting agencies to show off a little bit.
Gary Shilley, of the Puyallup PD made a special appearance for us, with his beautiful dog. Gary is a K-9 handler who was shot point-blank in the face, and has undergone surgeries to get him back on duty. The criminal who did this horrid thing may have shot Gary, but he missed Gary's spirit and dedication.
Even up close and personal Gary shines. His smile is infectious. One of the reasons for that smile has to be his lovely wife Victoria, who came up and spoke to the troops to let them know how it was uniformed heroes just like them who sat at Gary's bedside, sharing stories, and passing the time. Gary, we salute you! Welcome back! Click this link to read about what Officer Shilley endured
Oh, and you'd think just having 
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