SARNIA, ONTARIO ... Our first Canadian partners

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, Canada!

Where to start?  From start to finish, this stop rocked!

Kevin McHarg was our host ... another connection to the IAFF Fallen Firefighter Memorial from last year.  He asked us to come to Sarnia and we were so intrigued with the idea of taking the program into Canada and getting some Troop support for the Canadian Troops who are out there in the sand with our Troops, that it only made sense.  Besides, we were going to get to immerse ourselves in the Canadian language, eh?  ( ;

And so we arrived at the McHarg home, greeted by some of the firefighters and their families. 

Kevin had asked if we had any requests, and I mentioned a RCMP Mountie, to which he had a quick and ornery response ... something about us American tourists.  But he said he would do what he could, and when we were shown our room there were maple candies and a postcard with a Mountie on each of our pillows.  We loved their sense of humor, and got a good laugh out of it all. 

Kevin was very attuned to our need for a down day, and gave us the first night to just relax, which was greatly appreciated.  Of course he also warned us that the next day we would be busy ... and he did not lie!  ( ;

So we started our day with a cup of Tim Horton's coffee, no Starbucks here, but no complaints either.  And the stuff is quickly addicting, especially that frozen drink!  lol

Anyhoo ... We were guided to the firehouse for our fi stop of the day.  We knew there would be a press conference, but we had no idea what else was in store for us.  And not how you say "WOW" in Canadian, but we need to learn it.  Because these folks stepped up!

Firefighters, Police, Paramedics, Customs, Coast Guard, future firefighters from Lambton College, Canadian Troops, City Leaders, families, community members, media, and more ... including a no joke, for real Mountie (!!!) welcomed us to Sarnia. This was an unbelievable honor for us, one neither of us will ever forget!

We shook hands and started the event.  At the podium, we listened to words that came right from the heart, and as we looked around the room after Firefighter/Troop Jason Bosker spoke with real emotion, his words catching in his throat as he looked out at the piles of shirts donated from all over for their Troops, we realized that they really "got it" here in Sarnia.  I have no idea what I said in my "speech", I spoke from my heart as I looked at all that had been done on our behalf.

I do know that I presented a challenge coin to Kevin, and he understood the meaning of being given a coin.  Our only wish is that we had a true HeroToHero.US coin to present him ... and the SFD!

They had a wonderful bbq going, and used it to raise funds to help us fund the tour, which was outstanding and very helpful!  The food was absolutely perfect, and the rubs they used on the meats are something I will order when they start marketing in the states!

They also had fun playing with the Stunt Bear, doctoring her up and letting the Customs dog get up close & personal with her.

But we had to head out, and get over to Lambton College, where all of the students were standing in formation for our arrival, and made special presentations to us before letting us experience a sort of "day in the life of" event.  We had a blast, and I got to play guinea pig for some of the antics for the camera.

Nothing was cooler than getting to take the nozzle and "put out the fire" at the tank ... like I knew what I was doing.  These young men and women are outstanding, and you can see their drive for to prove their ability.

They geared me up and let me play, and all was well til it came time to go into the smoke filled trailer.  Hey, I am nearly 50 years old, hot flashes are just a part of my life, so being in full bunker gear, adding a tank, and then the mask in the heat ... I quickly determined that this was one photo op I would eschew.  If i went in, the pix would be of the rescue getting me out.  And all I can say is firefighters do not make enough money for all they do!  Ron, thank you for your time and effort on our behalf!  We loved this stop!

Next stop, "Oz Fest" ... Actually, it was the Sarnia Police Department.  Our host was Ozzie, who has become infamous as the man who shot Stunt Bear.  He is a Range Safety Officer who gave JeeNee and I shooting lessons.  We were about done when the photo op for Stunt Bear came up.  Now, things get hazy here, and we didn't catch it all but, but the versions we've gotten have involved everything from Sasquatch, a mad beaver, and a crazed moose ... but the one constant is that Stunt Bear thought she was making a save and dove in front of one or the other and took the hit full on.  Ozzie felt bad about it, and our firefighters took care of the medical concerns.  Stunt Bear claims it was a flesh wound ... despite the exit wound on her back.  We think she was showing off for Ozzie.  And rumor has it she has invited him out for nachos, hmmmm ...  This was a really fun stop, and the Chief was a lot of fun as well.

As if this weren't enough, we had one more stop for the day, the Flag Plaza.  How cool to see America from Canada, from 105 feet in the air, in the basket of a ladder truck, to be specific.

When we raised up above the flag ... which they did a rush job to get in place before our visit ... and looked down at the intensely beautiful water, and Lake Huron, so many emotions filled us.  The honor of all that was being done for us really filled our souls on this stop.

Standing with the members of the Rotary Club that had done so much work on the beautiful plaza was an honor in its own right.  There is a lot of pride in Sarnia, and it is justified.  Don;t get me wrong, I love America, but if I had to live in another country, I could easily see myself in Canada .. and Sarnia would be a great place to settle!

We ate hotdogs and fries at the water's edge, watching boats, and swimmers enjoying the water on a beautiful summer day.

This was one of our most memorable days on the tour.  Just being in Canada was perfect.  Oh, and something we noticed ... in the States, we are "too cool".  It's like seeing the limo, we don't look, cuz you don't want to be "that guy" checking out who is in the limo.  Once we started traveling north of the border we noticed more honks and waves at our van.  We always felt welcome here.

We cannot thank the Heroes and citizens of Sarnia enough.  This was an amazing visit.  Thank you to everyone who had a part in making it all so perfect ... and there were an awful lot of you!

Oh, and thank you for the inspiration.  We will explain this later!  ( ;

We will see you again, eh?

lj

BUFFALO

Helllllllllllloooooooooooo Bufflalo!

We were really happy to go back to Buffalo and see our buddy, Pete Margerum.  He had been our POC last time around and stepped up once more to host us.

We showed up before he was able to get there and got to meet some of the guys.  It was so sad ... we got there as they were cooking dinner, dang!  lol  It smelled soooooooo good!  The only sad thing was that they got a call as they were making dinner and had to run, leaving us in charge of the kitchen.  Not good!  Luckily it was a quick call, or the real rescue may have been in the kitchen!

But Pete showed up and joined us for a seriously good meal.  We loved seeing all of the pictures still up on the boards from our last visit, and info on the program up there as well.  Nice touch! 

After dinner it was decided that we would get a real tour of Buffalo.  So we went on calls, and got to see a lot of things we would not have ordinarily seen.  We saw the Erie Canal, and Lake Erie ... which is like seeing an ocean!!!

The best part was that Pete is really into the history of their home town.  He was able to point out gargoyles on buildings, and give the story behind the story on many of the sights we saw. 

We saw the old Grand Union Station which I;d have loved to have seen in its glory days, what an amazing building!  So much potential, one can only hope they find a way to restore this grand dame.

Sadly, Buffalo has seen better days, and the older building tell that story clearly.  There are parts of the city that tell the tale of changing industries and economics in some of our large cities. 

Still there is a pride, and listening to Pete and the other firefighters, you have faith that they will turn some of the blighted areas around and restore the beauty that is underlying in many of these neighborhoods.

The gentlemen we met on this visit really brought us to the heart of the city and we left feeling we had learned so much more about this home town.

They offered us to stay at the station, but last year Kathy and I commented that we had come so close to Niagara Falls and missed it, that this time we would make a point of visiting there.

We were advised that the best overnite would be on the Canadian side and besides our next stop was in Canada, so off we went after warm farewells.

Thank you again to Pete and the firefighters of Buffalo, New York!  You rock!  We look forward to seeing you all again!

Niagara Falls was all we anticipated and more!  We arrived at night with no reservation, and still found a room.  This was a splurge for us, but by this time, we felt we had earned it. 

The Falls were lit up in a pastel rainbow of lights , and I couldn't wait for JeeNee to see them from the room with the view that the hotel made available for us.  We unloaded the van, and headed up to the room.  There was a big window that overlooked the Falls, and as we opened the door I told JeeNee, this is a thank you for all of your hard work on the tour, go check it out.  She walked to the window to find out that we had just checked in about 2 minutes after they turned off the lights and you could no longer see the Falls.  We cracked up laughing, and decided to go for a walk.  It was so cool that it was midnight and people were walking around as if it were broad daylight.  We never felt unsafe and everyone was very friendly.  Pssst, Kathy, you have to do this with me sometime, you'll love it!

This visit coincided with the failed terrorist attempt in Canada, a the next day while folks were friendly, we saw shades of post 9/11.  There were more obvious glances, and you knew people were more aware of their surroundings and who was nearby.  We had no problems and really enjoyed the visit ... not the 18 percent GST on our Starbucks coffees, but the rest of it was great!  Besides, we were in Canada, eh?  ( ;

lj

 

BOSTON ~ FRAMINGHAM ~ ALBANY

A very busy day!  Boston before lunch, Framingham in the afternoon and Albany for our overnite.

This should have been 2 days, because we'd have loved to have had more time on these stops.

We came into Boston with the rain ... a tribute to our home state was what we claimed when we were chastised for bringing the rain in with us.

We caught them slightly off guard at Boston FD, but you'd never know it by the time we left.  These guys were crack ups ... and most of them were of the white shirt breed.  ( ;

We sat down with them as they had their lunch and shared stories and laughs.  And George "in the cage" really stepped up for us, making sure that we left with lots of beautiful new shirts for the Troops.  He also proudly shared his Troop pictures at his desk.  Love seeing true support!

This was one of the stops that was home town for wounded soldiers at Walter Reed who asked that we make sure their home town knew they were there and thinking of home.  We handed over the contact info and were assured they would take care of it.  We have every reason to believe Boston takes care of their own!

This stop really was too short and next time we will make sure we have extra time.  But on the plus side, turns out I will get to meet some of BFD Honor Guard at the Colorado Springs Memorial in September.  Will get more pix, we need another bad ass shot of these guys!

We will return to Boston!  And look forward to it!

Next stop was Framingham.  This was one I looked forward to for a long time.  I met Joe Mazzola last year at the memorial, and he promised that if we would visit Framingham they would really represent.  I remember thinking, uh-huh, suuuure.  But  was more than pleasantly surprised to be so wrong!

WOW!  FFD was amazing!  We expected to see the pipers, and thought that would be the big surprise when we arrived, but nooooo!  Joe out did himself!

We were met at the toll booth by the motorcycle escort that brought us in, as we came around a bend we noticed the National Guard Armory, and in the same glance it all hit us!  OMIGOD!

On our left were the pipers, including Tim Birr from Tualatin Valley, Oregon ... Who had been unable to play for us at the PackOut and promised he would play for us in the future.  And here he was in Mass!!!  Joe's smile as he piped told us he knew he had really pulled off a great welcome!

Two ladder trucks held the flag up for us, the firefighters, medics, police, soldiers, and families were all there to bring us in.  There was so much to take in, and the media covered it all.  We really enjoyed the enthusiasm of all, including a new cop friend who made a generous donation to the effort!  ( ;

Everyone was smiles and warmth, and this town we'd never visited before became a place to which we want to return!

We went inside to find even more, a great barbecue dinner and lots of fun.  These folks were really creative, and all you need do is look at the pix they set up for the Stunt Bear to see what I am referring to!  We has so much fun!

As if all of this were not enough, the Union chipped in and donated gas cards for us for the trip.  At the time of the tour gas was hovering around $3 a gallon and this was a great help!

We LOVED Framingham.  Joe, ya done good, buddy!  Will see you guys in Col Sprgs.  Can't wait.  THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!

Framingham Fire escorted us out in classic style, and we kept those smiles for many miles ... In fact, just looking back as I write this i realize I have been smiling.  GREAT town, GREAT people!  (Did I mention that we really loved this stop?)

Next up was Albany, NY ...  This was a first time visit for us, and we would be staying overnite in the fire house.  Neither of us had been to Albany before, and were really impressed with the skyline as you drive in to town.  Very unique, very distinctive, and very pretty.  This is a town that we had very little prior knowledge of, but we both commented that it would be nice to see more of this one.

The guys at the station were a little quiet when we got there, but were great about helping us get settled.  Not sure that they had gotten much heads up and were likely a little uncertain that, hey, we're here ... and, we're staying here.  lol

In no time though, the van had been brought in from the dreary weather and secured in the bay.  It was a quiet stay for us, and a little respite from the road.

We had so many pictures by this time and had done sooooo much in such a short period since the Memorial Day weekend that there was just no way to catch up on the journal.  By this point we had kind of resigned ourselves to getting the photos up and going back, as I am now to fill in the story behind the photos.

This stop was really nice, there are some good cooks in this house, and they made sure we were taken care of.  They had shirts out and the police were coming by and signing them during the stay.  Because it was an overnite stop, we were able to meet two different shifts ... and that's always a plus for us.

By the time we got to the north east we had also come to the conclusion that the next tour would need to be longer.  At this point we have figured out that we will need to make it at least 6 weeks on the road.  Sounds like a long time, and it is.  But it is so sad to see some of these Heroes,and these home towns, so briefly.  When next we get to this part of the country we should have more time to see some of the beautiful/silly/fun things that the Troops think of when they think of their homes.  And we will be more able to set the visits up to cater to that for them.

Thank you all for your hospitality.  This was a wonderful day and a tough one to top!

SALUTE!

lj

New Haven & Providence

New Haven brought us back to see Sgt Marty and some old friends in CT.  And that was a good thing.

The day we arrived they were pretty involved and things had been tense for them.  It was good to offer them a respite, and a chance to play a little bit before they got back to it.  They are always consummate professionals, but also know how to do the personality side of the job.  It's the old work hard, play hard theory.

Last time we visited it wa a no-notice stop in NHPD, but this time they brought us in, rolled out the banner and got it signed up as we did photos during roll call.  It was fun to ticket the cops here.  some of them were caught off guard, but all of them warmed right up and showed us the hospitality we expected from this great crew.

It's always fun to get to see the cops in a different light than is normally seen.  We have the honor of being taken inside and seeing them while they are still laughing and enjoying the comraderie of the profession.

We watch them pick on each other, and support each other.  Down here, the only tickets are the ones we pop on them, and these tickets make them laugh, so it's good all around.

And Sharen always brings smiles out of the toughest hombres out there!  Don't know what it is about that lil bear, but when she comes out, everyone wants to pay their respects.

This is one of those stops that has asked for , deserves, and will get more time for the visit next time around.

New Haven is a great place and we really would love to see more of it!  Thank you all.

Next up was another of our favorite repeat stops, Providence FD.  Danny Rinaldi has taken care of us for 2 years now, making sure we have a safe place to stay ... right there in the firehouse.  Danny has been a part of the calendar effort benefiting burn victims, He is a great chef and could make a living doing that as well.  so we are always honored when he comes out for us.  You can catch Danny on some of the cooking competitions on the food channel.

They always feed us great chow and let us ride along and it is always a time of laughter and fun in Providence.

Seeing Chris Brown (TheBravest.com) again was a bonus.  He is a crack-up and all around good guy.

This time they asked if I had ever seen Providence in the past visits, but the reality is that on these stops you rarely get to see a lot of the local sites due to the short time we are local and the fact that these first responders are on duty.  We spend as much time as possible with them, and get all the photo ops we can.

But when the offer was made to get out and see the city, we jumped at it.  Especially when we found out we would be seeing it from the PFD HazMat rig! 

One of our favorite memories will always be cruising through the college area as the sounds of Santana's "Oy Como Va" coursed through the speakers.  It had a surreal quality.  These guys have a solid, easy-going relationship with the community here, you can feel it.  So many smiles and waves.  And of course the ladies love the firefighters!

We left from the college area and headed on down to the Russian Submarine ... who knew?!  It was pitch black out, and pouring rain, but the crew did all they could for our photo ops, shining the lights on it ... Until ... a new call and we were off.  A roll over on the freeway.

We watched them up close and personal as they took control of the situation, treating and calming the teens in the car that had seen better days.  There is a personal touch that shines in a true professional.  We had seen a great example of it in Fairfax, VA., and again here in Providence.  These kids were obviously shaken, but this crew was able to take control and relax all involved.

The night was just starting for these guys, there is not much down time around here from what we have seen.  But, it was great getting to experience the small part we did.  We got some great pix, and 2 big boxes of shirts that Danny had arranged for us.

The next morning, after a nice breakfast it was time for the media.  This was one of the best stories done for H2H, and we credit the department for their support in making this happen.  They made it possible for the news crew to really get <SPAN class=spell id=sp-33 title="Click here to replace with: tithe, teethe" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 2px; BACKGROUND-POSITION: left bottom; PADDING-LEFT: 2px; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(http://sdk.webmail.aol.com/sdk/20050527/images/bg_spellingErr.gif); PADDING-BOTTOM: 2px; CURSOR: pointer; COLOR: black; PADDING-TOP: 2px; BACKGROUND-REPEAT: repeat-x; BACKGROUND-COLOR: yellow" _backupTitle="null"> feeling of the effort.  And the reporter was very good about attention to detail.  We truly appreciate that!

This firehouse is actually a dual facility, and the police are on the other side.  The motorcycle (and stable) cops came over to play a bit, and took some great pix with us.

They informed us that we were going to get an escort out of Providence to send us on our way north.  We weren't sure they would still do it when started raining before we it the road.

But the four of them donned bright yellow rain slickers, and led us out.  we passed the city limit sign and expected to be waved off, but no.  Then the state border approached and passed, and still they were with us.  Six miles into Massachusetts they signaled us that we were going to fly solo once more, but we felt so buoyed by there support that we were ready for the next stops.

Providence, you shine!  We are honored to visit, and we love learning more about your fair city with each return.  Be safe, and please accept our condolences for the loss of Deputy Assistant Chief Michael J. Day.

We will see you again!

lj

For the record, yes, we saw Big Blue and snapped a quick picture from the freeway as we arrived in the city limits.

New York City

***Before we start here, we need a small disclaimer.  There is concern that the Stunt Bear is being treated poorly.  Hellllllllllooooo, this is what Stunt Bears do.  They make sure that the "Star" doesn't get hurt, or messed up.  Sharen is kinda high maintenance, and may follow her predecessor to a museum.  Stunt Bear wants everyone to know that she is just fine, and is a highly trained professional.  Kids, do NOT try these things at home ... Or anywhere else!

New YORK, NEW YORK!!!

We always think the last visit here is the best visit we will ever have until we get to this year's visit!  Maaaaaan!

We stayed at Fort Wadsworth and checked out the sites for two days, courtesy of the USCG & the NYPD.  We even had the same room as last year, in the barracks with the Troops.

This is where you feel how long you've been on the road ... Laundry can't be avoided anymore, and time is fit in to the schedule for personal & vehicle maintenance.  We sleep in, and actually have 1 day that we can try to relax with no official visits ... Now, that's what we plan.  But by now you should have an inkling that it is hard to plan a lot on this tour.  You have to live it, not just plan it. 

We didn't get in til really late after taking the delay to experience Gettysburg.  So we got some good sleep, did laundry, then couldn't resist the call of the city.  So we drove down to the pier.  Did we mention it was Fleet Week?  Uniforms everywhere!

First we had to convince the guards that we were okay.  Personally we hoped they'd want to search the van, cuz it would've made a great photo op!  lol

We got hooked up with NYPD and got the van inside the gate so we could get over to make a presentation to the Staten Island NYPD.  We had another Honor Shirt. 

This shirt was presented on behalf of the 54th MP CO out of Fort Lewis.  This unit has been very supportive of H2H.  Major Daniel has been wonderful!  And it only seemed perfect to hook up the 54th MP's with NYPD.

They were very appreciative, and even some of the officers who absolutely do not like their photo taken, posed to show their respect for this gesture from our Army Troops.  One of the officers gave up his 9/11 NYPD pin and placed it on Sharen.

We had fun ticketing them all and caught a couple off guard with that maneuver.  As ever, they were gracious and warm, and we loved meeting each of them.

One of the female officers drove us over to the ferry and JeeNee got her first ride on the Staten Island Ferry and view of the Statue of Liberty.  That is such a cool first.

And we stepped into the city and strolled the streets of the most amazing place!

Day 1 (& 2) found us at Ground Zero.  We visited one of our favorites, 10 House.  These poor guys can not even open the bay doors without getting swamped. 

But they did open the doors, let us take pix, and were gracious as ever.  They also showed us all around, and even took us up to the roof for a better view of Ground Zero.  Sadly, in 3 years, there really is no progress.

The firefighters unveiled their own memorial, and let us know that there was another to be revealed shortly after our visit.  Their hearts are obvious in this tribute inside the bay.

They also made our day when they pulled the 10 Truck out ... Twice!  And we got to share the experience with 2 young Marines, and a couple of Sailors.  It was so cool to see their faces when we asked them to climb up onto the rig for pix, and the firefighters let them raise the ladder.  This is why we love these guys!

We also got back to our boys at 24/5 ... Much love & respect here.  they were the first to open their door for us in FDNY and we see them every year.  (We still have a gift from the Troops for them, but it just got to us, so we will get that out.)

We met another of the DiTrani Clan, this one with FDNY ... the other 3 are NYPD ... talk about a tradition of service!  Mom & Dad must be proud.  This time Stunt Bear got to play darts with to boys on Foster.  She says they cheated.  Sigh.

But we also got to spend time with the "Pirates of NYC"!  The rides were unreal!  This was the most fun we had in NYC.  Banzai and the guys took great care of us, took us around, got us our first Nathan's hotdog, introduced us to the alligator, fed us, and kept us laughing.  If you ever get the chance, you need to meet the Pirates!  From the (ahem, lol) cheeky Chief, to the orneriest guys on the road, this stop was phenomenal!  And it was our Tillamook Heroes that got us set up with them.  Who knew?!

To Banzai, Chief D, and all the rest of our FDNYPD Heroes ... WE LOVE YOU!  Thank you for making this stop so amazing  We will see you next year!

lj

 

 

 

 

Gettysburg & Philadelphia for Memorial Day

So, where were you on Memorial Day for the "moment of silence"?  We were at the Gettysburg battlefields.  And I highly recommend it!  The community really gets into it all.  The uniforms and parades, the speeches, picnics and of course, the Veterans.  It all makes for a most patriotic experience.

I had no idea there were so many statues here.  Thought it was like most of the other memorials you visit where there is a main display.  But here, you can actually drive (for hours) through the actual battle grounds.  You can see a miniature diorama, you can buy souvenirs, and get amazing pictures.  And if you are a history buff, you could spend sooooooo much time experiencing it all!

One of the park rangers helped us out by driving us into the park beyond where we'd have gotten as they we about to close off the area for the parade.  Thank you!

We got out before the parade, as we needed to get on to Philadelphia.  But this was an unplanned stop that was perfect!

And so it was that we headed to Philly ...

For the record, this part of the country is beautiful  most of the year, this was no exception.  Rolling hills covered in green ... nothing better!

Then the city loomed before us.  I've always liked Philadelphia.  This is the city from which I departed as I joined the Air Force so so many years ago.  This is where I would take my daughter on random weekends when she was little.

And this is where we would find some new friends at the Chinatown station of the Philadelphia FD.

And boy, you have to work to get in there if the door is closed.  Sheesh!  lol  We knocked, knocked again, banged on the door, waved through the window and just refused to give up til they answered.  Luckily it wasn't much longer because we'd have had to go get something at one of the Chinese restaurants that surround the house.  That smell will get ya, ask JeeNee!  ( ;

But, the door opened and they welcomed us in.  Even better, they too have a realllllllly good cook and dinner was perfect!

We got lots of great pix, and a new addition to the patch collection.  Mine is from the first tour and is one of the most asked about patches on that first tour coat.  We had no idea there were so many Chinatown stations ... Could be a tour theme there.  Hmmm ....

They brought out some shirts for us with little notice, and all of them signed the banner for the Troops.

We like this house and look forward to a future visit.  Hope to see lots of PFD shirts this year!  And yes, from the Medics too!

Thank you all for that Philly hospitality!  Next time, we have to find the perfect Philly Cheese Steak .... Hey!  Another tour theme!  ( ;

Thanks for a fun stop!  Happy Memorial Day!  And be safe!

lj

Shanksville and more. Remember Flight 93

Shanksville has been a stop for the past two years, but this time we actually made contact with some of the First Responders.  And we are happy for the folks we met.

Terry and Rick repped for the department.  And Terry's wife made sure we had a perfect picnic over the Memorial Day weekend.  What a great family, and outstanding cook!  (Still want that recipe for veggie pizza.)

The visit started on a very hot Memorial Day weekend.  On the way up to Shanksville, we stopped as we passed an older cemetery with local towns people sitting on chairs and blankets waiting the ceremony to begin.  School kids read essays about freedom, patriotism, pride, and heroes.

The Honor Guard sat nearby, ready for their part.  Prayers were said while heads bowed.  Flags fluttered on markers, and fans waved in futile attempts to cool the holders of each.

We stayed for a portion of the service, then quietly bid our adieu and headed on to Shanksville.

Pulling in to town, we could see the minor changes from prior visits.  And made note of things we hadn't noticed before.

We found our way to the small station on a hill that marks the home of the Shanksville Fire Dept., alas, no one was there and we had real trouble with our phone signal up in the mountains of Pennsylvania.

At last, JeeNee got hold of the Chief's wife who told us he was unavailable, but she would get one of the other guys up to see us.

So, we tried to stay cool til Rick showed up.  He was in a bit of a rush and wasn't real sure of what we needed.  So we did the quickest presentation of the program that could be done.  As we went along, he grasped more of what this effort was, and you could read that he wanted to stay and participate but he had other prior obligations.

We stopped him cold in his tracks when we presented the Honor Shirt from Fort Lewis' 25 BSB.  That moment when they see the respect being paid from the Troops is priceless!  Quite often there is silence, or a soft intake of air when the shirts unfold.  This was no different.

Rick stood in silence, looking over the shirt, reading the written words from our soldiers.  You could read so much on his face and in his eyes, and I was transported back to the Pentagon watching the Chief receive their shirt.  In some locations, like the 9/11 sites, there is just a different feel.  Deeper, more respectful.

Rick showed us some of the things they had been sent, from fire and law enforcement, and school children and more.  But this would be their first real hands on presentation from the Troops as a whole.  There was no denying the mutual respect from heroes to heroes.

We didn't want to hold him up any longer, so we said good bye and headed up to the memorial site.

I remember the first time we visited here.  Not sure what we would find.  Now I was curious to see what a difference a year would make for them.  For the most part, it all seemed the same ... Except there were a lot more people visiting this time.

JeeNee took photos and listened to the presentation I had heard before.  we checked for the HeartStone and bell we had left on the makeshift memorial wall.  The bell was still there, and we left another HeartStone.  We'll check back next year.

It is a quiet place, far out in the country, up in the rolling hills.

As we were speaking to folks asking what we were doing, and checking out the tour van, the phone rang.  It was the Fire Chief of Shanksville FD.  He had forgotten our visit was coming and felt very badly.  He asked us to stay there so he could come visit us.

In a matter of minutes, Terry arrived at the memorial, and made us feel most welcomed.  He came bearing shirts and a special gift to be presented back to the 25 BSB.  (*We are still working this issue.  Part ofthe 25th is still out, but due home soon.  The rest are moving, so we want to make the presentation just right!)

As Terry was signing shirts for us, right on the hood of his vehicle, our phone rang again.  This time it was Terry's wife.  They were having a family picnic for Memorial Day, and we were invited.  Of course we accepted! 

It was like a piece of Americana stepping into their back yard.  three generations joining together sharing dishes all had contributed.  Even the heat had dissipated a tad, and a soft breeze cooled us down.

We had a wonderful meal, shared the obvious stories of their experiences and ours.

One of the cool things was this is a 3 generation firefighter family.  Terry's dad has 44 yrs, Terry has been on for 22 years, and now the boys are following in their footsteps.  This was one serious bad a** pic ... Check out Grandpa!

Another really special touch was that as we looked across the road we saw something that reminded us of home back here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest ... A Totem pole.  After taking pix of it, we found out that it was presented by the Lummi Indians right here in our neck of the woods!  In fact, Lummi Island FD is one of our favorite departments here!

We stayed as long as we dare, without throwing our schedule completely out of whack.

Terry placed a special Shanksville sticker on Sharen's helmet, and we promised to keep that spot for them annually.

So it was that we left Shanksville and headed on.

Thank you sooooooo much to the entire Shaffer family.  We look forward to next year, and yes, we would be honored to accept your invitation to stay.

lj