11/19/09
Utah

This will be a very short visit to attend the dedication and grand opening of a veterans home, and I did not make it to Utah while campaigning. Will have to see if I can fit in another visit before the year is out. Rather than going to bed, I decide to stay up all night and try to catch up with e-mail and the rest. Would have been getting up at 0330 anyway, so it is no loss. At the hotel check-out counter, my cell phone freezes – won’t turn off, won’t make a call. Larry tries to send an e-mail and call me, but nothing comes through. I hesitate to remove the battery in case I lose everything. Arkansas Department Commander Gene McVay takes us to the airport. When I get my phone after it goes through the security X-ray machine, it starts working. Would have hated to go overseas tonight with no data. Crisis over. This will be a direct Delta flight to Salt Lake City.

We are picked up by National Executive Committeeman Bill Christoffersen and Department Adjutant Greg Rowley. We leave our luggage at the airport and head to Ogden. The Ogden Veterans Home is being named after George E. Wahlen, a World War II Medal of Honor recipient. He served at Iwo Jima and later in Korea and Vietnam, retiring as a major. He continued serving veterans after his active military time until his death about five months ago. Alternate National Executive Committeeman Terry Schow, executive director of the Utah Department of Veterans Affairs, had a lot to do with the home, as did a lot of other veterans and state legislators who were present. I was the only person on the stage without a speaking part, and got to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Mr. Wahlen’s widow was present, and their son spoke for the family. Former Utah Jazz coach and Army veteran Frank Layden was the guest speaker, and he was excellent. Utah House Speaker Dave Clark spoke about how hard it was to get funding for the veterans home, and he congratulated many legislators and veterans. Schow gave me a challenge coin with George Wahlen’s image on it.

Had ribs and a hot sausage link at Famous Dave’s BBQ for lunch, and it was great. At the warehouse where Operation Give stores its items, we were briefed by Paul Holton, “Chief Wiggles,” on their latest push to get Christmas stockings to the troops in Iraq. They have been operating for five years, shipping lots of sports equipment: soccer balls, baseball equipment, and most recently, golf clubs and balls. His assistant, Elaine , does the paperwork and had a notebook with information on their operation to give to me. Department Commander Fred Mason tells me he is writing a resolution about their effort.

South Salt Lake Post 71 provided the afternoon entertainment. This is National Executive Committeeman Christoffersen’s post. The adjutant harasses them so much they give him some membership to appease him. Then it’s back to the airport for a Delta flight to San Francisco to connect to China Air for the trip to Taiwan. Both Liz and Sandy had their tickets and flights unbelievably disrupted when there was a big computer crash that caused flights to be canceled, with all kinds of booking problems. Larry and I have been joined by Auxiliary National President Rita Navarreté and her husband, Tony, for the trip.