We had extended this invitation some months ago, and truly did not expect to hear back.  We thought that the proximity to Washington, DC and the Pentagon might possibly work in our favor, but after all, heads of state are incredibly busy people, and such appearances are rare.  In fact, our reunion coordinator at Armed Forces Reunions, Inc, told me that they have heard it time and time again: one of their client reunions is anticipating a high level appearance by the President or Vice President, and in all her years of coordinating military reunions, they have never had another reunion attended by a White House official. 

So imagine my surprise and outright near shock when we were contacted by the Vice President's staff just two days before the start of the reunion, advising me that we were on his schedule!  The next few days were a whirlwind of meetings, phone calls, and arrangements, all culminating with Sunday's banquet.  The people from the White House made a huge effort on our behalf, and you all know what a soft spot I have for fellow fans of my favorite veterans! 

The Vice President delivered a speech filled with praise for the accomplishments of the men of the 517, and it was a heartfelt tribute to the unit.  He quoted Howard Hensleigh in his remarks, and honored Melvin Biddle, the unit's Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.  I was quite impressed by the level of research and knowledge his remarks delivered.   He was well received, and it was such an honor for the unit to be recognized by the Vice President!  I was so happy to hear all of the 517's history and successes detailed by Vice President Cheney.  It was indeed a fitting tribute, and the men of the 517 deserve this recognition at that level. 

His staff could not have been nicer, and they really bent over backwards to help us in many ways.  Even the Secret Service had obviously done their homework on the 517; I heard them sharing information with each other as our guests moved through the entrance to the ballroom.  They were quoting casualty statistics when I walked by.  It made me realize that this visit was bigger than just the men and the Vice President: it meant that others, as well, would now know and share in the history of the unit.  It was really a wonderful moment for the life of the 517, and I am so glad that it happened.  It was so exciting that it did take us a while to settle down later, but we managed to do it!  It is really, really hard to follow the VP, though.  Talk about a tough act to follow!

We presented, through his aides, a copy of Paratroopers' Odyssey, which had been signed by many of the troopers.  We had circulated them as best we could on Saturday.  I was told by his aides that he would have received them this past Monday. 

Many, many people helped this happen.  For the 517, Frank Ramos, now the 1st VP of the Sons, Daughters and Friends - the 517 Auxiliary, provided invaluable guidance.  The Barrett women and the Frice women, along with Bonnie Littlefield and Helen Beddow, all took over to make the necessary reunion tasks happen while others of us were working on tasks we had not known about three days prior.  Board members provided guidance.  White House staff members Rich Heimerle and Mark Hamilton, Advance Team members Kayla Cook and Rob McCreary, along with Secret Service Agent (from the VP's detail) Kerry Meade all coordinated their teams to make the event successful.  The staff of the Doubletree could not have been more accommodating, and special thanks go to Ashley (our event coordinator), Ryan (our banquet manager) and his staff, as well as the entire security staff.  

I should mention that author Patrick O'Donnell, our keynote speaker and an unabashed fan of the 517, was just wonderful when I told him of the updates to the program.  He could not have been more gracious, and his speech actually led right into the Vice President's remarks beautifully.  When I first asked him to deliver the keynote address, he was thrilled and accepted immediately.  He feels a special affinity for the men of the 517, whom he profiled in his book, Beyond Valor.   He told me that he was looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones.  I spoke with him on Monday (the day after the banquet), and he told me that he was still flying high after the banquet. 

Finally, this was our first reunion organized with the help of Armed Forces Reunions, Inc.  Molly Dey, one of the co-owners, was vital to the success of this entire reunion, and especially to the success of the Vice President's visit.  It could not have been done without her tireless assistance and advocacy on our behalf.

We'll have more next time, but this is a great start.  Please, everyone, send in your reunion news and summaries!  Ben needs Mail Call Mail!

Claire Giblin

reunion co-chair