Old Friends....
There is nothing finer than spending time with old friends, which is what Julie and I did this past weekend in San Antonio. Actually my old friends, but of course, Julie fit right in and she felt like she knew them from the myriad of stories I had told her. The occasion was a college fraternity reunion honoring my dear friend General Tom Hill who was named the Trinity University Alumni of the Year. As Tom said in his acceptance speech, "who would have ever thought this would happen". All of us at the table laughed out loud at that, perhaps a little to loudly.
But Tom has done well. He is only one of a handful of Generals in the Army today with four star rank, and he commands all military forces in the Carribean, and Central and South America. Which includes the miasma in Colombia and the Al Queda detention center in Guantanamo Bay Cuba. Needless to say he had some interesting stories to relate! Like the time he called the head of the military in Colombia to suggest that he support the new president and their constitution. The Generalisimo there said he would and in fact was at that very moment doing so. Tom said that on the phone he could hear automatic weapons firing right outside the Generals office, so he supposed he wasn't lying.
Tom and Toni are great friends and great people. I lived with them at Ft. Benning Georgia when I was a new 2Lt. in the Army, and we became very close. They have traveled in the Army life, so I don't get to see them much at all, though we do call and keep up. So it was a thrill to be able to spend some good time with them in San Antonio...and of course have them meet Julie. Toni kept telling me how much she like Julie and I think Julie enjoyed them, and it was rather exciting to a point. After all she's never ridden in an armed convoy before. Tom, because of his position, has a security staff that travels with him. Three very serious, intent and large young men who wear blue blazers everywhere. The blazers are to hide their automatic weapons. It's a nice feeling, while driving around San Antonio, to have a Ford Explorer following you with well trained young men packing automatic weapons, there to jump in if anything should go amiss.
To honor Tom and Toni, many of my fraternity brothers came to town, and we all had a wonderful time, like you do when you tell the same stories that you tell everytime you get together. But they get better with age, and I didn't mind, Julie got to hear a little about my past life, from those who lived it with me. She didn't jump ship on the drive back to Midland, so I suppose it all went well.
If you'd like to browse through a few pictures of the weekend here they are.
