Recently, two things happened to me related to the USS Midway within a 24-hour period that I’d like to share.

My bride for the last 60 years and I are planning to relocate to the Phoenix AZ area and were driving from LA to Phoenix to do some house hunting. We started out late afternoon on Halloween and at dinner time stopped in a family restaurant we enjoy that is located on the edge of the Cabazon Tribe Reservation. I was wearing my Midway CVA-41 baseball cap (that Ron Pope was nice enough to pick up for me at the last reunion).

There was a family of six Native Americans seated at a table across from our booth, all four kids dressed in their Halloween costumes. One of the little boys at the family table kept peeking at me and I simply smiled back at him. In a few minutes after about a dozen peeks that I noticed he got up from his table a walked directly to me. He stood at attention and informed me he was a “Cub Scout” and he and his entire Den and his Dad had spent two nights aboard the Midway – slept and ate their meals onboard and enjoyed every minute of it and continued standing at attention and then saluted me and held the salute until I returned it. Guys, it brought tears to both my wife Phyllis and my eyes. That moment was very special!

We are really doing something correctly in supporting the educational programs aboard Midway with a portion of our dues.

The second evening Phyllis and I went to dinner at a casual Bar-B.Q. and Steak House in Goodyear, AZ, known for ribs and beer so cold it hurts your teeth, and I was still wearing my CVA-41 ball cap. We had a great dinner and were hanging loose watching my Cubs (I’m originally a Chicago kid) beat Cleveland in the World Series. It came time for the check and the server said “No Check” for you. A gentleman sitting a few tables away who had already left the place, and never had spoken a word to us, had picked up out entire check including the tip and left us a message. “It was his pleasure and he wanted me to know an ex-Marine had just bought dinner for an ex-Sailor and his Lady.” I was speechless—never had anything like this ever happened to me before.

I think this coming weekend I’ll wear my CVA-41 ball cap to either Ruth’s Chris or Morton’s Steak House and see what is going to happen next.

Thank you all for listening!