Day 14 - Sunday - 29 June 2014 Perdido Key, Ono Island Alabama

   Hello Friends!,  A great day today, Sunday.  It started out with me going to church with Jack and Kay. I thought I was going to have to ride the bike (and it is HOT AS HADES!!!) but Sammi decided to go and we drove her car.  We went to Niceville United Methodist Church, a BIG church with Sunday attendance, to the 5 services offered, topping over 2,000 every Sunday.  Jack and Kay had Usher Duty, so we walked around and found them - - - her - - - because Jack wasn't feeling well.  We are not sure what the problem was, but it must be getting him down because Jack is one of those people who never says die!

This is walking into the church.  It is way spread out, so you don't see how really big it is inside.  There are two services going at the same time.  We went to the Contempory Service in the Aux Gym while another huge crowds went in the main santuary to worship with more hymns and such.

   This is where we went and as you can see, it's big.  It was filled up for the 9:30 am service.

   This is the street crossing into the Main Building.

   It had a very advanced sound system and at the back they not only showed the words, but the chords to the music, so no music stands were on stage.  Notice the timing marks . . . they show countdown times for when the service has to be over, how log the worship can go, and the current time.  They started ON TIME!!! to the second.  I can't attach the video's I took, but I'll show them when I get home.

   After the service we had an early lunch with Kay at their favorite Chinese Buffett...

  We ate until we were all FAT and got some Egg Drop soup for Kay to take home to the wounded soldier!  We said our good-byes with a tear.  

    To all my friends who have not had the pleasure of knowing these two wonderful people, I swear to you there are no two finer people in the world and it is my honor to call them friend.  I'll keep the both of you in my prayers . . . :-)

   On with the day - we are FAR from over!  Drove back to Crestview to let Sammi go to sleep (she had another 12 hour shift at Eglin.  I packed the bike light and headed to another friends house, Bill and Jan Guilfoyle (The Fighting "Skull")  It was amost a 2 hour drive in sweltering heat, until I get the sea breeze at the coast, and what a pretty drive it was . . .

  Perdido Key Alabama

  This kind of view is what motorcycle riding is all about!

   I passed this famous landmark (at least in our family) (my mom's name ;-)

  It wasn't enought that Skull lives in this paradise, You have to go into a VERY gated community on an exclusive island called Ono Island ( like the Hawaiian fish ;-)

That's the 8 mile Long Island with those kind of houses on it!

  This is the bridge to the island.  When I get to Skull's house, it takes my breath away.  Take a look:

Of course the Marine Corps flag hanging proudly by Old Glory!

  From the back walkway down to a sitting area  Wow is all this poor Marine could say.  Makes me proud of the FIghting Skull, a retired Col and after being in a Marine F-4 squadron with me as Captains, went on to be the Commanding Officer of our same squadron.  (See previous Naval Air Museum entries and you'll find the Skull on the plaque.

   Also waiting for my arrival were two old friends, "Noah" DeWitt and "Sluggo" Gil Butler, who i haven't seen since 1981 for Gil and 2004 for Noah.

  Jan had prepared a great dinner for the crowd and the adult beverages and stories started to flow.  As the evening progressed, we adjourned to Maggie's Irish Bar, which is in Skull's house and named and dedicated to his favorite neice, taken in the prime of her high school life, in a car wreck.  This memorial is beautifully furnished in honor of his neice.  

The skull getting ready for a toddy (Irish Whiskey, of course) 

   The skull in Maggie's

  

  This famous picture was hanging in the bar and right here are the finest group of Marine Avaitors EVER!!!!  (If you double tap on the picture, I think you can save it and enlarge it)  That's me sitting, with HAIR) on the wing tank.  Red Dog beside my right arm (made General), Skull right 2:30 from me (Col) Gut's Robling by Skull's left knee (a 3 Star General currently the commander of West Pac - or whatever it's called now ;-)  I don't have time to name them all, but as the night progressed, we decided (and that makes it FACT!) that this may have been the high-light of all our carreers. . .  The personalities in this group were amazing, we knew what we were doing (sort-of ;-) were on time, on target (except me), could be depended upon in all things, and had the best time of our lives, before we had to grow up and be adults.  Of course, some of us have not done that yet (me riding a motorcycle all over the US :-)

  As the night wound down, I think Skull and I both shed a tear, as I am now typing this, thinking about those wonderful men and their flying machines, those still with us and more importantly, those departed. . . . . .

  Im not being dramatic here, well maybe a little, but I find as we get older, it's those friends who make our life whole!  All the stories, the good (RED DOG and the famous "Mo Matting" story) and bad times together (SKULL getting us lost during our WTI low-level mission, winning the Ferdinand Magellan Award! :-) and keeping in touch all these years. . . are what keep us alive!  I truly love you guys (no homo) and you know my house is yours anytime you're in Las Vegas.

Good night Lancers!

Luke OUT!