Since race season is over I guess it's time to socialize! Last week my good friend Tim called me and said that he would be arriving in Hawaii to attend a Senior Maritime Joint Symposium. This would include Senior Enlisted Officials from 47 countries and was hosted this year by the Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy. On Tuesday I received a phone call from the symposium requesting swag (Coast Guard recruiting merchandise) to hand out on the last day of the event. They said that the Master Chief Petty Officer of The Coast Guard, MCPO Skip Bowen requested it. I said no problem as we just got some items in last week. I put together several boxes and delivered them to my buddy Tim. I put aside a Coast Guard embroidered day planner for MCPO Bowen and I heard that he loved it. Yesterday morning I received a call and was invited to attend a social gathering at the U.S. Coast Guard D14 Admiral Brown's home which is the Diamond Head Lighthouse. I have lived in Hawaii all my life, and in the Coast Guard for 16.5 years and I was finally going to see this famous Hawaii Monument!
So I was told to drive to the Hyatt Regency to meet up with the chartered bus which carried several VIPs. Some of them were the top E10's for their country. I arrived at the Hyatt and they vallet parked my vehicle. They new I was arriving and parked my "Ford Focus Wagon" right in the circle with the Mercedes, Mustangs, Caddies and some other expensive cars. I was like WTF! It just looked so out of place. Tim had arranged front row parking! I'm a pretty simple person but since they arranged this oh well, roll with it and enjoy it.
We arrived at Admiral Brown's home and the first thing I did is go up into the lighthouse. The view on Diamond Head was just amazing! I ran back down grabbed a beer and went back up! I chatted with the Australian Master Chief of The Navy for a few mins and heard some good Aussie jokes! Before the end of the night I was presented with several coins in which are very hard to get. I was honored and it was a fun night with dinner and drinks. USN Fleet MCPO Tom Howard really liked seeing the CG computer mouse and I had extra so I got him one and I never seen someone so happy for a CG mouse! Actually it's a cool mouse with blue water and a rescue boat inside a clear mouse.
Here are some of the Military's Top Maritime people which were at the gathering. From left to right:
USCG Admiral Brown, USCG MCPOCG Skip Bowen, USN MCPON Joe Campa and Fleet MCPO Tom Howard.
The highlight of the night for evening colors, the Admiral arranged a joint USN and USCG Helicopter flyby right outside his backyard. As the HH65 Flew by, I looked into the sunset remembered my fellow aircrew who lost their lives and smiled. Then I actually remembered why I joined the Coast Guard.
Tim had a awesome view from his room on the 29th floor at the Hyatt. Overlooking Waikiki Beach!
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