I apologize for being UA. The FL winter sabbatical was not the typical vacation away from the frozen north this year. We decided to sell the manufactured home, so we spent the winter trying to put as much lipstick on the pig as possible. I, very grudgingly, became something I truly never wanted to be – a painter. I always hated painting of any sorts; if it involved a brush or roller I ran. But I have to tell you by the time I got to the last room, sadly I was getting pretty damn good.

There was much else going on besides my painting apprenticeship.  Last fall I came up with the idea of taking my kids (Fox Valley Young Marines) on a trip to Washington, D.C. My initial plan was get on the train in Chicago one evening and wake up the next morning in D.C.  Well, I soon discovered we would wake up the next morning several hours from D.C.  The transit time is unbelievably long, and if you think it is the cheapest way to go, as I did, you are wrong. It’s cheaper to fly all things considered.

Then the kids set out doing fundraisers for the trip, all winter long, and by the way, this was one of Chicagoland’s worst winters ever, standing in front of stores like Wally World, Jewel’s, etc. with coffee cans asking for donations.

I set up a Go Fund Me Account, we had a highly successful Bingo night, bake sales, pizza sales, and much more. I took to the electronic air waves and sent out requests to every Marine and Navy brother in my address book. That alone was the most successful, my civilian staff and parents are beside themselves with how my Marine and Navy brothers came through; I mean BIG TIME!

So, on 25 June at 0600, we will depart Chicago by way of a fancy motor coach and head to D.C. arriving somewhere around 2100. Hotel is booked, sites are booked, meals are paid for, tickets purchased for sites that charge  entrance fees. Everything is pre-arranged; the coach stays with us the entire time. My bride found a travel Agency just south of us who specializes in setting up tours for students to travel to DC; that’s all the do and have been doing it for years. Expensive, but they take care of everything, and we raised more than enough to cover the charge!

I wanted to send out a thank you to everyone who had anything to do with us reaching our goal, and even surpassing it by quite a bit. We could not have done it without so many folks reaching into their heart and their wallets. I have some kids who will probably never get the chance to see their Nation’s Capitol because of their station in life, but it’s these kids for which I am so immensely proud. They are making something of themselves and this trip will bolster that.

Where are we visiting you ask? Well, all the war memorials, Einstein, MLK Jr, Jefferson, Washington, and Lincoln memorials, Arlington National Cemetery to observe a funeral of a Marine hero, who was one of my mentors on the drill field, lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, the White House, the Smithsonian, a tour of Marine Barracks 8th & I to meet the drill team and color guard, and of course special seating at the famous Friday Night Parade.

All of that and more during the four days we will be there. We will finish up and board the coach after dinner Saturday, 29 June for an all night trip to arrive in Chicago around 0600 Sunday morning.

Are the kids pumped? You bet they are, and everyone in the unit is going along with seven registered adults as chaperons.

Once again, thank you all for your support to make this once in a lifetime event happen for my kids!

Originally posted 2019-05-01 10:29:47.