Choo-Choo Hotel
Chattanooga, TN
August 5 – 9, 2010
By Helen Cope
Upon arrival at the hotel, and finding our room, we went to the Hospitality Room to see who was there. While Glenn was sitting with his back to the door, someone came in and put their arms around him from the back. Glenn turned around and it was George Burke. Glenn’s comment, “I didn’t think I would ever see you again.”
The ride on the Southern Belle Riverboat was just right. The sun was shining and there were plenty of places to get in out of the sun. The buffet lunch was delicious and we topped it off with sweets that were made in the area.
Glenn was wearing his hat and was sitting on the outside deck alone. On two separate occasions, two women came up to him to shake his hand and thank him. That was moving.
While we were eating lunch, the bus driver of a group of exchange students came up to Glenn, shook his hand, and thanked him. He also said that he retired from the service after 18 years. He had a friend that his Dad served in WWII. He told his friend’s Dad that he did more in 18 minutes that he did in 18 years. He also said that “Who knows what language we would be speaking, if it wasn’t for guys like you.”
Helen learned how to tell port from starboard. Port has four letters and so does left so that is how you tell. The commentator told us that. After all these years, why didn’t someone tell me that before?
The trip to the Chickamauga National Military Park was also interesting. Helen learned that the south was poor so their monuments were small in stature but the north monuments were very large and expensive looking. The commentator said that they didn’t lose the war, they were just tired.
While in the Hospitality Room, the Hightowers had friends from the Philippines visit. The husband came up to Glenn and they talked extensively about life in the Philippines during the evasion. Afterwards both he and his wife made some comments about it to the whole group. That was very interesting and unplanned.
Bingo was good. I didn’t win, even though my biggest competition wasn’t there. I will try again next year.
All in all everything was great. It was good to see old friends and make new ones. Thanks to Jerry and Debbie once again. I will say after changing concourses a few times in Atlanta, it was good to get back to soft toilet paper and soft tissues.
See you next year – we hope!