If you were going to miss a National, this was not the one.
I just met the Collor Guard, and they are five men, no one under 60, in full uniform with the lead being the Veteran of the Year, Jack Poitras. He is here with his service dog Bliss. Jack told me he does as many as ten funerals a day, and is a bugler. He and I discussed playing that instrument. I played coronet in high school, and we talked about how to not press so hard to break your front teeth. He told me he too has that concern. A great guy, and I got to shake Bliss' paw.
I also will be reading the Parade of Greats, and this year it is just simply amazing. It will be hard not to break down in both of those, but I will do the best I can.
Last night I talked to the producer and director of Myth Busters. I will be appearing on the show as a Dog Judge to describe how people don't always look like their dogs. It sounds like a fun idea, but I have to be there at 9:00 Monday morning, so I will have to give myself three hours to get there.
I see people starting to come in now. Tom Mesdag is here setting up the tables. All the Select ribbons are hanging on a large stand at the end of the ring, and what a display that is. Only the Color Guard is in the ring, and not any dog people here yet. That has to tug at your heart strings. They are rehearsing and it makes you proud to be an American. I would take a knee, but I doubt I could get up again. So often they get the Boy Scouts, or the local school. This is quite a display.
In the past Bobbie and I used to see who would get here earlier. We usually got here at the same time. I will miss them both again this year. Also, Ken and Patty Downing belong here, it isn't a real National without them. The Color Guard are all Viet Nam Vets. When did we all get so old?
