memorial day weekend part ii: vfw

Our second engagement of the holiday weekend was Sunday's barbecue and pig roast at the Rocco Moretto VFW Post in Astoria.

As with the American Legion Hall (which we went to on Satutrday), the VFW Hall is a place we've worked with through Stack-Up and the Mission Continues. We were there for a Super Bowl party in February (spoiler alert: The Eagles won), and have since gone back to man a table at one of their Queens Craft Brigade events.

I had to sit out this event, since I was feeling a bit under the weather. But Ethan was there making contacts for Stack-Up.

memorial day weekend part i: american legion

It was a busy Memorial Day weekend.

On Saturday it was the reopening of American Legion Hall 18 in Weehawken, NJ. We'd first gotten involved with the Hall several months ago. Apparently the Hall had fallen into disrepair over years of neglect. They needed volunteers to help get it ready for reopening. The Newark Platoon of The Mission Continues helped round up volunteers to get it cleaned up and painted. We made a Stack Up event out of helping.

Since then, we've stayed in touch. We had planned one event with them for the month of the military child. That fell through because they had other commitments, but we are still working with Lucy Del Gaudio, the Vice Commander of the Hall, to have an event there this summer.

At any rate, the grand reopening was an emotional day for many of the area vets, with speeches by local politicians. To our surprise and delight they honored us, calling us up to receive a certificate of appreciation for the work we did for them.

Getting called up was quite the surprise. When we were invited to this event we were told that they were planning something nice. But we had no idea. It's funny how volunteering with one group brought us to another and then another. It's truly an example of the Hebrew expression:

בדרך שהולך מוליכין אותוץ

And it makes me really proud of Ethan, since all of our involvement -- with Stack-Up, with The Mission Continues, with the American Legion Hall -- is due to him.

where the mission continues

One of the results of the family's involvement with Stack-Up has been that we've met people from other military-based charities.

  Notable among these is The Mission Continues. As near as I understand it, TMC (I don't know if that's an acceptable initialism, but WTH) is for people who, having left the military still want to serve their communities. As such, they organize members to participate in various volunteer projects. One of the things I really like about the way they do this is that they don't seem to feel the need to reinvent the wheel. By that I mean, they don't organize the volunteer opportunities. Rather, they find volunteer opportunities organized by other groups, and direct their members to those activities. By our experience, they've been great curators. To be sure, TMC also has "fun" get-togethers. In fact, one of them was a gaming time at a Dave & Buster's in New Jersey, and we got Stack-UP to partner with them on that. But I'm nervouse about doing a lot of what I call the perq activities, since I don;t want them to think of my family as a bunch of schnoorers who only show up when there's free food to be had.

At this point we (meaning some nonempty subset of my family -- it hasn't always been the same nonempty subset) have done activities four of the local platoons (what TMC calls its chapters).

Yesterday, for example, we were in Newark planting trees in a project sponsored by the New Jersey Tree Foundation. As with many activities, our participation wasn't an "official" Stack-Up activity. But that didn't stop us from wearing our Stack-Up shirts (we can't wait for the new logo shirts to become available), and talking up that organization. Interestingly, we found that a lot of the residents of the neighborhood have military connections.

The day before yesterday, while I was at work, Ethan was in the Bronx helping to prep a wall of a schoolyard for a mural that was to be painted. A couple weeks ago he spent his Saturday in Brownsville, Brooklyn helping to paint a basketball court. And in the past we've worked cleaning up parks in Manhattan, and renovating a boxing gym for inner city Newark kids, and painting an American Legion post in preparation for its reopening.

I'm actually not sure if we're officially members of TMC or any of its local chapters. But that doesn't really matter. We're enjoying the chance to help the community, and support veterans who literally signed up to die for our freedom if necessary.

mission ironbound

Yesterday, we had another Stack-Up event that involved our partnering with The Mission Continues Newark.

This time it was setup work at Ironbound Boxing Academy in Newark. The boxing academy is set up in the bowels of the long-abandoned Ironbound Stadium -- which is now in the early stages of refurbishment. You can read about that here. The short story is that the gym will serve the disadvantaged youth of the area as well as military veterans.

We weren't really sure what we were in for, but it turned out to be mostly bagging up crap for removal, and some help with setting up weight racks and mats. The Mission Continues Newark is amazing at mobilizing volunteers, so with several dozen people working together, we were able to accomplish a lot in relatively little time.

Senator Corey Booker's office had representatives there -- and, of course, Blair was chatting them up about StackUp. In addition, the event was covered by the local media. That article is here. Ethan is clearly visible at a couple points in their video.

One of the interesting things is how, over time, we seem to be building more and more partnerships with other organizations outside of Stackup.

i coulda slept late...

Getting up early on a freezing cold Saturday to go on a major subway schlep to dig through crap in a park in Harlem. Sounds great, huh?

Actually, it wasn't as bad as it sounds.

It was actually a bit of a convoluted connection. The Student Conservation Association (SCA) has an annual service event where they get students (and others, I guess) to do restoration work on one of New York's historic parks -- this year it was St. Nicholas Park in Harlem. The Mission Continues (TMC) made it one of their service events. And Ethan and I, as leaders of the New York chapter of Stack-Up, signed up to work with TMC on the project.

By way of background, TMC is a charity for military veterans who want to continue serving their communities. I first came across them when Blair and I, representing Stack-Up, attended a meet and greet sponsored by The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP)*. Ethan and I signed up for a few of their events last year. But the one that was truly a service event (cleanup in the Bronx along the Harlem River) was cancelled, so the ones we attended were show businessy types of affairs -- the kind of events that are more in the realm of perquisites than service.

So, despite the early hour, the cold and the schlep, it was important to me that Ethan and I keep this appointment. An alarm that I set improperly, and a bunch of rerouted subway lines** made us late, and it was tempting to take that as an excuse to be a no-show. As an aside, I wonder if they had no-shows? Fortunately, despite being late, we didn't miss anything except some speeches.

Ethan and I were put into a group clearing culverts of debris. Some of the paved paths in the park have old cobblestone culverts running alongside for drainage purposes, and these culverts fill with soil, leaves twigs and such. So we were part of a crew digging them out. I know -- thrills, thrills. It actually wasn't that bad, except for the fact that it was cold, and my fingers were freezing.

The one thing I missed was that we weren't connected with anyone in TMC. They had all been grouped together. We weren't grouped with them, and I didn't know to ask about it. Fortunately, Blair was coming by later to meet up with us. So, after an hour and a half of clearing, we got a call from her. She had found the TMC group and was wondering where we were. So we ended up switching groups. So, for the last half hour or so we were with a different group, doing what they were doing. Which was...clearing culverts. At least we already knew what work was needed.

Blair is so much better at networking than I am, so she managed to turn this into a good connection with TMC. Afterwards, we went for barbecue with them -- I'm talking more than a dozen people from TMC. With any luck, we'll be collaborating with them in the future. We're inviting TMC to our next Stack-Up event -- our third annual animated shorts night with Dr. Eliska Decka. And, with any luck, we'll be part of more of their events.

*Gee, has this post degenerated into an exercise in name-dropping of military-supporting charities? Sorry.

**These days, there are subway reroutings every night and every weekend, so they can do maintenance. When I was a kid, they were much rarer. More of the maintenance was done while trains were in regular service.

names

We spent last Saturday in Connecticut at a veterans event in Connecticut, representing Stack-Up at the Cove Island Retreat for veterans. The event was the brainchild of Daniel Karger who wants to support veterans with PTSD. The event was run by LZ 4 Vets (Landing Zone for Vets, that is). My understanding is that LZ 4 Vets will have its own website soon, but in the meantime they are represented here.

James Sparrow

The event largely consisted of lunch in the park, with live music. Karger explained to me that he wants the vets -- particularly those with PTSD to have things to do, to know that there are people who care and places to turn. He's hoping that this will be an annual event. We were there representing Stack-Up, handing out information and giving swag to anyone who could do thirty pushups in one minute.

I think the most moving part of the day was when James Sparrow read a poem he wrote called "Names." I can't do it justice, so I am reproducing it here (with his permission).

In the season of the fall
We rendezvoused in 82
In the city Of the commander in chief
For a week long   A quarter million strong
 Some came silently and solo
 Others came with Fanfare And entire families
 It was to be the great gathering! This time we would be heard!
 And we would march in the streets!
 It belonged to us--That city--That week
 Many came still whole and still very strong
 Others came weak from fierce firefights Far off the battlefield!
 Some came missing an arm--a leg--an eye Paralyzed!!
 We came to honor Those--who marched in our ranks no longer
 We would bury our dead With dignity
In Per-pe-tu-i-ty
 A Chevron--500 feet long
A monumental black granite  Memorial Etched--with the names of those who now patrolled with that huge army in the heavens Names!!--57,939
This would be the shield! That we bore their bodies home on As befitting the warriors they were
 We came to see--hear--touch--The Names
 We came in tight fitting uniforms--Faded field jackets-- 3 piece suits
 We came from the big cities and the small towns We came from the low valleys and the mountains We came from the farm lands--the range lands--the wood lands
 We came with long hair--short hair--clean shaven--bearded
 No longer did we look the same as we had when we talked the talk! and walked the walk! Up all night--in fancy hotel bars Intricate handshakes That dazzled the eye and ear.
  Laughin--cryin--huggin--kissin Crowed conversations clutter the air “Semper Fi” “Airborne all the way” “Anyone here served with 3/7 in 67” “Hey Remember me?” First Cav right here “Man, am I glad you made it back, all this time I thought you got zapped!” “What happened after I rotated?” “Did short round make it back?” Glasses clink, with arms held high . A midnight toast “Here’s to the best there ever was, and those of us that are left”.
 We were still young but old beyond our years for we had walked in the footsteps of giants
 Now we gathered--to see--hear--touch--The Names! To dedicate--consecrate-- Our name ladened marble memorial.
 For 3 days before A vigil we held by the light of candles In the National Cathedral From the altar Read aloud Names--57,939 More then 100 of us read the Names Friends and family members from thousands of miles away.
  They came to hear the names The name of a buddy--brother--lover--son--husband It was my turn In the evening of the second day To read aloud names Every pew--full Standing room only A solemn task I knelt on the altar A velet pillow--beneath my knees A sea of faces--asembled before me.
 Names 523 names I read aloud. The first was Kosakowski, Gerald A. The last was Lahna, Gary W. I read a name and receive a reaction from soft murmurs to hysterical pain I became those names all 523 Koo-he-e-nooe, Moses I. Kos-ko-vich, Michael L. LaChance--LaChapelle--LaClear--LaFlair LaRosa--Lackey--Lackland--Labowski--Lafferty I read 2 Lafayettes--3 Kowalskis--7 Laceys 7 Krafts--10 Kruegers And 12 Kramers Arthur-Dennis-Douglas-Howard-James-John- Joseph-Kevin-Leon-Ray Ámond-Robert and Stephen Kramer!!
 Each Name opening wide the mind’s eye of memory Of who they were and who they could have been A man in a wheelchair Medal of Honor gracing his neck. Weeped.With the sound of some names Flowers were dropped at my knees Mothers kissed me Fathers touched me Sisters and lovers hugged me Brothers and buddies--shook me
  Names Kranz Jr., William F. His Mother stopped me When she heard his name Tears in her eyes--with a simple request My signiture next to his name I humbly oblige Teardrops from hundreds of eyes Tug at my soul My mind is flooded with the pain of so many Names My knees ache My body shakes--finished!! I need a hand --just to stand
  At week’s end We walk in the sun Marching along together again Thousands of feet hitting the pavement not in unison at all The same feet that waded the paddies in Que Son and climbed the hills in the central highlands The same feet that clamored out of choppers  And the same such feet that flew those birds and drove those trucks and built those bridges and stood endless watch against the terror of the night
  Short timers canes little American flags  Held high in the hand Sons and daughters perched high on shoulders that once bore the burden
 Chanting!!--Shouting!! while feet strode down the avenue “I don’t know--but I been told Streets in haven--are paved with gold” “Vietnam Vet and damn proud!!” “Pick up your head and hold it high 5th Marines are passing by” “Big red one!”-- “Tropic Lighting!” G.I. beans--GI gravy G I wish I joined the Navy “God Bless America” 7 “I know a girl who lives on the hill She won’t kiss me but her sister will” “Sound off--1-2--Sound off--3-4 Bring it on down 1-2-3-4 1-2--3-4”
  A high school band plays When Johnny comes marching home again--hoo ra--hoo ra A Parade--of emotions down Constitution Ave.--to the end of the mall Where our Wall--Mirrores reflections And contains the Names
 Boat people--Refugees--Vietnamese Line the top of the wall A banner in hand--Proclaming brightly “Thank you, Vietnam Veterans for Defending Freedom and Democracy” Speechless dignataries give speeches “An overdue tribute to those who performed well in the most trying of circumstances”
  We!! came to bury our dead with dignity in Per-pe-tu-i-ty We!! Need no tribute we know who we are . We!! Are the men of Bedford--Exeter--Warwick-- Talbot--Salisbury and Gloucester That fought alongside Harry the King Upon Saint Crispin’s Day We!! Are that same band of brothers That stood defiantly at Lexington!! Conquered the Argonne!! Sweated on the “Canal”!! Chilled to the bone in the “Bulge”!! And Froze in the reservoir know as Chosin!! Speeches!!
 We listen standing--pressed together elbow to elbow asshole to
  belly button We are one!! Our souls--stitched tightly together with the thick twine of shared experience We dedicate in a moment of silence then a surging forth in a search for names It’s done--it’s there for all the world to see--hear--touch The Names 57,939

stack-up cream

Sharon's cat, Cream, has become a sort-of unofficial mascot for our chapter of Stack-Up.

It happened because, through the summer, the Friends of Cunningham Park (a local civic group that focuses on the local park had a series of evening events in the park -- movies, plays, concerts and the like. We go to a lot of them and set up an informational table. We got permission to do so from the leadership of FoCP, One local politician told us we don't technically need permission. First amendment and all. Fact is, we don't need permission. We know that. But if we're setting up our table right by someone else's event, it seems only right to ask permission -- especially since we want to have a good working relationship with FoCP.

Anway, We've been bringing Cream. He clearly like to get time outdoors -- we've been taking him out onto the lawn ever since we first realized that he's blind, and he likes the fresh air. Because he's blind, he doesn;t try to run away, so sticks with us. He'll pad around slowly, but as long as we keep with him there's no problem.

And, with his Stack-Up shirt, he's the belle of the ball. Kids come up to pet him, which lets us talk to the parents . And he seems to love being pet.

The most recent such event is described on Stack-Up's website, here.

a stack-up kind of a day

This past Saturday was perhaps the longest day of work on behalf of Stack-Up that we have had yet.

It started with Macy's in Herald Square -- the brand's flagship store. Macy's, as a corporation, is a big

supporter of the military, and an active recruiter of military veterans for employment. As in past years, Macy's has partnered with Got Your Six to raise money for a variety of military charities. Customers could donate three dollars to Got Your Six, and in exchange get a coupon for 25% off storewide. During the week or so that this program was ongoing, several military charities had tables at various departments at Macy's, 

So we -- Ethan, Blair and I -- had a table set up in Macy's (by women's shoes -- I don't know why) where we handed out information about Stack-Up and tried to sell the coupons. We're not exactly expert salespeople, and in fact only two people bought the coupons from us. Though to be fair there were plenty of people who expressed interest and went to buy the coupons at the cash registers. Truth be told, I was perfectly happy to have people buy at the register instead of from us. The charity gets the same money, and I didn't have to worry about handling as much cash.

But, while we manned the table starting at 1:00, we actually had to be at Macy's at 9:30 in the morning. That was so that Ethan could speak about Stack-Up at a "rally." As near as I could tell, the rally was essentially a departmental pep talk. A half hour before the store opened, the employees of the women's shoe department gathered and one person (their boss? I'm not sure) talked about sales results and goals, and handed out certificates to high performers. They also talked about the Got Your Six campaign, and then introduced Ethan who had a minute or two to introduce Stack-Up. He was great. It's so gratifying to see him getting better and better and more and more comfortable speaking to groups. After the rally, we had a couple hours to go shopping at the farmers' market in Union Square and have lunch before being back for our 1:00 table-manning.

It was great to find out that Macy's is supporting the military in this way. Until I had heard about this campaign, I had had no idea.

After that, it was off to the headquarters of The Wounded Warrior Project. WWP is a military charity that helps injured veterans deal with their life back in the civilian world. WWP was having a Mario Kart competition, and we were going there to help out. And provide a Wii-U, since they were short one. I think we have plans to help WWP with some of their upcoming social events.

stacking up on tv

My first taste of TV fame. I guess.

Ethan, Blair and I were on a public access TV show -- "Open" on BronxNet. We were talking about Stack-Up, how it was founded, and our role in it. I'd love to say that this appearance was the culmination of lots of hard work. But the truth is, it kind of fell in our lap. We had signed up to help with a service event run by The Mission Continues -- another military-related charity. The Mission Continues works with veterans to find ways that they can continue serving their communities after their service in the armed forces is over.

Anyway, the event was a Bronx River and Park cleanup. "Open" is kind of a public interest talk show, spotlighting events and organizations in the Bronx, so they had some interest in this service event. They had originally asked about having us on before the cleanup, I guess so we could talk it up. But due to some miscommunication, we ended up being scheduled for the Monday after the event. But the event was postponed due to rain anyway, so it was just as well.

Of course, the upshot is that we never talked about the service event. We just talked about Stack-Up, Which was fine by me. Of course, since this is a Bronx-based show, and none of this really related to the Bronx, our segment seemed a little out of place. I had to wonder if the host, interviewing us, was wondering WTF we were doing on his show.

It was fun in a nerve-wracking way. I am, after all, the kind of guy who craves a spotlight. But I also get nervous when that spotlight is arriving. I remember from my acting days. I loved being onstage. But backstage, waiting for my cue, I was always a nervous wreck. I'd stand there, cursing at myself for getting involved in the show, and swearing never to do it again. Then I'd hear my cue, shove my face in a cream pie* and go out onstage to have fun.

It's hard for me to judge how well things went. Watching the video, I can see how I could have done better -- both in manner of speech and posture. I also realize how we could have answered things differently. When the host asked about our next event, that could have been a perfect time to plug the Bronx River cleanup. But for some reason none of us thought of it. Maybe with experience we'll get better at that kind of thing. But a few of the other guests on the show came up to us afterwards and asked for a business card, saying that it sounds like Stack-Up is doing really good work. I hope they weren't just being nice.

Oh,  but that sunburned face. Maybe I shouldn't have spent Saturday at the beach.

*OK, the cream pie part only happened in "The Age of Pi," which was the last show I was in before Blair and I got married.

bay day with stack-up in oyster bay

We spent yesterday in Oyster Bay, celebrating "Bay Day" with the Waterfront Center. Not as attendees, but as vendors. We were there, in spot number 13, representing Stack-Up. I don't quite know how the opportunity came about. I assume it has to do with the fact that we participate in the Center's horseshoe crab census. Somehow Cameron (the guy running the census) hooked us up.

Blair and Ethan handled our table while I watched Asher. The highlight for me was our tour of the bay in a restored 19th-century sailboat. He also spent a lot of time at the touch tank with the crabs, sea cucumbers and other sea beasties.

Back at the table, BVlair and Ethan were handing out Stack-Up materials and getting strangers to do pushups. Anyone who could do 30 pushups in a minute was entered in a raffle to win video game codes. We also made some more contacts.

Music was provided by a Long Island band, Roy Wilson & the Buzzards. They're primarily a rockabilly band, though I noticed they play a lot faster than most traditional rockabilly bands. Not quite psychobilly, but fast. Their sets were a mix of covers and originals. I think my favorite number of theirs was the Moon Mullican classic "Seven Nights to Rock." Admittedly, I know of that song because of Nick Lowe's version.

Other vendors included the National Park Service and the Long Island Whaling Museum.

Unfortunately, attendance was low because of the weather. It was threatening to rain all day. That is, all day until it started to actually rain at around 1:00. Personally, I didn't mind the rain, but it did depress turnout. Hopefully next year's event will be sunnier.

kittyplayz with photoz

It's really interesting to see what's happening as the family gets more involved with Stack-Up.

Sharon is kind of interested in the charity. But she's more of a back-room type. I'm not sure where it will go, but for now she's been photoshopping Stack-Up shirts onto Youtubers and others. I think it started with Markiplier. The idea was to show him a photoshopped image to see if maybe he'd pose for a real photo in a real Stack-Up shirt. Here are, in order, Vincent Price, Matt Shea and Markiplier:

It started because Markiplier is apparently big on supporting charities. I don't know about Matt Shea. We'll see. I'm pretty sure Vincent Price doesn't do much posing these days...

stack-up in the news(week)

I learned today that Newsweek ran an article about Stack-Up. This is a great thing for the charity, and we were thrilled to find out. I also admit that I love the video in the article -- Stack-Up Rex appears prominently several times.

I am officially the co-lead of the Queens Stack, but that's a formality that's necessary because Ethan is still a minor. But, truth be told, Ethan and Blair each do a whole lot more for Stack-Up than I do. They were in Boston earlier this month to support Stack-Up at Pax East, and today they were at the MicroSoft store on Long Island for a Stack-Up event. And there have been plenty of other events that they ran without my help. And as we speak, they're emailing the manager of the Microsoft store in order to plan the next event.

my first comic con

This past Sunday was a first for me: My first trip to a comic book convention. It shouldn't really surprise, since I've never been much of a comic book guy. I liked Archie and Richie Rich comics when I was a kid, but I was never much for superheroes.

But this was a Stack-Up event. The first ever Fort Hamilton ComicCon seemed like a perfect event to attend for Stack-Up. Stack-Up is based around video games instead of comic books, but there is lots of crossover from one aspect of geek culture to another. And this one, located in historic Fort Hamilton, was catering largely to a military crowd. Anyway, we (mostly Ethan and Blair) spread the word, handing out Stack-Up stickers and info cards, and tweeting pictures of vendors, staff and attendees holding up the cards,

Asher and the kids' friend, Nolan, took a class in light saber fighting, and Blair and the kids sat in on a solve-the-mystery game.

For me, the highlight was a screening of the 1979 cult classic, The Warriors, which was followed by a Q&A with David Harris, who played Cochise. Earlier, they had a screening of The Toxic Avenger and a Q&A with Dan Snow who played Cigar Face. I skipped that -- I saw TA years ago in grad school and couldn't stand it then.

We had fun at this comic con, though there was definitely room for improvement. The screening tent was too bright, so the screen was washed out. And, for what seemed like the longest time, we sat and watched the DVD's splash screen since no one thought to start the show. The various panel discussions were poorly attended and not well run.

Oh well, there's always next year...

blair twote up a storm at twitchcon

For the second weekend in a row Blair spent her time at a "con" spreading the word about Stack-Up.Org.

Last week it was MineCon, which Sharon had wanted to go to (in her capacity as half of Team Meowsome). This weekend it was TwitchCon. She planned on going to that since she would already be in California.

I can't speak for everything Blair did, but I do know that she twote up a storm. On my Twitter account. As I mentioned once before, you can get a lot accomplished if you don't care who gets the credit. So one might naively assume I'm doing all this tweeting for Stack-Up, but it's Blair.

It also helps that she's a woman. People are more likely to go along if a middle-aged woman asks them to hold up a sticker for a picture that will make it to the internet than if a middle-aged man makes the same request.

So, thanks, Blair, for stacking TF up. I love you.

tweeting from two places at once -- all for stack-up

By all appearances, at least to anyone who follows me on Twitter, I managed to be in two places at once today.

Sharon is in California at MineCon (as half of Team Meowsome). Blair is there with her, and has been using the opportunity to spread the word about Stack-Up. She's been doing that by talking to people about the organization, and tweeting about it. In many cases she's been getting people to pose for pictures with Stack-Up stickers, and the Tweeting the pictures. And SU leadership seems to love it. They've been praising me for all this great work. The catch, of course, is that it's not my work. Blair has been tweeting under my name since she doesn't have a Twitter account of her own. So, essentially, I'm getting credit for her work. If you ask her, she'll explain that she doesn't care who gets the credit. She's a "policy wonk" as she puts it. Her mantra is that you can get a whole lot done if you don't care who gets the credit. But let me state for the record that she's the one doing killing it on behalf of Stack-Up out in California. The people in charge of Stack-Up should know that.

So, while Blair and Sharon are out at Minecraft, what have I been doing?

Today there was a Stack-Up fundraiser in New Jersey. So Ethan, Asher and I headed down to South Amboy to be part of the Stack-Up contingent. I twote from there, but I wasn't nearly as prolific as Blair. Tweeting is a medium that I still have to gain my comfort level with.

But since I was tweeting from New Jersey while Blair was tweeting (as me) from California, I managed the impossible.

in memory of those who served -- you will not be forgotten

We (Blair, Ethan and I) went down to Joint Base Andrews (formerly Andrews Air Force Base) to attend their annual POW/MIA Rememberance Run. The run is something that I hadn't heard of until recently, and that I probably still would't have heard of if not for Ethan getting us involved in Stack-Up. So, as we drove down to Andrews, we really didn't know what to expect. I was told that it would be a 24-hour run. And as a vigil. Most importantly, it was an event to keep alive the memories of our country's POWs and MIA. Was I going to have to run? For 24 hours straight? Yeah, fat chance of that happening. All I knew was that Stack-Up had been invited to attend. It was an honor we could hardly pass up.

So we showed up on Thursday Morning, not quite knowing what to expect. It was, in fact, a 24-hour
run. But it was relay style. No one person was expected to run for 24 hours. This is an annual event at the base, dating back (as far as I could ascertain) to the 1980s. At a little after 10 AM, Sargent Carrie Frederickson got things started. She was followed by Colonel Sharon Bannister whose father was killed in Vietnam in 1972. My description of can't do justice to the first-hand account, so instead here is her prepared text:

Colonel Bannister, talking about growing up with a dad who was MIA

In the early morning of 7 March 1972, a 2 ship of F-4E aircraft took off from Da Nang Air Base, Republic of South Vietnam on an armed reconnaissance mission over southern Laos.  The number 2 aircraft, tail number 69-7552, call sign Gunfighter 61 was cleared to attack two enemy trucks at 0655.  Unfortunately, the target wasn’t completely destroyed, so they were cleared for its second attack run.  The lead lost Gunfighter 61 in the early morning haze…enemy ground fire was heavy…and seconds later the flight lead saw a fireball over the great jungles of Laos.  Of note, both targets were destroyed.

On that hazy morning in March, First Lt Carter Howell and my dad, 1st Lt Stephen Rusch, proud Airmen assigned to the 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 366th Tactical Fighter Wing, disappeared.

Though visual, electronic, and photoreconnaissance searches continued for 3 days, on my 6th birthday, 10 March, the search concluded and Lt Howell and Lt Rusch had their status changed to Missing in Action.

No words can explain the years to follow.  The uncertainty was always there…what if my dad had died on impact…what if he had been captured and tortured….what if he got lost in the jungle, injured, alone…

Years of dreams and many nights of tears, fading hope, and an aching heart that never heals.  It’s what the families, friends, and brothers and sisters in arms of MIA/POW Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines feel when they are left alone to create their own stories.

In 2007, I was able to finish my story.  After an excavation years after the crash, my dad was identified through dental remains.  He had ended his short life of service on 7 March as his plane crashed into the slope of a mountainous area just outside a small village in Southern Laos, a beautiful…secluded jungle area with a small stream running at the base of the hill…a spot my sister and I were able to visit a year ago.  But there are still many who have not returned and whose stories still need an end.

As we run today in remembrance of those who are still missing, please keep their families and friends in your thoughts and hearts.  Let them never be forgotten.  Be safe, and thank you for what you do each day to serve our great nation.

Soon after that, the run began, and successive teams relayed for 24 hours, running with a large black POW/MIA flag. The next morning, which was yesterday, September 16, the flag was turned over to a group from the Green Knights (a military motorcycle club) who drove it from Andrews to the Air Force memorial at the Pentagon. There it was part of the memorial ceremony since yesterday was National POW/MIA Recognition Day. At the close of the ceremony, Lacey from the National League of POW/MIA families spoke about the importance of efforts to retrieve remains, to investigate and determine what happened to whom. And to remember loved ones lost in the line of duty. Those killed in action made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, and they deserve to be remembered, as do those who were POWs. And the MIAs -- people whose fate remains unknown.

Running with the flag

And, thinking about them it's humbling to realize that all these military personnel around us are people who have pledged to sacrifice themselves for the United States if called on to do so. I was reminded of that when talking to Mike. Mike is not an airman stationed at Andrews; he came as part of Stack-Up. He's also a member of the Wounded Warrior Project, having sustained nearly-fatal injuries in Afghanistan. He told us, in vivid detail, about the day he sustained his injuries and the aftermath. I'd try to retell it, hitting the high notes, but another member of Stack-Up is already putting together plans to do a video interview, so I'll wait and try to post that when it's ready.

I got the impression, though I can't be sure, that this was the first time that an attempt was made to get outside organizations involved. My understanding is that other organizations were invited, but scheduling trouble for the others meant that Stack-Up's half dozen or so people was the extent of outsiders there. We're hoping for a better showing next year. Those who served honorably deserve it. 


 Addendum: Thanks to Colonel Bannister for allowing me to reproduce her prepared text. She did not deliver the speech verbatim as it was prepared. I assume that the prepared remarks served as a guide rather than a script.

mallory lewis and lambchop in huntington

The first time I saw Mallory Lewis perform (with her puppet, Lambchop) was five years ago. Mallory was scheduled to do a show at Heckscher Park (where all the food is certified Kosher -- thanks, sis, for that awful joke) as part of the Huntington Summer Arts festival. Nature intervened, and there were hurricane conditions, which kind of make an outdoor performance a bit dicier. But we went anyway, and found that there were plenty of others who had braved the elements to come and watch the show. Well, for safety or equipment reasons, the show was cancelled. But Mallory didn't want to disappoint her fans. So she invited everyone into her dressing room where she could give an intimate show. In fact, there were too many people to fit, so she did two shows. I was very impressed by that display of appreciation for her fans.

And we were back last night, for another go. But this time with a twist. As I may or may not have mentioned on this blog (I'm too lazy to check), Ethan has gotten us involved with a charity called StackUp. StackUp supports our armed forces and veterans through videogames and gaming. Ethan and I are essentially co-leaders of the Queens chapter of StackUp. Since we were planning on going to the show, and we know that Mallory Lewis has a long history of supporting the troops (as did her mom before her), we figured that it would be a natural fit to turn the trip into a Stack event. An email or two later, and Mallory had agreed to give StackUp a shout out during her show.

In some ways it's funny. For a month or so, during the weekly StackUp meetings (I mean the online organizational meetings -- not the chapter meetings), they would mention this upcoming event. By the end, there would be comments about how it seems like this has been on the horizon forever.

Well, as a Stack event, this was better than we could have hoped for. Pretty much at the beginning of her act, Mallory talked about StackUp. She explained what the organization does, and she did it with humor. Meanwhile, somehow, Ethan was allowed to sit at a corner of the merchandise table and give away Stack-Up stickers and wristbands, and talk it up. I should note that, at this point, our role in the charity as a whole seems to be primarily to spread the word. And this worked well. Afterwards, Mallory took time to talk to us and take pictures of us. We tried to buy a couple of Lambchop puppets. But Mallory and her son, Jamie (who, BTW, is planning to attend the Air Force Academy) wouldn't take payment. Instead, they said to donate the cost to StackUp. So, Steve M, if you're reading this, Blair will be paypalling that to you. Or maybe mailing a check. I don't know which.

As for the show itself, it's an interesting tightrope she has to walk. By its nature, Lambchop is a an act designed for kids. But a big part of the attraction is nostalgia. Her natural audience consists of adults who remember Mallory's mom, Shari Lewis, and her shows with Lambchop. That's especially true of parents who want their children to have the Lambchop experience that they remember. What all this means is that she has to put on a show that kids will like but that has enough sophistication for adults. And she manages this balancing act remarkably well.

Part of how she does this is by varying things. This is not simply a puppet show; it's more a multimedia presentation including puppets in some segments. Mallory starts with some schtick, interacting with Lambchop. Then a salute to America with a medley of patriotic songs. Then a clip show tribute to Shari Lewis. Then a song in which she lists the presidents -- that one sounded like something out of Animaniacs. You get the idea.

One theme that was present in this show -- to a much greater extent, I think, than in the show five years ago -- was nostalgia for Mallory's mother. Aside from the reel of highlights, there were several extended segments showcasing Shari dancing, or singing. Mallorty was often talking about her mother and her mother's influence on her. And she ended with a film of Shari's last performance. Now, I need to admit that I didn't grow up watching Shari Lewis. I knew who she was, because I spent many afternoons after school at a friend's house, and the friend's younger brother often watched Shari on TV. So, not being familiar, I was wowed to realize how talented Shari Lewis actually was. In addition to ventriloquism, she sang and she danced. Particularly impressive were the dance routines where she was essentially attached to dummies so they moved with her. I found that amazing. And part of me now regrets not experiencing her when I was a kid. I am guessing (tough I don't have any inside knowledge) that Mallory shook things up for this particular show, since it was on the 18th anniversary of her mother's death. That made it a bittersweet experience.

Shari Lewis memorial video, put together by Mallory Lewis, and featuring Shari Lewis' final performance

On a personal note, Blair overheard her, after the show, mentioning that she wished there were someone there to say Kaddish for her mother. Well, we had a yarmulke in the car and I have a Siddur on my phone -- something I got when my father passed away nearly two years ago. So there I stood in Heckscher Park, saying Kaddish alone, while making sure to keep it in mind that this was for Shari Lewis. I'm not sure if that's halakhically acceptable, but I felt touched by it.

a trip to the gallery

Today we visited the Adelson Galleries in midtown Manhattan to see the exhibit, "Animals and Friends in Pencils, Books and Bullets." The exhibit, which featured the works of Colombian artist Federico Uribe, featured works created from broken pencils, torn books and (most impressive) spent bullet casings and shotgun shells.

The stuff made from the books and pencils was OK, but I didn't find it particularly interesting. The bullet shells and casings, though, were amazing. Uribe somehow managed to imbue the pieces with a lifelike look. Staring in the taxidermy eyes of the leopards and wolves, they seemed like living animals.In some pieces, Uribe was able to get different colors through controlled corrosion. He used those effects to create such things as spots on leopards. Sadly, the price tags mean that none of these works will be gracing my home anytime soon.

We did this as an event for our chapter of Stack Up, a charity that Ethan got us involved with. Stack Up supports our country's armed forces (both active and veteran) through a passion for video games.

If anyone in the New York area has any interest, go to the gallery's website. It says that this closes on Saturday (6/11), but we were told that it's been extended another couple of weeks.