WHAT ARE THE ODDS

On Thursday evening, December 6, 2007, my wife Marie and I were sitting at home and she said "Why don't you call Tommy and Sandra (friends of ours) and ask them if they want to go to a local Mexican Restaurant on Friday night". When I called and asked them they said that they had just eaten there and suggested we go to this other restaurant, over in Valdosta, about 16 miles away. A little bit of irony here, the restaurant was Japanese and it was Dec 7!

That evening when I had finished eating, I looked around and noticed quite a few people in army uniforms, and then I noticed they all were wearing the 101st Eagle on their left shoulders. I went over to one table and told them that I wished to say thank you for all they had done and were doing. I told them that I noticed by their patches that they belonged to a good outfit as I had served with the 101st in Nam.

I went back to my table, paid the bill and as we were leaving my wife stopped at another table and was telling them how much we appreciated all they were doing too. I told them that I had served with B Trp, 2/17, 101st in Nam. They then told me that they were A Trp, 2/17. You could have knocked me over with a feather, but it gets better. There were more soldiers standing behind us in the lobby and one of them asked me if I had said that I was in B Trp, 2/17 in Nam at which I answered yes, and he then told me that they were B Trp, 2/17.

As it turns out, both A and B Trp were taking their Helicopters to Jacksonville, Fl. to be shipped to Afghanistan. They had stopped for the night in Valdosta. Then they invited me to come out to the airport the next morning.

When we got home that night, Marie promptly set in to baking four pecan pies for me to take to them. I gave two to each Troop. I'm afraid that wasn't enough, but hope they enjoyed the taste anyway. I arrived at the airport the next morning around 9 AM and spent close to three hours with both A and B Trp, Mostly B Trp.

One of the members of A Trp gave me one of their patches on Friday night. And on Saturday morning Capt Wolf came up and gave me 3 B Trp patches, 1 old one, and 2 of the new ones, one of which is the desert patch. Capt Wolf arranged for some pictures of them with me. I probably broke the camera! See photos at the right.

It was a big surprise running into them and to spend time with them was a joy in itself! I wished them all well, told them to go do a good job but to remember the main thing is to come home. Then I got out of their way so they could do what was needed before leaving.

Just what are the odds of such an accidental meeting as this? You tell me!