When Gerald Ford Visited The Citadel

I was sitting in the snack bar of Mark Clark Hall having one of those fabulous chocolate shakes with a couple of classmates when we noticed some suits. Knowing that the Vice President was soon to visit, it was easy to identify Secret Service agents. They were the advance team and had just arrived. As true Americans their first stop was for a cheeseburger in a building named for a true American.

I decided to engage them in a conversation. Eventually they asked where the weapons on campus were stored. I told them that the personal weapons of cadets and the pistols of the Pistol Team were held in the armory maintained by the US Army ROTC unit. You could just tell that they were thinking that it would be easy to control that situation by a lock down. Then with perfect timing I delivered the punch line that each cadet had a M-14 in his room. Trying to remain cool they tried not to react but you see them tense. Then I revealed that the firing pins had been removed. The agents relaxed. I just could not leave it alone. I explained that an inserted 16p nail would make an M-14 fire at least once. I had no idea if it would work or if the nail would fit where the pin had been removed but it sounded good. Their radar went back up.

Going back to the barracks I was enjoying the thought that we would have to turn in our rifles and we would get to parade without them. Cadets love mischief and I thought I had disrupted our world. To further entertain myself I told my fellow cadets that the Secret Service was prepared to shoot you if you made a strange move while you passed in review. For the uninitiated that is the point in the parade where you would be very close to the Vice President holding a rifle. I was still certain that our rifles would be collected.

The joke was on me. The rifles remained in our room gun racks. Several weeks later, the day of the parade arrived. Everyone was excited, we had heard a rumor that some College of Charleston girls were going to streak at the parade in front of the VPOTUS. We were hoping that we would be incensed. (Ray Steven's song lyrics) The company first sergeant inspected each rifle. I had to believe he was looking for nails. I started in on my fellow cadets telling them they would be shot if they tripped or mishandled their rifle when they were close to Vice President Ford. I was having a ball right up to the point when I saw the sniper on the roof of the Padgett-Thomas Barracks.

Gary Barker is an alumni member of the Citadel class of 1976. You can follow him on Facebook or visit his Website.

My Favorite Super Bowl Moment

I joined my friends in the lounge at our local Elk's Lodge to watch the game. We had a great assortment of game food. Our lodge is made up of locals and retirees. Quite often a majority of those present are vets. We have an unusual number of guys that have served the US Military and reached the highest enlisted ranks.

I often wonder what is going to be the highlight of the night. A multimillion dollar commercial or an extraordinary athletic feat. My greatest moment came early. During the National Anthem the screen showed a group of our troops standing at attention in a tent in Afghanistan.

As I write this I am having trouble seeing the screen. The thought of our troops standing during a televised National Anthem in a tent in a war zone has had a profound effect on me. When the image above flashed on the big screens at the game the crowd erupted. This was my favorite moment.

Much has been made of our nation's "greatest generation". My father was a member of that group being a decorated veteran of WWII and Korea. That group truly saved the world from a looming darkness.The guys that responded to the threats of WWII had a clear vision of what was at risk and believed that our nations survival was at risk. We had been attacked.  I am very appreciative of the groups that served in the Korean and Viet Nam wars. During the Korean and Viet Nam conflicts many young Americans were drafted. Their service was no less heroic.

Our current group of service men and women are all volunteers. They have chosen to serve when the threat to the homeland is more difficult to discern. In my business of selling real estate I have been privileged to serve many of these young people. I have been stunned by their sacrifices. Many have served multiple combat tours. Considering that we have been sending our young people to the Middle East since Desert Shield in 1990. Afghanistan saw our troops arrive in 2001. We invaded Iraq the second time in 2003. Our young people still pull tours in Japan, Korea and Germany. I have concluded that the current generation is "One Great Generation"

Their standing at attention for a televised National Anthem preceding the Super Bowl is an image that will stay with me. Their deep display of patriotism has become my favorite Superbowl memory of all time.