i flew paul newman 2 days in a row at the '79 watkins glen race.

pic with eisenhower in 1953.

My brother in-law's father was in the 10th Mountain Division in WWII. He fought at Riva Ridge and crossed the Po River. I only met him a handful of times and he never spoke of his experiences, but my brother in-law told me about his dad's experiences. Tremendous bravery and valor.

My nephew, Landon, with then President Bush. I've met Landon ... who met the President. Other than that, I read a book about Abraham Lincoln once ... when I was a kid.

In the early 90s I was aboard USCGC Metompkin in Charleston SC, when our ship and the USCGC Madrona escorted many of the Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients to a salute to Ft. Sumner in Charleston Harbor. Very humbling men. No one, to a man, thought they were special....they only wanted us to know of the many men who never made it home.

I was a child actor. Worked with Gordon Jump when he was young.

Forgive me if I’ve told this before. Years ago I used to work a very prestigious men’s multi-day (5) trail ride, campout, and drinking fest that extended the winter season down in Wickenburg, Arizona. I was a trail wrangler and my job was to ride along with the men and render assistance along the way. The men who rode included a number of those who would be considered leaders of business, law, medicine and retired military.

One afternoon I’m riding along and struck up a conversation with a man who turned out to be a thoracic surgeon, or “chest cutter” as he referred to himself. His name was Dr. Bill Shankel. As we rode he told me his story. Dr. Shankel flew an A-4 off the USS Enterprise, the first nuclear carrier in the Fleet. He was shot down on a mission to take out a bridge between Hanoi and Haiphong and spent the next 7 years in the Hanoi prison system.

He told me that when he was released the Navy said, “Bill, you will be promoted to the rank of Lt. Commander and may have any post you desire, what would you like to do?”

LCDR Shankel said, “I’d like to command a fighter wing.”

The “Navy” replied, “Bill, you got it. Just one thing. In the years since you been a POW, the Navy has instituted a policy that all officers in leadership positions must have a college degree.” Bill Shankel didn’t have one.

He told me that the more he thought about, the more he realized, that if he was going to have to go to college anyway, he might as well shoot for something bigger. He became a thoracic surgeon. He first practiced medicine in Needles, CA. Later, when a colleague retired, he took over his practice in Hawaii, where he lives now. I’m sure he’s retired now.

quote:

Originally posted by ASKSmith:
Mrs. Fred Rogers was a customer of mine.

My dad was the Chief Periodontist in the USPHS. While working in a federal penitentiary, Marion Barry was a Client.

My uncle use to cut through the White House property in the 1940’s, and was on a first name basis with the president.

Somehow I’m related to Jim Jeffries, the heavy weight boxing champion of the world in the early 1900’s.

My friend Johnny was his(Fred Rogers) mail carrier in Oakland PA.

My favorite was standing face to face inches away from my '80s crush, Brit comedy actress Tracey Ullman. I almost peed my pants.

I used to work at a video store in Berkeley CA. I had Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day, actor Carl Lumbly and his wife Vonetta McGee, and horror actor Jeffrey Combs as customers.

I've met my '70s celebrity crush Kristy McNichol at a Hollywood autograph show, and I had Annie Potts sign my Corvette Summer DVD.

I've met a bunch of horror actors: Linda Blair, P.J. Soles, Heather Langenkamp, Barbara Crampton, Elvira, Linnea Quigley, and Bruce Campbell.

Working tv news, I had quick words with too many celebs to mention -- Pres. Bush 41, Stan Musial (a great story I've told before here), Ernie Banks, The Ramones and Ozzy Osbourne (the only other guy in the room). A bunch more.

Two stand out. I bitched to The Mayor Daley of Chicago about crappy press accommodations from about three feet away as I was pushed up against the table he sat at. I hope I pissed him off.

I met Bob Hope near the end of his life, talked a little golf and the one guy I'm proudest to have met.

A couple buddies and I were playing golf at a local course here, Kierland, and as we were getting ready to tee off as a threesome the starter told us a single was going to join us. Turned out to be Bo Jackson. Played the round with him, great guy. It's true about his stuttering, he had a hard time putting a sentence together.

Let’s see.
In high school, I belonged to an adult Sunday school class. Charles Schulz of Peanuts was the teacher.
I had breakfast once with Gen. Chuck Yeager; but my son was off collecting the autographs of about 6 Nobel prize winning physicists.
Oh, and my wife and I took the tour of the tunnels under Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem last September. We were as close as one can get to the site of the Holy of Holies. Not much of a brush, but doesn’t get greater.

I had the good fortune "back in the day" to meet the late great Colonel Jeff Cooper at his world famous Gunsite Academy tactical training facility near Prescott, Az.

His iconic marksmanship techniques and self defense philosophies are still taught at Gunsite, and reprints of the many books he authored are available at the Proshop there.

[/QUOTE]My friend Johnny was his(Fred Rogers) mail carrier in Oakland PA.[/QUOTE]

I use to work with Johnny, if it’s the same one that has a last name like “Latrine”. His words not mine. Lol. I worked in Oakland about 17yrs ago. She lived in upscale apartment complex. I’d pick up mail addressed to Mrs. George Bush.

I’ve always had a fondness for vets. I have always had a WWII vet or two on my routes. I always checked on them daily. Sadly, I no longer have any. And I lost a Korean War vet last year. I still have some Vietnam and Post 9/11 vets though.

I shook hands with Jack Nicklaus when I was 13.

Had lunch and spent the afternoon with Bobby Rydell the rock&roll singer from the late 50's early 60's. Very nice guy.

I met and shook hands with Vice President Humphrey when I was a boy living in Africa.

I took photos of James Brady, President Reagan’s Press Secretary, on several occasions related to fundraising events for a local hospital’s traumatic head injury rehab facility.

I’ve been inside The White House’s security zone attending meetings at the Old Executive Office Building.

Oh and Marie Osmond put her arm around me when we were teenagers.

We are all five contacts from everybody else in the whole world.

Back in High School, our ski team went to the International Special Olympics up in Stowe VT as coaches for the X-C athletes. During one of the award ceremonies, Susan Saint James was hugging all the athletes...I pushed up to the line to got a hug from her, whispering in her ear "I'm one of the coaches, I just wanted to get a hug from you." She pushed me back with a big smile and wagged her finger at me.

Ted Kennedy and his Mother also walked by us early in the AM - and asked us where they could get a drink...at least that's how I remember it.

My brother and I went to see King Crimson in Cincinnati. It was the H.O.R.D.E. Festival. King Crimson was the first act on the main stage. There weren't a ton of people there yet so there were some empty seats all around us. After a couple of songs this tall black fellow asked us "can I hang out with you guys and watch Crimson?"

I said "Absolutely, my friend!" and shook his hand. He was into the music as much as I was. Really great show. I didn't ask his name.

After King Crimson was finished we talked a bit and got ready to see Lenny Kravitz play. Just as Kravitz started we noticed the guy slipped out. We didn't see him go. Lenny announced after a couple songs that he had a special guest and said Bootsy Collins was going to join him on stage. It was the guy that was hanging out with us.

I met Queensrÿche, too. It was a planned record signing so it wasn't happenstance but Chris Degarmo and Michael Wilton were really outgoing and friendly. They asked about my music equipment and seemed actually interested. The rest of the band seemed to be on another planet.