President Obama spent the morning of Veterans Day 2011 having breakfast with a group of veterans in the White House and speaking at a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. In the afternoon he arrived at aboard Air Force One to attend the Carrier Classic.
Obama was in San Diego in September, but on a much lower-profile trip. He flew in to Miramar for a , but since that didn’t involve the spectacle of a nationally televised basketball game held on the deck of an aircraft carrier it didn’t get as much attention. No word yet on which team the president is rooting for.
Activity buzzed onboard the Vinson even before Obama’s arrival. As game time neared, fans stopped Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, who greeted sailors and veterans alike.
Basketball great Jerry West passed by a few minutes later.
Alums spotted by North Carolina and Michigan State fans include Tar Heel Tyler Hansbrough and Spartan Gregory Kelser, who played with Magic Johnson on Michigan State’s championship team 32 years ago.
Political bigwigs included San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts and Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego, who wore a shirt with “Bob Filner for Mayor” stitched on it.
Military personnel were strewn throughout the crowd, and not just sailors, but a few wounded warriors who snagged prime spots courtside. One of them, Timothy Bleigh, sensed an upset was at hand. Most others believed top-ranked North Carolina would prevail.
The veteran of action in Afghanistan heard about the game while receiving treatment at Naval Medical Center San Diego. He sat in a wheelchair Friday; despite having made great progress during six months of therapy, he feared the Vinson’s steep stairs would be too much to tackle.
But he also was touched by the effort everyone had made to make the game happen.
“You can tell they put a lot of manpower into putting something like this together,” said the San Jose native.
Jim DeLozier, a Ramona resident who has spent 26 of his 28 years in the Navy in San Diego, brought his son Jacob and a friend to the game. He works on base in Coronado as part of the Naval Air Force Pacific command.
The North Carolina fan – though he's from Missouri originally, he embraced the university when Michael Jordan played there – raved about the setup before him.
“I tell you it’s like a basketball stadium without the roof. Unless you look over the deck or at the superstructure, you’d think you’re sitting in a college coliseum.”
It is maddening to see the politics that puts campaigns above actually performing your job well. In the "real world" he would be fired as a CEO - and I can't for the life of me understand why he does not have a council of small business owners (rather than his non-tax-paying GE CEO buddy) giving him advice on turning the economy around. If he ignores the problem, it is not going to solve itself.
Again, FACT - Bush cut benefits and services for military and vets. Obama restored some of the cuts and added more. Those are facts. Stop whining about every little thing so on the off chance you have something of value to say, I can try to take it seriously. This is predictable partisan crap.
I agree 100% with your comment. President Obama is disrespected and criticized no matter what he does or doesn’t do. You are correct that the basketball game on an aircraft carrier was not Obama’s suggestion. He was simply an invited VIP guest --- as he should be as Commander in Chief. And…. no doubt Obama would have been just as loudly criticized if he had declined the basketball invitation. Sadly, there are way too many in our community who have been slurping too much tea (READ: Tea Party) while watching FOX NEWS and overdosing on too much Rush “I HATE OBAMA JUST ‘CUZ” Limbaugh from the radio. Thus, these right wingers have been brainwashed into believing President Obama is to blame for EVERYTHING THAT GOES WRONG IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE. Mr. Lawrence --- you are correct that President Obama has taken many huge steps to improve military benefits and reverse military support cuts made by Bush. But many right-wing-nut folks do not allow little nuisances like reality and facts get in their way. By the way, it was President Bush --- not President Obama --- who led our country into a bogus war in Iraq. And…. It was President Obama who made the critical decision to go after Osama Bin Laden in a very precise special ops strike --- not Bush. Although President Bush had over 7 years to do so. ‘Nuff said….
silly me.. doug
No, I did not wear the uniform. My father, 5 uncles and brother did. You don't know me, my circumstances or life - don't pretend to, although by your reply being pompous and looking down your nose at folks comes pretty easy to you. I am 100% behind the troops, and supported them rain or shine, regardless of administration. I will have a "no-computer" spelling bee with you anywhere anytime. Math also - anytime you want to match wits - sans computer and blogs - name the place time and stakes. Manipulating spell check better than someone else, and having savvy error catching programs does not make you better or smarter, but it does explain why you did not date much.
You are correct in one sense, I don't know you, nor do I wish to. I consort with a class of people that understand a greater good other than one's self and aren't totally full of (you fill in the blank)!
That being said, you are still a tool. I will not list my resume, but suffice it to say I am dedicated to my wife and kids and make sure we have what we need, and coach little league, pop warner, hold youth fitness and drug awareness camps and seminars, help out in the schools, etc. If you place small value on those, that is your right to do so. As a vet, you should appreciate the recent increase in benefits. You should appreciate the fact that someone had a wonderful diversion that the majority of the troops really enjoyed. They seemed happy, not faking it, they seemed really happy. A few of my friends are stationed there and they said it pretty impressive. You not only respect only vet's speak, but only vet's who agree with you. Your disdain for the OWS movement discounts the thousands of vets who are a part of it. Illiterate? c'mon. I do type really fast. I do have alot of obligations. No, not military. Pompous? I stand by that, you make snap judgments on people you know nothing about and bludgeon them on the back of your service (again, thank you, I mean that) As the son of a minister, contributing to the greater good has been a part of my life since birth, I am sorry you have to define and look down your nose at anyone who is different than you.