Washington State Weekend - Part One

Washington State – Hitting The Ground Running

As soon as I walked off the airplane in Seattle, I was greeted by State Commander Traci and USO Volunteer Mr Pepsi.  He goes by Pepsi because his last name is even more undecipherable than mine!  We walked to the SEATAC USO and I received a tour of the facility and a great briefing from the Executive Director, Mr Don Leingang.  Talk about pride in a facility!  Pre-Covid the USO here served over 14,000 guests per month.  During the shut down, they have done so much work refurbishing, doing maintenance, and re-positioning so they can soon open their doors and do what they do best:  Serve our Armed Forces and their families.  They are going to be able to do more now as Commander Traci presented a check in the amount of $3400 from the VFW.

Don provided interesting tidbits of information while he told me of the great commercial partners they have.  One great example is the sea of leather Lazy Boy recliners and couches, donated free of charge and constantly replaced to ensure they look and feel good.  Another partner is the Starbucks located in the airport.  Say what you will about Starbucks, but when a company donates 100 pounds of coffee EACH WEEK to help our troops my hat’s off to them.  As I walked along, I was impressed with the beautiful teak floor.  It turns out the Boeing Company somehow ended up with all of the teakwood decking from the USS Colorado when it was decommissioned and they donated all of it to the USO.  I was walking on history and my mind reeled as I thought of all the sailors who walked on this deck over the many years the ship was in service.  I was floored [get it?] when Don and Pepsi gave me an actual piece of the deck.  It’s something I certainly will treasure.

Then we retrieved my luggage and off we drove to American Lake Golf Course, located on the grounds of the local VA hospital.  We were greeted by their main volunteer, Mr. Bruce, who is also a Past National Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.  Everyone involved with the golf course is a volunteer and they exist solely on donations.  Originally built in the 1950s as a nine hole course, they expanded recently when Jack Nicklaus designed a signature back nine course.  This is his 400^th signature course.  The really exciting part of this golf course is the work they do with disabled veterans.  They have a state of the art training facility, which includes a massive simulator that a has golf courses from all over the world programmed into it.  It even has the grandfather of all golf course, St Andrews!  In fact they are the only facility that has St Andrews available.  Mr Bruce showed and demonstrated the latest models of paragolfer carts—they run up to $40,000 each and they have a stable of them.  They also have a huge inventory of standard golf carts and each one is purchased by donations.  For a mere $5000 you can have your organization’s logo…or even your smiling face…on the cart.  They know how to market!  The driving range is automated too, with automatic ball placers so a disabled veteran doesn’t have to bend over. 

There is so much right about this place and it’s no wonder Commander Traci has chosen it for her Commander’s Special Project.  The stately trees and serene setting help soothe the mind at the same time that being able to enjoy golfing is good for the body.  As we walked around in the fine mist and watched the deer walking on the driving range, I felt a sense of calm.  This place is a gem and I salute them for the great work they do every day to make a veteran’s life better.

Mr Pepsi showing me his wall plaque, referencing FOUR generations of Navy Service

Executive Director Don and Mr Pepsi talking up the great things the SeaTac USO provides.  Along the back wall are a small portion of the almost 2,000 unit patches from all branches of service

Just a few of the hundreds of loungers, here in the 80" TV viewing theater

There is a replica of the USS Colorado here with a sign saying:  "You're standing on the original teakwood decks of the USS Colorado (BB-45), a proud battleship of the U.S. Pacific fleet in World War II"

My own piece of WWII history courtesy of the USO!

Entry to the Clubhouse at the American Lake VA facility

Mr Bruce demonstrating how a paragolfer cart actually stands up a disabled golfer so they can take their swing on the fairway.  The seat then goes back into seated position and off you go for the next shot

Through this portal lay the fantastic course!