Last night, Denis had the great honor of hosting the annual Navy SEAL Foundation dinner. The Navy SEAL Foundation provides assistance to families of Navy SEALS who have been injured or killed in the line of duty and last night there were 1600 people at the dinner, which raised a tidy sum for the foundation.
How much?
I’m afraid that’s classified.
As soon as we arrived at the location (sorry, I’m not at liberty to disclose the location except to say that it was CONUS) I withdrew my cellphone and steadied my aim. My mission was to take a photograph of the group, as it was the rarest assemblage of individuals that I have witnessed in this particular geographic region. The ratio of men to women was about 20/1 last night, and the normal ratio, among the civilian population on this small, but heavily populated island is about three women to every one man. I wanted to document this phenomenon and later have a debriefing session with my single, female compatriots about the annual event, with the intention of having them infiltrate the group next year. Unfortunately, my mission was aborted. A tall naval officer/demigod politely requested that I not photograph any of the men in uniform, as it’s against government regulations. I was allowed to take the photo of the video screen above, but when I tried to tweet it, the tweet was disabled. I was only able to tweet texts from the classified destination, not photos.
That’s when I realized that I was a sort of de-facto member of this group of United States Navy SEALS, for I was allowed to walk freely amongst them, to dine with them and to glean top-secret information from a few (okay, I’ll spill — not one of the highly trained K-9 troops can ride a skateboard, so yes, there are some gaps in their training).
Seriously, last night I was truly humbled by each and every person that I met, from the enlisted men, officers, wives and parents to the highly generous donors who started the foundation and support this very important cause.
Every year, a member or unit of the SEALS receives the “Fire in the Gut” award, and this year the award went to all the canine troops who are so bravely serving our country. There was an amazing video of the dogs of war, at work and at play, and then Denis welcomed an officer and his dog to the stage where they received the award on behalf of all the K-9 troops. Denis got to hang with the dog backstage!
The woman who organized last night’s fundraiser is a civilian whom we have known for years. She plans many of the top charitable fundraisers in New York CONUS. She told me that prior to the event, she had been standing in front of the building with the officer who accepted the “Fire in the Gut” award, and a homeless man approached them and started talking to the officer. The homeless man wanted to know if he was a navy man. “Yes sir,” the officer replied. The man started to rant about his own experiences in the military, which apparently were, at times difficult to understand, as he was quite intoxicated, but he seemed to have a beef with the navy. The officer listened intently, answered all his questions, addressed him repeatedly as “sir” and then he reached out and shook the man’s hand when they parted. Later, at the dinner, one of the officers read The United States Navy Seals Ethos which was written by SEALS for SEALS. Here is an excerpt:
“I humbly serve as a guardian to my fellow Americans always ready to defend those who are unable to defend themselves…I serve with honor on and off the battlefield. The ability to control my emotions and my actions, regardless of circumstance, sets me apart from other men. Uncompromising integrity is my standard. My character and honor are steadfast. My word is my bond.”
I’m not at liberty to share the entire content of the SEALS Ethos with you, except that I was shocked that the words, “I am unbelievably hot” were not there.
Yes, it’s heady stuff, having this amount of power and knowledge bestowed upon me in just a few hours, but I promise to uphold the standard set by the men I met last night.
I hope that you will click on the link above to learn more about the foundation and perhaps to give a donation.
Now if only I could get the phone numbers of the unmarried SEALS for my friends.
Inspiring…as our servicemen and women always seem to be.
Thank you for the glimpse….and for all you and Denis do.
Happy Holidays, e-Friend!
One of My favourite blogs you have written Ann!
Great Job! Marks best friend was Seal team 6, I lived among the Seals for 2 years on base in Guam( DREAMY) Mark trained with the seals in San Diego for 4 weeks and dropped out at hell week(rang the bell) and went to Submarine school and he was on Seal Submarines for 22 years taking them to and from their missions,…Sorry this blog post is close to my heart, and I am so very very proud of our US Navy Seals…. WEAK AT THE KNEES!
Mark is so cool!
aww Thanks Ann!
mark IS cool!
Lisa, dont make me drive down there and kiss ya…….
I am from a Gold Star Navy family and have the utmost respect for any soldier but there is defiantly something about a man in uniform. Add a canine into the mix, and that would just make me melt right there on the spot. How awesome that you and Denis to share such a wonderful evening honoring these brave men & women.
Much love, honor and respect…
You must have just been bustin’ your buttons, Ann. I know I would have been.
“Bustin’ your buttons.” Love it.
Lol. Bustin’ Buttons. Or blowin’ one’s skirt up.
Gloria
Loved this post (had to Google CONUS). My grandfather was a Navy JAG Lawyer, so anything Navy is close to my heart. Sounds like you had a nice time mixing it up with the few, the proud, the HOT (with all due respect to the marines).
Wow. That’s all I can say right now. Wow.
You do become tongue tied around men in uniform, don’t you?
Colleen, Yes, I do. However, I draw the line at Burger King and UPS employees.
My grandfather was a Navy frogman in WWII. Last night I learned that the frogmen were the pioneers of the part of the Navy that later became the SEALS, in 1962.
Very cool, Ann!
My father served in the Navy during WWII, so I am rather fond of those Navy boys. Sounds like a wonderful evening.
I am a little dizzy right now just imagining the company you kept at this event. Despite the fact I could be their grandmother. And am married. Must go lie down.
Yes, try fanning yourself, I found that helpful last night.
WOW.. just WOW.
Paula, I’m with you…ziddy…I mean dizzy…
Eye candy for sure. Since regular candy just makes my waist bigger, thanks for visual (and the distraction from the Tootsie Rolls calling my name).
We have known some special ops guys, and the small glimpse we had into their training and work staggers the mind.
They have amazing discipline and courage in the face of appalling “stuff.”
And they weren’t too hard on the eyes either.
Ann’s blog has been a part of my daily life since Day One, but I rarely post comments (I have attempted several times, but make some error because they don’t appear on the blog). Lurking is my comfort zone. But this entry struck a chord with me, and I simply had to write about how awestruck I am that Denis was the host of this event for the most stalwart, patriotic, and qualified of our armed forces. For decades Denis has been all alone on a pedestal among those celebrities I admire. Knowing the Navy SEAL Foundation agrees makes me a little giddy (in a completely grown-up old-lady way, of course….)Thanks for the great post, Ann. That surely was a singularly memorable night for you and Denis.
Hi Betsy! There you are! Great to hear from you again. Yes, Denis was so unbelievably honored to have been asked. It turns out that Rescue Me is VERY popular among the SEALS.
I must add that when we arrived, there were waiters walking around with trays of drinks. Usually at these events the trays have flutes of champagne. These trays had tall, dark drinks. I asked what they were. Bourbon Iced Teas! At the bar, it looked like they might have to send out for backup rations of Jack Daniels and bourbon. This was the manliest event I have ever been to in Manhattan. You just don’t see people walking around with trays of bourbon drinks in these here parts.
hi, betsy! i’ve been thinking of you, wondering how you’re doing. so glad you posted a message!
ann, as if your story could get any better … bourbon swilling navy seals – nice!
Back in my youth – before I was unlucky enough to contract Hep C from a blood transfusion – I always used to drink bourbon on the rocks. So good.
Linda: Veering off into personal territory…..Is your maiden name Burton and are you from Rochester, Indiana? I am from Rochester, my maiden name is Overmyer, and I moved back here 23 years ago. Some of the things you have written over the past many months gave me a inkling that you are Linda Burton from here. (Sorry if this is too nosy or intrusive. Just ignore me if it is.)
Betsy, my maiden name is Goodin. I was born and raised in Bedford, Indiana, which is in Lawrence County. Sorry I am not your Linda Burton. You moved back to Indiana? Have you ever regretted it?
I was so hoping this was going to be a miraculous reunion, right here on the blog!
Wow, sounds like it was quite an exciting, inspiring evening! I’m in awe. In a manly sort of way, of course.
(Were there any hot lady Navy SEALS, Ann? Just askin’….)
You know, I think most of the women who were there were wives and mothers and also the business people who support the charity. I didn’t notice any women in uniform, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t there. There were a lot of people there.
I am married to a former USMC Force Recon Marine. Our friends are “in the business”, some as government employees, in the military or as contractors. I grew up in a small town in Dutchess County, NY that did not have an abundance of manly men. Then I met my husband who introduced me to a world of SEALS, Recon Marines, Rangers, SF and wow, what a world. I taught him about the importance of thread count and copper pans. He showed me a world of camaraderie, brotherhood and loyalty unlike any I have seen. The charitable work that you and Denis both undertake, Ann, is inspiring. Glad to know he was a part of this event and that you had a peek into the life of the SpecOps world.
What a beautifully worded comment, Dana. That sounds like a wonderful marriage. Thanks for your kind words.
Our adopted son, Michael, was a Force Recon Marine in the first Gulf War, and received a Purple Heart. Fortunately, he was not badly injured.
Wow Linda, I’m glad your brave son is okay.
Thank you, Ann. Marriage is compromise. So much so, that I up and left CT 3 weeks ago to live in Dubai with him. We’ll see how it goes
Linda, my husband was also in the 1st Gulf War. Does he share the same last name? It is small community, as you know.
Our adopted son’s name is Michael Shoemaker. He is actually my nephew. We adopted him after both his mother and his father died.
I think they asked Denis to speak because they read his essay about cats! There are no SEAL Team cats, you can be sure of that.
Ariel, that’s so funny. After the video showing SEAL dogs skydiving, taking down suicide bombers, etc, Denis returned to the podium and said, “I guess that solves the ‘dogs vs cats’ debate once and for all. Cats suck!”
Yes, Linda, I moved back to Indiana 23 years ago. My marriage was going south, and I had an opportunity to reunite with my high school boyfriend who was also going through a divorce at the time. Long story short, we immediately found our old rhythms and chemistry (for good and for bad!) and have been together ever since. 23 years total, 15 married. Unfortunately, I have never lived in another state, though many were appealing. Kind of a scaredy cat, I am. So, yes, I’ve regretted it many times, but have also been happy with my decision many times. We all do the best we can with the knowledge we possess at any given time, don’t we. Sorry you aren’t the Linda Hatch I know, but maybe we’ll get to know one another through Ann’s exceptional blog. (I couldn’t post a reply to your thread as there was no “reply” button on that one. I hope you find this posting.)
Gotcha, Betsy. I left Indiana when I was 16 and lived in the Philadelphia area until I was 40 when my husband’s work took us to California. Have been here since 1980 and really wouldn’t want to live in any other state. I do go back to Indiana for frequent visits to see lots of family members I have back there.