My brushes with celebrity have been few and far between. Some people thrive on that stuff, but I feel a bit more circumspect about it. People are people. Celebrities just get noticed for doing something other people do all the time.
Having said that, my most significant brush with famous people happened on a Squadron trip our Junior year at the Academy. We were on our way to Myrtle Beach AFB, SC, and flew from Colorado Springs to Andrews AFB, MD, and had a follow-on flight to Myrtle Beach.
While waiting at the terminal, this big British airliner rolls up, parks outside the windows, and all kinds of activity kicked off. One of those mobile stairs rolls up, then a red carpet, then guys start setting up rope lines. Someone finally comes in and tells us Prince Charles just arrived and he’s willing to walk the rope line if we want to go out and see him. So of course we do.
I was playing rugby at the time, and had just gotten kicked in the face while reaching down to pick up a loose ball. Beautiful black eye still since it had happened in the middle of the previous week during practice.
I think there were maybe 50 of us total, so the rope line was one-deep. As Prince Charles approached, he spotted my black eye and struck up a quick conversation about how I got it, what kind of sport. Rugby? really? British Rugby? (is there any other kind? I didn’t know about Australian Rules football at the time). We actually shook hands and then he was off down the rest of the line. Boom!
While waiting at the terminal, this big British airliner rolls up, parks outside the windows, and all kinds of activity kicked off. One of those mobile stairs rolls up, then a red carpet, then guys start setting up rope lines. Someone finally comes in and tells us Prince Charles just arrived and he’s willing to walk the rope line if we want to go out and see him. So of course we do.
I was playing rugby at the time, and had just gotten kicked in the face while reaching down to pick up a loose ball. Beautiful black eye still since it had happened in the middle of the previous week during practice.
I think there were maybe 50 of us total, so the rope line was one-deep. As Prince Charles approached, he spotted my black eye and struck up a quick conversation about how I got it, what kind of sport. Rugby? really? British Rugby? (is there any other kind? I didn’t know about Australian Rules football at the time). We actually shook hands and then he was off down the rest of the line. Boom!
In the desert in 2004, my crew picked up Rob Schneider and Wayne Newton at the end of a long day visiting the troops in Baghdad. Wayne looked beat to hell, but Rob (“Deuce Bigalow, Male Prostitute”) sat up on the flight deck with us and cracked jokes for the entire hour and a half from Baghdad to Kuwait, where they were spending the night. He was hysterical! Very fun interlude.
Another notable meet was riding a ski lift at Lake Tahoe with comedian Buddy Hackett. Looks goofy, but he was quite charming, and it was an enjoyable 20 minute conversation. (Btw, the guy was a very good skier.)
Another notable meet was riding a ski lift at Lake Tahoe with comedian Buddy Hackett. Looks goofy, but he was quite charming, and it was an enjoyable 20 minute conversation. (Btw, the guy was a very good skier.)
Finally, was able to play 9 holes with Chi-Chi Rodrigues, on one of our Coronet Oak deployments to Puerto Rico. That was a thrill because he was one of my dad’s favorite pro golfers, and I remember watching him in the Tour. He was very nice and very entertaining.
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