statue in front of the us capitol

[littlemissmartypants]

6. In 1986, I was fortunate enough to be on Governors Island for Liberty Weekend.

Liberty Weekend* was a four-day celebration held to mark the 1984–86 restoration and the centenary of the Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World) in New York City.[1] It began on July 3, 1986, and ended on July 6.

My dad was stationed there, and many extended family members came to New York for the weekend.

There was an abundance of amazing food and music, and there were performances of every imaginable kind. I met lots and lots of celebrities, performers in music, movies and politicians.

French President François Mitterrand was also there. He was one person who I did not meet that weekend. A few years later, I met him face to face, shook his hand, and we spoke briefly in French at the anniversary of the battle at Yorktown in the early 1990s.

But Liberty Weekend was a great experience, an enormous patriotic celebration, and almost overwhelming.

Daddy was even one of the sailors on the Eagle during Operation Sail as part of the sailing of the tall ships in an enormous flotilla.

Henry Kissinger was drunk driving a golf cart around the island, and a very loose perimeter of SS agents was following him around, trying not to get run over.

He drove through my parents' yard and stopped. Because of that, some of my relatives weren't allowed out of the house, and some others of us weren't allowed in, so he delayed our big family luncheon that day.

One of Henry Kissinger's SS agents gave me a Marine One matchbook, which is one of my prized possessions. I had asked him a question, flirting, but he wouldn't answer for good reason. So, he made a bold gesture by giving it to me, and I'll never forget how handsome he was.

I had just graduated from grad school, feeling free as a bird and having fun.

What a great time we had! There are so many wonderful memories!

This statute says things about us as a nation that I never would have believed if anyone had suggested it that weekend.

I am a very proud patriot, and these cretins in this regime are really trying my patience.

I don't believe that I have many years left, maybe ten. I'm trying to "remember the good things," as Daddy used to always say.

I also know that none of us can afford to look away. We are living in dangerous times, and we, the people, are the people we've been looking for.

Thanks so much for sharing this, moonshinegnomie.

❤️

The USCGC Eagle:


A partial picture of the flotilla:


*About Liberty Weekend:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Weekend



About the Eagle:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USCGC_Eagle_(WIX-327)