ABout our troops and trains

I got this from the Yahoo n scale group. Pretty touching stuff.

To: <WM_Rwy@yahoogroups.com>, <n_scale@yahoogroups.com>
From: "Timothy Alder" <talder1@umbc.edu>
Subject: [n_scale] A good Reed with trains no doubt


All,

Received this through my reenacting unit, thought I would pass it on to
everyone here. Two good things, helping out our soldiers and trains!


Hope it leaves a good feeling,

Tim


(Moderator's note... If you have a problem with this message, I'll be happy to drop you off at Twenty Nine Palms, China Lake, NAS Point Mugu, Fort Irwin or Edwards AFB and you can explain your way out of it.)


Subject: Great Story

The following article appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News on December
22, 2005 By Ronnie Polaneczky

It started last Christmas, when Bennett and Vivian Levin were overwhelmed by
sadness while listening to radio reports of injured American troops. "We
have to let them know we care," Vivian told Bennett. So they organized a
trip to bring soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda
Naval Hospital to the annual Army-Navy football game in Philly, on Dec. 3.

The cool part is, they created their own train line to do it.

Yes, there are people in this country who actually own real trains. Bennett
Levin - native Philly guy, self-made millionaire and irascible former L&I
commish - is one of them. He has three luxury rail cars. Think mahogany
paneling, plush seating and white-linen dining areas. He also has two
locomotives, which he stores at his Juniata Park train yard. One car, the
elegant Pennsylvania, carried John F. Kennedy to the Army-Navy game in 1961
and '62. Later, it carried his brother Bobby's body to D.C. for burial.
"That's a lot of history for one car," says Bennett.

He and Vivian wanted to revive a tradition that endured from 1936 to 1975,
during which trains carried Army-Navy spectators from around the country
directly to the stadium where the annual game is played. The Levins could
think of no better passengers to reinstate the ceremonial ride than the
wounded men and women recovering at Walter Reed in D.C. and Bethesda, in
Maryland. "We wanted to give them a first-class experience," says Bennett.
"Gourmet meals on board, private transportation from the train to the
stadium, perfect seats - real hero treatment."

Through the Army War College Foundation, of which he is a trustee, Bennett
met with Walter Reed's commanding general, who loved the idea. But Bennett
had some ground rules first, all designed to keep the focus on
the troops alone:

No p ress on the trip, lest the soldiers' day of pampering devolve into a
media circus.

No politicians either, because, says Bennett, "Ididn't want some idiot
making this trip into a campaign photo op."

And no Pentagon suits on-board, otherwise the soldiers would be too busy
saluting superiors to relax.

The general agreed to the conditions, and Bennett realized he had a problem
on his hands. "I had to actually make this thing happen," he laughs.

Over the next months, he recruited owners of 15 other sumptuous rail cars
from around the country - these people tend to know each other - into
lending their vehicles for the day. The name of their temporary train? The
Liberty Limited.

Amtrak volunteered to transport the cars to D.C. - where they'd be coupled
together for the round-trip ride to Philly - then back to their owners
later. Conrail offered to service the Liberty while it was in Philly. And
SEPTA drivers would bus the disabled soldiers 200 yards from the train to
Lincoln Financial Field for the game. A benefactor from the War College
ponied up 100 seats to the game - on the 50-yard line - and lunch in a
hospitality suite.And corporate donors filled, for free and without asking
for publicity, goodie bags for attendees:

From Woolrich, stadium blankets.


From Wal-Mart, digital cameras.


From Nikon, field glasses.


From GEAR, down jackets.

There was booty not just for the soldiers, but for their guests, too, since
each was allowed to bring a friend or family member. The Marines, though,
declined the offer. "They voted not to take guests with them, so they could
take more Marines," saysLevin, choking up at the memory.

Bennett's an emotional guy, so he was worried about how he'd react to
meeting the 88 troops and guests at D.C.'s Union Station, where the trip
originated. Some GIs were missing limbs. Others were wheelchair-bound or
accompanied by medical personnel for the day. "They made it easy to be with
them," he says. "They were all smiles on the ride to Philly. Not an ounce
of self-pity fromany of them. They're so full of life and determination."
At the stadium, the troops reveled in the game, recalls Bennett. Not even
Army's lopsided loss to Navy could deflate the group's rollicking mood.

Afterward, it was back to the train and yet another gourmet meal - heroes
get hungry, says Levin - before returning to Walter Reed and Bethesda. "The
day was spectacular," says Levin. "It was all about these kids. It was
awesome to be part of it."

The most poignant moment for the Levins was when 11 Marines hugged them
goodbye, then sang them the Marine Hymn on the platform at Union Station.
"One of the guys was blind, but he said, 'I can't see you, but man, you must
be f---ing beautiful!' " says Bennett. "I got a lump so big in my throat, I
couldn't even answer him."

It's been three weeks, but the Levins and their guests are still feeling the
day's love. "My Christmas came early," says Levin, who is Jewish and who
loves the Christmas season. "I can't describe the feeling in the air."

Maybe it was hope.

As one guest wrote in a thank-you note to Bennett and Vivian, "The fond
memories generated last Saturday will sustain us all - whatever the future
may bring."

God bless the Levins.


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That was great! Thanks for sharing the article.

 

Wow! Thanks!

 

I wonder if there would be some way to create something similar in other parts of the country for local rivalries? In NM it would be the UNM & NMSU game.

 

Simply Great....Unconditional Efforts are just wonderful....Really a GREAT STORY.....

 

...would this story not better be placed into The Ready Track ??

 

Any word if it will happen again this year? Or will it be "covert"? It's great that this can happen from just goodwill and love!!:teeth: