We did not do any touring today but got a few things done around the camper, made a few phone calls and relaxed a bit. We ventured into Wilson NY just a few miles from here, mailed some cards and stopped at the grocery store for a few supplies.
My Air Force buddy Matt Steffan came out to visit this evening after he got off work at Cabelas. His lifelong passion is fishing and he works there part time to help fund his fishing trips! Matt has not changed a bit since I first met him in July 1973 at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi MS! He clarified that he was originally in Avionics but then cross-trained into Crew Chief, and was then assigned to England and Idaho before separating and returning to his hometown of Buffalo NY. We stopped and saw him in 1977 when I was headed back to Iowa after separating from my active duty tour. Then in 2016 we saw him and his late wife Lea who passed away two years ago today of complications from ocular cancer.
We grilled some burgers and brats with all the fixin's and enjoyed some great conversation about our families. There was also quite a bit of reminiscing about our times at Keesler back in 1973. We are so thankful that we were able to stay in touch all these years and then able to reconnect today here at the campground! It's what it is all about!
Even though we have visited Niagra Falls before we plan to revisit the American side tomorrow morning, taking Liberty along. That will remove the time restraints for us. Later tomorrow we plan to connect up with Tom Taylor, an Alliance owner from Washington State who is camping here in the Niagra Falls area.
Tomorrow we will give my sista Karen a shout on the occasion of her birthday, and we will remember all those brave warriors who hit the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, JUne 6 1944. 4,414 Allied troops were killed on D-Day itself, including 2,501 Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded. In the ensuing Battle of Normandy, 73,000 Allied forces were killed and 153,000 wounded.
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