Pease Greeters Summoned To The White House.
2nd Anniversary
March 10, 2010
WASHINGTON, DC

It's been two years since the six man delegation responded to President George W. Bush's call to attend him in the Oval Office of the White House.  President Bush, having learned about the Greeter's mission as surrogate family to our troops coming and going overseas, asked, then US Senator, John Sununu of NH, to summon the Greeters to Washington to hear from the President.  What President Bush said to the Greeters was how proud he  was of them and the work the Pease Greeters were doing in support of our troops, especially those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan who passed through Portsmouth International Airport at Pease Tradeport.

On Monday, March 10, 2008 Bush welcomed the founders of the Pease Greeters for a 15 minute meeting in which the delegation conveyed the warm wishes of over 100 fellow Greeters who, according to Boston Globe columnist, Kathy McCormack in her article published in the Globe said, "the Greeters make sure that the soldiers are sent off to duty and welcomed home with the strongest of support".

Meeting with the President were Chairman, Ed Johnson along with his fellow former Marines Chuck Cove, Hank Page and Charlie Nichols.  Representing the airport were Maintenance Manager, Al Weston and airport Manager, Bill Hopper.  Also in the meeting was US Senator, John Sununu of New Hampshire who arranged the meeting.

The delegation left for Washington, after a rousing send-off by what some have estimated to be nearly 150 Greeters who assembled in the baggage claims area of the airport, to meet with the president and to bring him gifts that include an autographed sweatshirt signed by the Pease Greeters.  President Bush was enamored by the gift of the shirt and thanked the members of the delegation for their thoughtfulness.  Ever since this momentous meeting it has been a Greeter tradition to present to the commanders of each flight a similar, autographed sweatshirt like the one given to Bush.

In a telephone interview from Washington, Al Weston told Globe reporter Kathy McCormack that, "It was an honor to meet the president and it was pretty incredible . . . he was really down to earth".  Weston went on to say, "He truly, from his heart, was thankful for what we do".  "Pease Greeters do such things as hug the soldiers, shake their hands, give them a phone to call their families and distribute headsets and chocolates", Weston said.

While in Washington the delegation visited Walter Reed Army Hospital where they gave Lindt chocolates to the patients.  They also visited Arlington National Cemetery and other Washington and area sites.

Bob Hersey lives in Portsmouth, NH and writes for PeaseGreeters.org.
The source for this story is an article written by Kathy McCormack for The Boston Globe titled, Bush Honors 'Pease Greeters' in White House.