On Friday,August 20 we began the day by visiting the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO.
This is a B-52 that had actually flown combat missions in Vietnam. Janis’ dad Major E. Ray Dowling had flown a plane just like this one.
Our second visit was to the campus of Focus on the Family, very encouraging.
I suppose we should have been chronicling the amazing ways God led us to people and places during our trip. We met a lot of different people with connections to places, people and events to which we were also connected. This is one example. After viewing a video of the new president on FOTF we exited the theater to see this plaque on the wall.
The plaque and the letters it contained were given to Dr. James Dobson by Tech Sgt. Donald G. Malarkey. Sgt. Malarkey was one of the “Band of Brothers” featured in the HBO special (not recommended viewing.)
It just so happens that my mother’s brother Donald Hoobler was also in Easy Company. He was killed after taking a Luger from a dead German soldier. The pistol which my uncle carried in his pocket accidently fired resulting in his death.
If our sources are correct Sgt. Malarkey’s family is in possession of that pistol.
Our next visit was to “The Garden of the Gods”. I suppose if there were in fact “gods”, they might have a garden such as this.
On Saturday, August 21 we visited with Gail’s sister Dawn, her husband Mark and 2 of their children and grandchildren.
Lori, Doug, Gail, Drew, Dawn, Sarah Dawn and Joe
Janis, Lori, Mark, Sarah, Joe
David and Drew
We attended church with the Spellman’s Sunday and then headed to Lawton, OK where we visited with Jim and Cheryl Dowling, Janis’ brother and sister -in-law.
AAA Trout 