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SOS America

Nov 13, 2004

Holiday Inn, NY, NY

Talk about a heartwarming event There could not have been a better way to recognize America’s committed, devoted troops who have gone to Afghanistan to fight for our freedom. This all-day event featured an assortment of activities, including a gripping slideshow of scenes which our soldiers have encountered in the course of their battles—from the local people, which greeted the soldiers warmly, their customs, to the palaces, to the ruins, to the ancient artifacts, and more. Entertainment? There was plenty of that. The USO team of red, white and blue-dressed military ladies performed the classical Andrews Sisters style military branch songs as they danced on the stage.

Following was a lunch break, before which everyone was asked to “take a soldier to lunch.” At about 2:30, the activities resumed, with a book and artifact sale. There were predominantly romance books, as the Romantic Times Book Club was there, along with an array of romantic writers/authors. There were a number of boxes full of items that were to be donated to the soldiers to help support them, including a number of the romantic novels.. I thought to myself "at least a soldier has something to occasionally get his/her mind off the frustrations of battle." Famed author Barbara Taylor Bradford was present, with copies of some of her award-winning books. Senior Grandmaster Steve Kaufman, author of 37 different book publications, was also present. It was certainly enjoyable to walk around and speak with the soldiers--the ones (of many) that are fighting for our country.

After the sale, everyone migrated back to where the morning presentation took place and enjoyed, what I believe, was the most beautiful fashion show I’ve seen in my life--women dressed like “ladies” from back in the 1940’s--the "dignified" years (and the times when their husbands went off to fight in World War II). The first part of the show featured daywear, and the second part featured beautiful eveningwear. The show was a refreshing array of dresses which reached down well past the knees, yet still featured relatively high necklines—ladylike—and definitely not today’s Hollywood-promoted stuff. I had the opportunity to speak with a number of the models who informed me that the dress which they modeled came from their grandmothers, or other ancestral relatives of theirs. I really enjoyed the show.

There was also a wonderful presentation about the famous Horn and Hardardt Automats, the classic eatery where people could go and, for a nickel (or two), could munch on a roll, enjoy a bowl of creamed spinach, delight over a plate of macaroni and cheese, or indulge over a piece of creamy cheesecake (some doing all of the above). The presentation was hosted by Adrienne Hardardt, the great granddaughter of one of the founders of the chain who founded the establishment over seventy years ago. After the presentation, which featured a very much nostalgic array of photo scenes of the classic actors and actresses of back then—Jack Benny, Doris Day, and many more—there were some humorous videos presented. We saw a clip of the Honeymooners with their antics at the automat, and then saw a clip from Candid Camera, where people purchased rolls from the automat, only to have them jump off of the plate and back inside of the vending machines (sometimes, there's a "string attached".)

The evening concluded with a wonderful group of singers who sang for the audience. The theatre-like arrangement of the chairs was removed and replaced with round tables with chairs all around them for people to sit and chat amidst the 1940’s style singing that was backgrounded by brass and piano jazz music.

The event also featured a wonderful silent auction, in which people had the opportunity to bid on a number of unique gifts, such as gourmet gift baskets, DVD players, tickets to see David Copperfield in Las Vegas, and more.

This was a wonderful, heartwarming event which was well-deserved by the soldiers. We at Liberty News Online would like to thank SOS Vice President Brigadier General Sidney Baumgarten and Founder Kathleen Falk for inviting us to attend this special event. If anyone would like to get more information about the SOS (Save our Soldiers) America Organization, they may visit their official website at www.sosamericainc.org.

If you are interested in having us cover one of your events, feel free to notify us one week in advance, so we can add you to our master calendar, and have our Liberty News Staff come and write an article about your event. Feel free to email us at lnevents@hadofnyc.org, or telephone us at (718) 507-7616 between the hours of 8:00am and 8:00pm, and ask to speak to Dr Rouse