My Day at the Games 5-29

It was quite the day. I couldn’t decide what to wear, I couldn’t decide if I should wash my hair or not…I tried different pants and two different tops…after getting all ready I decided I needed to wash my hair, so then I had to touch up my make up. I emptied out my purse of all but the necessary and had Dad’s medal in there. We left when we were ready cause Larry wanted to stop at a Walmart to check out the TV’s. We decided on one, made the purchase and hit the road. We found where we needed to be at the Fairground with no problem and was directed to our special VIP parking which was right in the middle of everything…way nice for getting water and stuff.




We arrived just after 10 and didn’t need to check in until 11:30, but we found the booth first and collected our special guest badges, and lunch tickets, which was nice. We found the Emerald Societies canopy/gathering place and then set out exploring. You could hear bagpipes everywhere of course and people in various states of plaid dress…many, many men in kilts and women too. There were vendors selling everything plaid and celtic and kilts galore…most are not made of wool anymore. I didn’t find anything the whole day that I couldn’t live without. I was hoping to find at least a scarf in my tartan, but nada…and the clan booths were kind of a disappointment…just not what I expected.

We hooked up with Cliff Armas…the LAPD officer that has spearheaded this whole resurrection of the Ian J Campbell Memorial Award at the Games and the Emerald Society Band has devoted itself to keeping my Dad’s legacy alive. Their bagpipe covers bear on them an embroidered rendition of Dad’s badge with his number and his name on an emerald green ground, very nice.

We met back at the Scottish Societies booth at the appointed time and we were escorted to the stadium where the opening and closing events were held. We were left front and center and met the Chieftain of the Games Tom Reoch, we were told what was going to happen and then we had to wait for the pipe bands to get staged. Then we were led to the little center stage in the middle of the dirt track where we stood in the wonderful hot sun for the duration. There were chairs but there was never an appropriate time to sit.

First the colors arrived (the flags, American, Canadian, Scottish and England’s) and then the Pipe Bands…There appeared to be five, but a few of the bands were combined smaller bands, which made the whole thing go a little quicker, because they marched in and around the track into place behind our little stage…four were lined up behind us and then the biggest, bestest band paraded in front and reversed and stopped in front of us, so we were surrounded. Then they played the anthems of all four countries and all I can say is WOW, immersion in the sound of drums and bagpipes…I loved it. Then the Chieftain spoke, the Emerald Society guy spoke, a lady from the British Consulate, the Chieftain spoke and then it was my turn…I could have blabbed on about something, but I just said the line they gave me….”Let the Games begin”…which of course received a cheer, but several people thanked me for keeping it short…ha ha ha!

Then we still stood through all the bands exiting one at a time, playing of course and after they exited our duties were over until closing ceremonies at the end of the day. As Larry and I were walking across the track we were almost out when we heard someone calling my name and this slender elderly man catches up to us. He introduced himself to us and told us he knew my Dad and had worked with him. He was working with him the night my Dad was killed…he made it sound like it could have gone either way, but Dad and Karl took the unmarked car duty and Bob had the marked car that fateful night. Bob was also the one that found Dad and Karl’s car where it had been abandoned. You could tell he had liked my Dad and that night affected him as it did everyone involved. I was so glad to finally speak to someone who had been there and had worked with my Dad and Larry and I both felt that Bob was only at the games to meet me. We had a nice talk and exchanged a few hugs. It being such a small world, when he found out we had lived in Chester he told us his wife had family in Chester…her sister and brother in law and Larry knew them. When I had asked Cliff if there was anyone still around at the department that knew Dad he didn’t know of any, but was very glad to hear about Bob.

The rest of the day we wandered around watching events, finding shade, watching the caber toss, watching and listening to all the various musicians practicing and competing all over the place. They had the different venues spread far enough apart that the celtic rock band didn’t compete with the harpists on down the way…so as you moved around you were constantly exposed to some kind of celtic music.

We had Scottish meat pies for lunch…very yummy and the pastry was like a large flaky biscuit with gravy, mushrooms and steak sliced thin within. The lines were always long at the Bangor booths so we didn’t try them…Bangor’s are large sausages. We passed on the Haggis, you’ll have to look that one up. We bought and shared an Irish version of a Mounds bar…very yummy and just drank a lot of water trying to stay hydrated. We walked quite a lot and with all the standing we were getting pooped by the end of the day.

Oh and the local TV station tracked me down and I did an interview…God only knows how that will turn out, with the screeching of a peacock and then the fevered mating of three birds (yes three) in the shrub above my head at one point. Scary to see what they pull out of that debacle.

At 4:45 we were back at the grandstand and as some bands were still competing closing was delayed until 5:15. So we met the two Hollywood Division Captains that arrived and then back out front and center to stand in the sun again. Then the bands marched in doing their thing again, played a couple of tunes and then a loan piper came onto the platform and played Amazing Grace and part way through all the bands joined in…it was beautiful. Then it was award presentation time and the Captain said her piece and then I had to announce the winner, but I decided to share with everyone a bit of my Dad in connection to piping so they got why I was there. I shared about how he started piping, how and where he practiced over the years which made people laugh and thanked them for keeping my Dad’s memory alive or something along those lines. I didn’t write anything and now mostly can’t remember a thing I said (though many people told me it was great) and then I announced the winner’s name.

Poor kid, he came up and received his award and then had to stand there getting picture after picture with me, the big trophy that will be on display at the Police Museum and the Captains and the Police Protective League rep. Then it was on to the rest of the awards. And then the ceremonies were closed, the flags were carried out and then the bands did their march and playing out of the stadium. Then it was more photos with the Captains and the trophy and the trophy with Larry and I; the trophy, Cliff and I and then the Emerald Society Pipe Band, the trophy and I. I needed my body double…ha ha ha!!!

By the way, the young man who was awarded the Ian J Campbell Memorial Award was Canadian, I'm not sure from which band and he was very good.

After all that we exited the fairgrounds where by then most everyone was gone and followed our directions to Cliff and Lisa’s house where they had a wonderful dinner set up in our honor and with the Emerald Society band members. It was set up in their back yard which was beautiful and the food was wonderful. After, there was coffee and desserts and then we all watched the presentation that Cliff had put together in honor of my Dad. He did a really great job with all the pieces and pictures I had shared with him and all the other info that he was able to get from the departments archives. It was really nicely done and after that he presented me with a lovely framed shadow box with a piper pictured at the top and a rubbing of my Dad’s name off of the Police Memorial in Washington DC that he had made.

We had a great time, but we were exhausted by the time we got back home. We lucked out getting the last available site here at the RV park, it is off from the congested areas, so it is quiet except for the freeway noise. We took our showers, lotioned up the raging sunburn on my arms and fell into bed. I think we were asleep as soon as we hit the sheets!

It was a wonderful day. The Emerald Societies Band is committed to keeping Ian J Campbell the officer and the man’s memory alive, which is touching and great. It was just nice to be a part of such a positive experience instead of just drumming up the tragedy every time another parole hearing comes up.

Then today I spent composing the blog, editing photos and getting everything together and posted. I did fit in a nap…it was a lovely sunny day, but with burned arms and burned hair part on my head and still tired it was an inside day for me.

Don't forget to click on the pictures and you should be able to see them bigger. I put so many in I made them small so hopefully it won't take hours for those with dial up speeds.