Labor Day Weekend in Branson

Counting down to the release of Footprints in the Dew on September 26th- hope to see you all at the Dewey Hotel from 11-3!

Welcome back. With Labor Day weekend 2015 now history, I thought I’d bring you an inspirational story from my recent trip to Branson, Mo. The Air Force, the Army, the Coast Guard, the Marines and the Navy are all represented in phots that line a long hallway in a special place I found this weekend. Many of the photos are formal portraits while others are shown in action. These are the service men and women who have defended our country in wars and conflicts around the world and many of them made the ultimate sacrifice. Included in this collection are photos of battleships with descriptions of each ship and autographed by people who served on them.

At the end of this long hallway I found a special banquet room called the Congressional Medal of Honor Room, dedicated to the elite group of service men and women who have received our country highest military award for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty. The walls in this room are filled with photos of people who have received this prestigious award.

The Congressional Medal of Honor was established by Congress in 1862 and since then 3,512 medals have been awarded. The medal is usually presented by the President on behalf of Congress in a formal ceremony at the White House. There are three versions of the award, one each for the Air Force, Army and Navy. The Marines and the Coast Guard receive the Navy version. In 1990 March 25th was designated as Congressional Medal of Honor Day in recognition of the importance of this award and we should all remember this day every year.

These inspiring exhibits are located in the Radisson Hotel on the main drag in Branson, Mo. When I spoke with management at the hotel I learned that the exhibit is free and open to everyone, whether they are guests at the hotel or not. It is definitely worth a stop when you are visiting Branson and serves as an important reminder that our freedom comes at a cost.

My weekend stay in Branson took me back to a show I first saw 10 years ago and I have to say it is just as exciting now as it was back then. The Dutton Family has been performing together for over thirty years and their high energy show is great for all ages. On the night that I was there they had a full house and from the looks on the faces in the crowd everyone was having a wonderful time.

To say that this family of singers, dancers and concert quality musicians is talented is definitely putting it mildly. I think I could see this show again next week and find it completely fresh and entertaining. If they were closer I probably would.

For those of you who haven’t heard of the Duttons before, the group was created by Dean and Sheila Dutton who introduced their seven children to the world of music to instill discipline and to give them a common interest as a family. Neither Dean nor Sheila was a professional musician and they never envisioned that this idea would grow into one of the most popular acts in the country not only in Branson but around the world. The Duttons have won numerous awards, appeared on television and radio and today they own their own theater and hotel in Branson and also perform for several months each year in Mesa, AZ.

I also caught the Legends show at the Dick Clark Theater which included Michael Jackson and Adele impersonators but there is no way to see everything in Branson in just a few short days. My scoop of the week is to stay at least a week when you visit. Hotels are reasonable and there are some beautiful camping spots on Tablerock Lake as well.

 

I’ll finish this week with more background on the development of Footprints in the Dew. Drew Edmondson was the Attorney General in Oklahoma in 2009, making him the highest ranking lawman in the state. When I received a letter from him ordering me to appear there was no question that I would do it. I arrived at the multistory judicial building in downtown Oklahoma City with the Osage County Sheriff and his lieutenant who led me up several flights of unmarked stairs to a small room that was also unmarked and where there were several other plainclothes cops awaited. After a few minutes they ushered me through a small door into another larger room where twenty people were sitting. I was told to sit in a chair facing them. This my friends is what a multi-county Grand Jury investigation is like and in this instance I was about to be questioned about the murder of E.C. Mullendore III and then placed under a gag order. With the help of several attorneys that order has been lifted and in the soon to be released Footprints in the Dew you will learn what law enforcement did with that information.

Next week the story of how the reward money was donated to charity in 2009. Till then I’ll see ya down the road………..

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