Tootsies and "the Boys"

"A Tribute to Veterans"

During one of the trips to "Broadway" some Dustoff Boys and their spouses wandered into Tootsies, of course, wearing their Dustoff shirts and hats so as to be different from the gathered wanna be cowboys and buckle bunnies gathered at this infamous watering hole.  Seems as though one of the young wait staff ladies noted the VDA logo on multiple shirts and asked "what's up with ya'll.?  And one or more voices chided in and told who and what they represented.  "Ya'll wait right here-don't be wandering off or nothing."  Moments later, the band stopped playing and the boys were ushered unabashedly upon on the stage.  They lead singer asked the boys who they were and microphone was handed over to Joe Startt, PH recipient who told the crowd that these boys are "real heroes".  That caused a huge out cry of support and cheers from the gathered crowd, the band played the Stars Spangled Banner and at the end the crowd broke out into a chant of "USA!  USA!  USA!  The posed for a picture with the lead singer with the band's promise that it would be posted on Tootsies Wall of Fame.  As the boys made their way back to the where their wives had been last seen, they were overwhelmed with hand shakes, pats on the back, and heart felt thank-you's.  Of course the good looking "buckle bunnies", some 40 to 50 years junior to our guys wanted group pictures taken.  And our guys, being the upstanding aviation types, certainly took the time to oblige them.  One guy even wanted his t-shirt autographed.  Needless to say, the "boys" left a mark in the legacy of Tootsies!