On July
26, 2004, a contingent of about 50
of us met for lunch at Guytano's, a Charlotte
restaurant of some renown. Old BT folks
came from far and wide, mostly wide. Many had not seen each other
in over 30 years, but it was as if we'd never
been apart. We mingled, hugged, laughed, and hugged
some more. With all the catching up to do, no one remembers
what he ate.
The affable Doug Mayes, Dean of All Broadcasters
Everywhere (DABE), took the floor and regaled us with lots
of stories about yesteryear, several of which were
new. Others joined in, including Tom Matthews, Gene
Birke, Bud Coggins and Sam Fuller. Coggins' and Fuller's
stories were complete lies, of course. Remember, these
are salesmen.
Some people never change. It's as if Anna
Rufty was suspended in amber around 1970. Frances Harkey
hasn't changed a lick. Larry Daniel still looks about 18
years old. Don McDaniel still closely resembles his twin
brother Doug and vice versa. Henry Boggan looks more
like himself than ever before.
Around two o'clock our coaches began turning
into pumpkins, and we had to part. Fuzzy Walker hurried
back to all her young men at the Mayport Naval
Station in Florida (the fleet's in). Doug Mayes motored
back to his palatial digs on Lake Norman. John Reichard
flew back to his beach combing job along the Gulf Coast.
Coggins returned to lie in state in the WRAL-TV lobby,
where generations of school children will, in the years
ahead, file past his crypt. The rest of us resumed our
mundane lives, eking out a living, making ends meet, bouncing
checks, robbing convenience stores. It was a day we'll
long remember.
We've captured some of the moments in these amazing
photos. For your viewing enjoyment, many are in
focus.
