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 Greetings! You are reading an article from The Mudville Gazette. To reach the front page, with all the latest news and views, click the logo above or "main" below. Thanks for stopping by! April 15, 2006 The Hilton RespondsBy Greyhawk(Updated/bumped from 2006-04-14 19:45:00) The Hilton says that after they kick Fran O'Brien's to the curb they hope the vets will still drop by: "The Capitol Hilton elected to terminate the lease, but that had absolutely nothing to do with the Friday night dinners," Lisa Cole, regional director of communications for Hilton, told WND. "It was strictly a business decision."Just because they're evicting the people who made it happen doesn't mean they want to lose the good publicity, you see. Bastards. Paris might be the smartest member of the family. I hope they're ready for the 170+ hungry people who will wander over from the MilBlogs Conference just up the road too. Previous entries here and here. Interesting comments and emails rolling in: And don’t forget that it’s not just “Hilton” hotels. The Hilton “family of hotels” includes: Conrad Hotels, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites and Scandic Hotels.And if the Hilton thinks the attention will fade over the holiday weekend, they're in for a rude surprise. Soldier's Dad: "Hanoi Hilton". Heh. Update: Looks like Lisa Cole, the regional director of communications for Hilton quoted above, is a busy gal: About a month after an emergency room visit found Nina Kennedy had Stage 4 colon and liver cancer, her supervisors from Hilton Grand Vacations called her with more bad news. Even More: Andi says: Brian Kelleher, General Manager of the Capital Hilton, called me this afternoon. He and I had a good conversation and he answered all of my questions. In fact, he's going to answer your questions too.My question would require a bit of a setup: Here's the story that's flying across the internet regarding Fran O'Brien's: For over 5 months they were told not to worry they would have the renewal lease in a few weeks. About a month ago the Hilton folks stopped responding to their emails and voice messages for a status report and last week Hal and Marty received a one page eviction notice. No explanation was given.Here's your response: Kelleher says that negotiations between the two "didn't gel".Here's O'Brien's comment: Fran O’Brien’s landlord is forcing out the steakhouse of the same name.Your response: According to Kelleher, the Hilton would like to continue to host the dinners.Sounds like a big win for you - kick out the Vietnam vet who was feeding the wounded and get the Hilton full credit for supporting the troops. Hollywood couldn't ask for a better script for their next movie exposing corporate sleaze. Pretend you have just a few minutes to lay your cards on the table and prevent a PR catastrophe - what can you tell us that doesn't come off like more of that mealy-mouthed bullshit above? My question probably won't meet the criteria established. Maybe later I'll be able to figure out a way to write it without using the word bullshit. (BTW, has anyone ever noticed how often I actually use the "rough language" I warn about in the masthead?) Leave your questions in comments at Andi's. She's an awesome lady - don't follow my example. Still more Via comments below, another part of the Hilton response: Furthermore, the hotel is in discussions with one of the sponsors of the Friday night dinners to continue their support of the dinners.How nice, they are looking for someone else to pay for the food. By the way, here's what the Hilton killed. More developments - latest here. (Don't stop reading now...) Posted by Greyhawk / April 15, 2006 12:32 AM | Permalink 3 TrackBacksHilton Hotels has responded about the Fran O'Brien's ouster. Take out all the flowery legalese stuff and it boils down to two words: Go away Time to get angry now folks. Previous entries here and here. ... Read More Someone I know and trust has been talking with representatives of the Capital Hilton over the past couple of days regarding the Fran O'Brien's eviction. As a result of those conversations, Brian Kelleher, General Manager of the Capital Hilton, called m... Read More The Washington Post put a heart-tugging story about the closing of Fran's on page B-1 today that should have every power player in DC picking up the phone and raising hell. I have now officially forgiven the editors for that horrible Tom Toles c ...... Read More 12 Comments |
November 26, 2010America@war [Greyhawk]
I think anyone who's ever pondered the "comment" option - once only available on blogs and bulletin boards, now ubiquitous on almost any web site - will appreciate this:
The so-called faculty of writing is not so much a faculty of writing as it is a faculty of thinking. When a man says, "I have an idea but I can't express it"; that man hasn't an idea but merely a vague feeling. If a man has a feeling of that kind, and will sit down for a half an hour and persistently try to put into writing what he feels, the probabilities are at least 90 percent that he will either be able to record it, or else realize that he has no idea at all. In either case, he will do himself a benefit. That's wisdom from the past, captured for posterity at the US Naval Institute, shared via the web on the institute's 137th anniversary. From their about page:
"The Naval Institute has three core activities," among them, History and Preservation: The Naval Institute also has recently introduced Americans at War, a living history of Americans at war in their own words and from their own experiences. These 90-second vignettes convey powerful stories of inspiration, pride, and patriotism. Take a look at the collection, and you'll see it's not limited to accounts from those who served on ships at sea, members of the other branches are well-represented. I'm fortunate to have met USNI's Mary Ripley, she's responsible for the institute's oral history program (and she's the daughter of the late John Ripley, whose story is told here). She also deserves much credit for their blog. ("We're not the Navy nor any government agency. Blog and comment freely.") We met at a milblog conference - Mary knew (and I would come to realize) that milbloggers are the 21st-century version of exactly what the US Naval Institute is all about. Once that light bulb came on in my head, I mentioned a vague idea for a project to her - milblogs as the 21st century oral history that they are. "Put that in writing," she said (of course - see first paragraph above!) - and here's part of the result. Shortly after the first tent was pitched by the American military in Iraq a wire was connected to a computer therein, and the internet was available to a generation of Americans at war - many of whom had grown up online. From that point on, at any given moment, somewhere in Iraq a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine was at a keyboard sharing the events of his or her day with the folks back home. While most would simply fire off an email, others took advantage of the (then) relatively new online blogging platforms to post their thoughts and experiences for the entire world to see. The milblog was born - and from that moment to this stories detailing everything from the most mundane aspects of camp life to intense combat action (often described within hours of the event) have been available on the web... And et cetera - but since you're reading this on a milblog, you probably knew that. And you know that milblogs aren't just blogs written by troops at war, that many friends, family members, and supporters likewise documented their story of America at war online in near-real time, as those stories developed. The diversity in membership of that group is broad, the one thing we all have in common is the impulse to make sense of the seemingly senseless, and communicate the tale - for each of us that impulse was strong enough to overcome whatever barriers prevent the vast majority of people from doing the same. Everyone at some point has some vague idea they believe should be shared - we were the people who, from some combination of internal and external urging, found and spent those many half hours persistently trying to write it down. But where will all that be in another 137 years? Or five or ten, for that matter. That's something I've asked myself since at least 2004 - when I wrote this:
Membership in the ghost battalion has grown in the years since, and an ever growing majority of those abandoned-but-still-standing sites are vanishing. Have you checked out Lt Smash's site lately? How about Sgt Hook's? If you're a long-time milblog reader you know the first widely-read milblog from Operation Iraq Freedom and the first widely-read milblog from Afghanistan are both gone from the web. If you're a relative newcomer to this world you may never even have heard of them - or the dozens upon dozens of others who carried forth the standard they set down. If you have a vague notion that something should be done about that, (a notion I've heard expressed more than once...) then you and I and the good folks at the US Naval Institute are in agreement. Preserving the history documented by the milbloggers is just one of the goals of the milblog project, the once-vague idea that we're now making real. And it's a big idea, if I say so myself - too big to explain in one simple blog post, so stand by for more. Likewise, it's too big a task to be accomplished by just one person. So if you're a milblogger (and exactly what is a milblogger? is a topic for much further discussion on its own) I'm asking for your help. All I'll really need is just a little bit (maybe just one or two of those half hours...) of your time, and your willingness to tell the tale. We've already made history, it's time to save it. (More to follow...) Posted 4:02 PM | Permalink |
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The Mudville Gazette is the on-line voice of an American warrior and his wife who stands by him. They prefer to see peaceful change render force of arms unnecessary. Until that day they stand fast with those who struggle for freedom, strike for reason, and pray for a better tomorrow.
 
 
 Furthermore, I will occasionally use satire or parody herein. The bottom line: it's my house. I like having visitors to my house. I hope you are entertained. I fight for your right to free speech, and am thrilled when you exercise said rights here. Comments and e-mails are welcome, but all such communication is to be assumed to be 1)the original work of any who initiate said communication and 2)the property of the Mudville Gazette, with free use granted thereto for publication in electronic or written form. If you do NOT wish to have your message posted, write "CONFIDENTIAL" in the subject line of your email. Original content copyright © 2003 - 2011 by Greyhawk. Fair, not-for-profit use of said material by others is encouraged, as long as acknowledgement and credit is given, to include the url of the original source post. Other arrangements can be made as needed. Contact: greyhawk at mudvillegazette dot com  Tending Distant Far from hearth and home, watching What tales we'll tell When things grim Some distant sunset, vision fading Saluting fallen friends whose names - Greyhawk, Baghdad, December 2004 |
New generation, new terms
Hanoi Hilton, noun, Those who place Greed before Honor.
Thanks to Gaius over at Blue Crab Boulevard, I'm trying to do my part too. Have linked to both of you over this. This is appalling and needs to be rectified immediately.
Nothing personal "it's just business..." What a cop out. You know, there are times when the right thing to do is lead with the heart and not the head and this was one of them.
Thanks for bringing this out into the light of day.
SJS
Here's my email to Hilton and their response.
I read about Hilton's decision not to renew the lease of Fran O'Brien's with some dismay. I think that this is a PR disaster in the making for Hilton, as well as simply wrong. If you're listening to your lawyers.......STOP. Those guys suck the good out of everything (often with the best of intentions, I'm sure). There must be a way to work out the problems, whatever they are. Please resolve this so these people can continue to do the great things that are doing for our wounded.
Thanks for your consideration.
HILTON'S RESPONSE:
Your e-mail has been forwarded to me, Brian Kelleher, General Manager, of The Capital Hilton.
Thank you for your expression of concern regarding the Fran O’Brien’s restaurant. I appreciate your interest and would like to take this opportunity to respond to you personally.
For strictly business reasons related solely to the inability to reach a new lease agreement, the Capital Hilton has elected to terminate the lease with the operator of Fran O’Brien’s restaurant at the hotel. This decision was not at all related to the Friday night dinners for disabled veterans but rather a result of lease negotiations that failed. The hotel has offered to host and sponsor the May 5, 2006 dinner and expressed interest in working closely with Walter Reed so that the Friday night tradition can continue. Furthermore, the hotel is in discussions with one of the sponsors of the Friday night dinners to continue their support of the dinners.
The Capital Hilton prides itself on its involvement and support of many community organizations and events and has provided complimentary or discounted rooms to families with veterans in the hospital, donated facilities to military organizations and most recently hosted a meeting for 300 people.
Sincerely,
Brian Kelleher
General Manager, Capital Hilton
"Furthermore, the hotel is in discussions with one of the sponsors of the Friday night dinners to continue their support of the dinners."
Translation: We'll toss the Vietnam vet, take over hosting the dinners, take the credit, and get someone else to pay for it!
This keeps getting better and better...
There is a point that some are missing. Routines and familiarity, are threads that hold us to sanity and hope. It's not about the free steak. It's about cutting one more thread, when way too much cutting has been done already.
I wonder if the "other" hotel chain, which is DC HQ'd BTW (Marriott), would not be interested in some good publicty. The chain is family run, has a set of family values (Mormon) and is patriotic, unlike the Hilton's. I don't think there is a Paris lurking in the Marriott family closet.
They also understand the disabled.
http://marriottfoundation.org/foundation/newsDetail.mi?marrArticle=12255
PHILADELPHIA, PA - September 17, 2002 – Whether she's coordinating logistics for ships along the Eastern seaboard or motivating residents in retirement communities, Kelley Arredondo sees possibilities, not problems. This ability is why Arredondo, a long-time Marriott employee and a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Naval Reserve, has been selected to head The Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities "Bridges…from school to work" program in Philadelphia.
The "Bridges…from school to work" is the city's leading organization for matching high school seniors with disabilities to entry-level positions. Since 1999, it has helped more than 200 young people find employment with 140 local employers.
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Based on my conversations last week at Fran O'Briens with Hal and a close friend of his this (posted earlier) take is Hal's position.
"For over 5 months they were told not to worry they would have the renewal lease in a few weeks. About a month ago the Hilton folks stopped responding to their emails and voice messages for a status report and last week Hal and Marty received a one page eviction notice. No explanation was given."
Hilton never negotiated in good faith. There weren't any talks that "didn't gel." Its corporate BS. Hal believes its the liability issue. Too many guys and gals in wheelchairs in a basement restaurant. Rather than step up to renovating an entrance for the troops, Hilton decided it was easier to just shut them down.
I have stayed at hiltons in the past. Never again regardless of the outcome here. That will include their other properties. Despicable is a word I rarely use, but it seems appropriate in this case. Business as usual. Bums.
I also will give caution as to where I'll be staying as my wife and I travel.It will be a pleasure to know that my money will never see a Hilton hand.
The moonbats in San Fran are another group that has seen the last of my chubby 6!! All of these people need to realize we're finally at the age that we can spend a few hard earned dollar....... go ahead.....piss in our mess kits !!
Thanks,Troops for all you do !!!!!
I know Hal and Marty pretty well. My husband and I work near Fran's and it's our regular Friday night place to go for a drink and good meal to let the traffic die down before heading home. And my husband has lunch there a few times a week too.
So, I also know that they've been trying to get the lease agreement worked out. In addition, I know for a fact that they've tried to get the Hilton to make their restaurant ADA compliant by putting in an elevator or even a ramp. One of the issues the Hilton cited was that it was difficult and dangerous for the vets to get down the long, steep stairway to Fran's.
But if they were concerned about that, they could've done what Hal and Marty asked. And I know they asked for it because my husband and I have heard it from both Marty and Hal for months.
Also, I've seen Twigs, the Hilton's restaurant. It's a freakin' fern bar. Unlike Fran's, it's all hanging plants, light delicate furniture and basically a place to go for overpriced and tiny serving sizes of quiche and white wine. And I'm not sure they even have a private room to accomodate the gatherings as Fran's does. So, you'd have a bunch of wounded guys and gals possibly being gawked at by other customers while they were trying to let their hair down. No thank you.
This was not a sincere offer.
You may be surprised to learn this is an issue that resonates across the political spectrum.
Here is some info for people interested in punishing Hilton. It is time to launch Operation Perish Hilton.
Here are some highlights: Boycott the following hotel chains:
Conrad Hotels
Doubletree
Embassy Suites
Hampton Inn
Hampton Inn & Suites
Hilton Garden Inn
Homewood Suites
Scandic
Another way to show support is for people who do travel to pick up the stationary from their hotel room and write a letter to Hilton corporate headquarters, the local newspapers, TV and radio stations saying:
"I'm sending you this note from [non Hilton property] to let you know I think the way Hilton Hotel Corp. is treating the people and patrons at Fran O'Brien's Steak House in Washington DC is wrong. I chose to stay at [non Hilton property] because I support our troops. I simply can't get a good night's sleep at a Hilton property as long as they turn their back on severely wounded soldiers."