![]() ![]() The chief chaperone and planner of the event was Jane Cox. They were all understandably excited about being on hallowed ground where the likes of Kennedy and Reagan had trod. ![]() ![]() A dozen kids were in attendance along with appropriate chaperones. The birthday party was in the bowling center. The hundred-and-thirty-acre property was rustic and had many outdoor pursuits, including tennis courts, hiking trails, and exactly one practice hole for presidential golfers. It had acquired its current and far less exotic moniker from Dwight Eisenhower, who named it after his grandson. Shangri-La by FDR, because it was essentially replacing the presidential yacht. A former recreation camp built by the WPA during the Great Depression, it was turned into the presidential retreat and named the U.S.S. Under either name, it was not a typical venue for a preteen's birthday party. The facility was officially designated by the Defense Department as Naval Support Facility Thurmont, yet most Americans knew it as Camp David. Gleeful laughter as gifts were unwrapped floated into the air alongside the menacing thump-thump of an arriving chopper's downward prop wash. Elegant forks digging into creamy goodies while toughened fingers coiled around curved metal trigger guards. ![]()
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